The political pundits, and the rest of America, are focused on last night’s stunning presidential results — but Donald Trump’s upset victory was only the crest of a wave that swept across the country, as Democrats watched their party all but wash away.
In the Senate, Republicans held on in almost all of their fiercely fought contests. Ron Johnson defeated challenger Russ Feingold in Wisconsin, despite having led in just one poll since February. In Indiana, Todd Young upset former governor Evan Bayh by ten points in a race Bayh was predicted to win by a large margin. In July, senators Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer urged Bayh to enter the race, and with a $9 million funding advantage from the start, he leapt to an early 20-point lead. A similar tale played out for Richard Burr in North Carolina, Roy Blunt in Missouri, Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, and Marco Rubio in Florida. The result? Republicans now have a 51-seat majority (plus the likely Republican victory in Louisiana’s run-off, and Senator Kelly Ayotte still may win re-election in New Hampshire).
