by Thomas Harper, Harper Gerlach PL

In a very close election, Republican Rick Scott, a virtual unknown who received heavy Tea Party support, has been elected as the new governor. Scott, a multimillionaire with a background in health care administration, has lived in Florida for seven years. He was heavily criticized during his campaign by Democratic opponent Alex Sink due to his health care company’s participation in numerous Medicare regulatory violations, for which the company was forced to repay the government hefty amounts.

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by Jay Surdukowski, Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C.

In New Hampshire, Republicans claimed a 19-5 edge in the state senate, a huge house majority, and likely unanimous control of the Governor’s Council, though incumbent Democratic Governor John Lynch managed to keep his post.

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by Don Eilbott, Jack, Nelson, Jones, Jiles & Gregory, P.A.

I fully realize that the story of election evening was the Republican victories in the House and Senate nationwide and locally. In fact, looking at color-coded maps of the congressional districts, I see the country is now solid red, with the exception of the small blue areas of the large cities. We have gone back to urban vs. rural — or perhaps worse, poor vs. all others, or even worse, a racial divide.

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by Jeanne M. Bender, Holland & Hart LLP

Lone congressman Republican Denny Rehberg was reelected by a large margin after a somewhat nasty campaign.

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by Robert Steptoe, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Senator-elect Joe Manchin, who will fill the remaining two years of Senator Robert Byrd’s term, can be expected to oppose most of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) based on an interview with the Wheeling newspaper.

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by Michael Barnsback, DiMuroGinsberg, P.C.

Republicans picked up three U.S. House of Representatives seats in Virginia, defeating Democratic incumbents in the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Districts. The Eleventh District race in northern Virginia between incumbent Democrat Gerry Connolly and Republican Keith Fimian was too close to call at the time of publication, but Connolly held a 500-vote lead.

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by Darryl J. Lee, Wood Jenkins LLC

Utah sends all of its incumbents back to the U.S. Congress, together with a new Tea Party constitutionalist, Republican Mike Lee, who easily won the open U.S. Senate seat vacated by Bob Bennett. (Bennett couldn’t make it out of Utah’s Republican caucus.)

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by John B. Phillips, Jr.

Tuesday’s election continues Tennessee’s move toward a solid-red Republican state:

• In the governor’s race, Republican Bill Haslam won with an overwhelming majority, replacing two-term Democrat Phil Bredesen, who was prohibited from running for a third term.
• It also appears that Tennessee Republicans will make gains in both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly, extending and increasing the Republican control of both state houses.
• Tennessee’s congressional delegation will be made up of seven Republicans and two Democrats, a net gain of two seats for the GOP. (Both U.S. senators are Republicans, though neither was up for election this year.)

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by Jane Pfeifle, Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun, P.C.

South Dakota voters overwhelmingly supported Republican candidates as they swept to victory in all of the state constitutional office races, including the governor’s race. On a national level, Blue Dog Democratic candidate Stephanie Herseth Sandlin lost her third-term bid for the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to newcomer Republican Kristi Noem. In the past, Herseth Sandlin has won her elections by overwhelming majorities.

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by Bradd N. Siegel, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP

Republicans swept every major statewide race in Ohio, taking back the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, and the post for chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from incumbent Democrats. Republicans also claimed the open U.S. Senate seat.

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