The 2010 election cycle is over, and aside from the inevitable close recounts and arguments, we’re finally done with the political season. And if you’re like most people, you are already sick of the topic and glad to see the ads and phone calls going away. However, there’s one topic which isn’t getting as much attention in the excitement over the national races, and that’s what happens at the state and local level.

The state level is where tomorrow’s national politicians are found, and they decide far more significantly how your life will be in terms of finance and politics than Washington DC.  Conventional wisdom tells us that Democrats in congress are being punished, in a massive backlash against arrogance, vast overspending, corruption, and contempt for voters. It is as if the Democrats saw what Republicans did and said “lets do that, but ten times as much!” But, what about those local races? What happens there says more about the race than at the national level.