Dems Bolster Senate Control By 5 Seats

Democrats Hold At Least 56 Seats; 4 Races Undecided; Minn. Headed To Recount, Ga. May Face Runoff

(CBS/AP)  Democrats fattened their majority control of the Senate on Tuesday, ousting Republican Sens. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and John Sununu of New Hampshire and capturing seats held by retiring GOP senators in Virginia, New Mexico and Colorado.

CBS News projects that the Democrats will pick up at least five GOP seats, giving them an effective majority of at least 56, including those held by two independents. Sixty seats are needed for a filibuster-proof majority that would preclude Republicans from blocking legislation.

They did not turn over a single seat to Republicans. All Democratic incumbents on the ballot prevailed.

But four races had yet to be decided early Wednesday.

Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss could be headed for a special runoff in his reelection bid against Democratic challenger Jim Martin and third party candidate Allen Buckley.

Chambliss needs 50 percent-plus-one of the votes to avoid a runoff. With thousands of absentee ballots still being counted Wednesday morning, Chambliss has fallen below the 50-percent mark, according to the AP.

Martin will host a news conference later this morning to outline his plans. (Click here for live Georgia results)

In Minnesota, the contest between Republican Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" writer, was so close (approximately three one-hundredths of a percent) that a recount is mandatory. The race also included a significant third-party candidate, Independent Dean Barkley. (Click here for live Minnesota results)

Coleman leads Franken by a few hundred votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast. Under state law, an automatic recount is triggered when the difference between candidates is less than 0.5%.

Minnesota's Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said a recount wouldn't begin until mid-November at the earliest (that's when the canvassing board meets) and could drag on until December.

Franken is not conceding the Minnesota Senate race to incumbent Coleman, and on Wednesday morning said the race is still close to call.

"We won't know for a little while who won the race," Franken said, "but at the end of the day we will know that the voice of the electorate was clearly heard. There is reason to believe that the recount could change the vote tally significantly."

He also raised the possibility of voter irregularities.

"Our office and the Obama campaign have received reports of irregularities at various precincts around the state," Franken said. "We are lucky enough to live in a state with built-in protections to ensure that in close elections like these, the will of the people is accurately reflected in the outcome.

"This has been a long campaign, and it's going to be a little longer before we have a winner."

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Stevens, at 84, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, sought re-election despite calls from GOP leaders to resign after he was convicted last week of seven counts of lying on Senate financial disclosure forms. He was locked in a tight contest with Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage. (Click here for live Alaska results)

Republican Sen. Gordon Smith in Oregon was also on the list of Democratic targets. (Click here for live Oregon results)


Turnovers

In North Carolina, Kay Hagan ousted the incumbent, Dole, after a bitter contest that featured some intensely negative campaigning, including a Dole ad implying Hagan was an atheist. (Click here for live North Carolina results)

"Kay Hagan's victory tonight in the North Carolina Senate race was sweet, indeed. The seat was once held by Jesse Helms, the bete noir of the Democratic party," Dee Dee Myers, who served as former President Bill Clinton's press secretary, told CBSNews.com. "And Hagan's win - and Obama's impressive showing - suggest the state, like many part of the country, is changing. It's becoming increasingly friendly for Democrats running for local, state and national office."

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In Colorado, Democratic Rep. Mark Udall, son of the late Arizona Rep. Morris "Mo" Udall, beat former Republican Rep. Bob Schaffer for the seat now held by Republican Wayne Allard.

In New Mexico, his cousin, Democrat Tom Udall, beat out Steve Pearce for an open seat vacated by Republican Sen. Pete Domenici.

Democrat Mark Warner breezed to victory in Virginia against Jim Gilmore in a matchup that pitted two former governors against each other for the seat of retiring Sen. John Warner. (Click here for live Virginia results)

In New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen defeated Republican incumbent John Sununu.

But Republicans stopped a complete rout. Mitch McConnell, the incumbent Senate minority leader, held onto his Kentucky Senate seat, surviving a surprising challenge from Democrat Bruce Lunsford. President George W. Bush called McConnell to congratulate him on his reelection, according to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. (Click here for live Kentucky results)

"Winston Churchill once said that the most exhilarating feeling in life is to be shot at - and missed," McConnell said late Tuesday. "After the last few months, I think what he really meant to say is that there's nothing more exhausting."

Kentucky's closer-than-expected race "just shows how the national trends and low job approval of the president affected everyone," Democratic strategist Mark Mellman told CBSNews.com.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden won another six-year term representing Delaware in the Senate. It became moot when Obama won the presidential election.

Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, the only serious GOP target, won her re-election over Republican state treasurer John Kennedy.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., attributed the Democratic gains to Obama's coattails.

"It's been a really good night," Reid said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Obama ran a terrific campaign, he inspired millions of people."

In a tight Mississippi contest, Republican Roger Wicker, defeated former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove to serve another four years of the term originally won in 2006 by Lott. Wicker was appointed to the post temporarily after Lott stepped down.

With Warner's victory in Virginia, Democrats now control both Senate seats and the governor's mansion. Virginia usually votes Republican in presidential elections, but Obama also won there Tuesday.

Democrats had counted on a slumping economy, an unpopular war and voter fatigue after eight years of President Bush to bolster a razor-thin 51-49 effective majority they've had the past two years after adding six seats in 2006.

Having a majority in the high 50s will enable Democrats to exercise far more control than they have now, since some Republicans probably would join them in efforts to break Senate logjams on many bills and judicial appointments.

Included in the Democrats' majority are two holdover independents, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who have voted with them for the most part over the past two years. However, Lieberman, the Democrat's vice presidential nominee in 2000, spent most of 2008 campaigning for McCain.

It was unclear even to Senate leaders Tuesday night whether Lieberman would continue to caucus with the Democrats or keep his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security committee. Reid said in the interview that he'll discuss the matter with the Connecticut senator later this week.

Democrats will lose two incumbents: Obama and Biden. Democratic governors in Illinois and Delaware are sure to appoint Democrats to replace them.

Democrats had fewer seats to defend than Republicans. Of the 35 races on Tuesday's ballot, 23 were held by Republicans, 12 by Democrats.

Republicans held the Nebraska seat of retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel, with former Gov. Mike Johanns defeating Democrat Scott Kleeb, a college history instructor. Johanns resigned as Bush's agriculture secretary to make the race.

Republicans also held the Idaho seat of Sen. Larry Craig, who decided not to run for re-election after he was caught last year in a men's room sting. Idaho Lt. Gov. Jim Risch won the seat.

Republican incumbent senators who cruised to re-election included Lindsay Graham in South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Jeff Sessions in Alabama, James Inhofe in Oklahoma, Lamar Alexander in Tennessee, Pat Roberts in Kansas, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, John Cornyn of Texas and Michael Enzi in Wyoming. Sen. John Barrasso, appointed after Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas died, was elected to fill the remaining four years of Thomas' term.

Democratic senators easily winning re-election included Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Kerry of Massachusetts, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Carl Levin of Michigan, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Max Baucus of Montana, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

[thelastvoter]

A Message to Governor Palin: As a Conservative Republican, I do not like the way you were treated by both the media and those bums inside the Republican Committee and McCain Campaign -- no reflection on Senator McCain himself -- and when those bums are identified publicly, and they will be identified, I can guarantee you that they will no longer have a place in the Republican Party. Why? Because those bums, along with that corrupt crowd on Capiol Hill and Wall Street, have sold out America, and they have no business advising any candidate, period. I hope that once they are identified publicly, Americans give them the same treatment that they gave Governor Palin. She has thick skin -- they don''''t. This is a message from a Republican who in hindsight thanks the Democrats for helping clean out those Washington politicians who have strayed from Republican principles, and this includes most of the Bush Administration.

[o_nolan1]

It''s time for the Dems to spend their POLITICAL CAPITAL. This is a true mandate from from the majority. Here comes health care, a clean environment, a new economy and justice for all. For those who don''t agree, please sit back and see the results speak for themselves. This president will be different. He has the pressure to succeed like no other president in living memory. Good luck to you all from your Canadian friends!

[fufaglets]

well the negro, dont we all feel equal now.

[creepymoose]

all I gotta say is; HA! hA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!


WWW.CHILITOZ.COM

[kk217]

johnbrown888...aren''t you the pleasant one

[kk217]

The only way this country is going to see true change is for Californians to vote Nancy Pelosi out of office. She holds the true power in this country

[indianaman13]

Maybe now the Republican party will realize it''s mistake of becoming so financially involved with Corporations. The people spoke and they said they have had enough Republican scandals over the last 40 years. Don''t get me wrong, Dems have their own bad apples as well, but at least the Dems don''t seem to have a systematic corruption problem within their ranks. Special interests has to go. Israel needs not be the largest lobbyist group in DC, Christian Evangelicals need not preach Zionism, which when looked up in a dictionary the definition is of jewish faith, and if i remember right, Jesus found the jewish faith lacking, that is why he left it. We need peace to bring peace. Arab nations have proven they can withstand our warfare technology for years now and we must pull back aggressiveness in ourselves and our allies and show terrorists what a good Godly nation really is and how it should act.

[windmaster12]

Dole Epitomizes why The GOP lost--

The use of fear -- falsehoods -- Character assassination

Trickery -- lies -- Goebbell''s style Propaganda ---

Mccarthyism --- Camouflaged Racism etc. Have done them in

Finally I''m Glad God is off the leash the GOP

Thought they had Him on!!!!

Guess what He''s not a Republican after all!!!

[simplemind2]

"And Hagan''s win - and Obama''s impressive showing - suggest the state, like many part of the country, is changing. It''s becoming increasingly friendly for
Democrats running for local, state and national office."

And pretty soon - rest assured that the words like "GWB" and "D-i-c-k Cheney" will be listed under the "True Terrorists" definition in the Webs dictionary.
Now tell me - why in the world that any politician running for public offices would unknowingly or intentionally associated their campaign with folks like that?
The world certainly would be much better off without them holding ANY public offices!
Amen!

[tuckerdogavl]

YES. We need to silence all the MADE UP criticism from the fakes like Hannity and Rush. You are right. Perhaps we could make up an amendment that says if you are going to babble on you have to do so with at least a few facts in mind.

[tuckerdogavl]

bitter bitter bitter losers. get over it. you lost. we''ve all won. move on. find something else to hate.

[G H M]

The silent majority is no longer silent

[listenupfool]

And God BLESS America andDAMN notreverend Wright.

[listenupfool]

Let''s all just hope for NO terrorist attacks. Let''s all hope for No assasination. Let''s all hope our new President and congress can find the wisdom and fortitude to bring us out of this mess and get this country rolling. I stumped against Senator Obama while the race was on, but I''m backing President Obama as I have every President. Dems win this time...got it all. Four years from now it will too late to blame anything on Bush/Cheney. Time to PUT UP OR SHUT UP.

[innisfree4]

We won''t need 4 years --- the ''annoited one'' will self emplode long before that....

[questionnews]

I see from many of the posts the Obama''s message of getting past the hate & divisiveness missed the mark for the hollow heads on both sides.

Anybody else watch the election coverage on comedy central?? John Stewart was hilarious!!

[innisfree4]

Well the Dem Gods have control of all the houses --- this type of scenerio is a dream come true for the republicans!...No more taking the blame for Carter''s mess and Clinton''s mess... The liberals will put down their glasses of Kool-Aid when they realize that the ''empty vessel'' is just that - all words, no substance!... I for one will be paying attention to every bill, every motion, every minute of this false presidency - 29 seats come up in the next two years, that should be long enough for Obama to roll out his social agenda, or for another terrorist attack to befall us now that we have probably the weakest man in America at the helm....

[grvmstrj]

IT IS TRULY VERY SAD THAT THERE ARE SOOO MANY HATERS OUT THERE. IT IS STILL VERY DEPRESSING THAT IN THIS, THE GREATEST NATION THE WORLD HAD EVER KNOWN, SOOO MUCH HATRED IS FIRMLY IMPLANTED IN SOME OF US. YET WE PROCLAIM TO THE WORLD TO BE HONEST, OPEN AND CARING. MAYBE WE CAN BE BUT IT IS UP TO THE "TRUE" AMERICANS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON OUR NATIONAL COMMITTMENTS.

GOD BLESS AMERICA---ALL OF AMERICA

[nd2058fre]

It is not the government''s responsibility to "fix" an economy that the media slayed, it''s not the government''s responsibility to take over everything. Less government is always better. Low taxes, less social programs make strong businesses which supply jobs which give people pride, food, houses, clothing, cars, health care - the government can''t, shouldn''t and doesn''t do those things.
The lack of health care is a lie - everyone in this country has access to the best health care in the world, no one can deny that - it is expensive because of it''s quality - you pay for it by having a job, not waiting for another government handout.
The cure for this country is less government, lower taxes, more jobs; trickle down economics always works, always has. Give me money, let me start a business, let me hire people; then they have freedom, selfworth, and power. This doesn''t happen under some socialist, government mandated program.
Open your eyes, see that this new emperor is naked!

[nd2058fre]

It is not the government''s responsibility to "fix" an economy that the media slayed, it''s not the government''s responsibility to take over everything. Less government is always better. Low taxes, less social programs make strong businesses which supply jobs which give people pride, food, houses, clothing, cars, health care - the government can''t, shouldn''t and doesn''t do those things.
The lack of health care is a lie - everyone in this country has access to the best health care in the world, no one can deny that - it is expensive because of it''s quality - you pay for it by having a job, not waiting for another government handout.
The cure for this country is less government, lower taxes, more jobs; trickle down economics always works, always has. Give me money, let me start a business, let me hire people; then they have freedom, selfworth, and power. This doesn''t happen under some socialist, government mandated program.
Open your eyes, see that this new emperor is naked!