November 29, 2006

GOP Gets A Big Win

We reported yesterday that, thanks to a recount, Dems won control of the PA State House.

Today, some good news for the GOP: After a recount in Montana's Yellowstone County, State Rep. candidate Kratyon Kerns (R) eeked out a 3-vote win over Dem Emelie Eaton (D), giving the GOP a 50-49 majority, with one member hailing from the Constitution Party. A recount in Jefferson County, where GOPer Scott Mendenhall (R) leads Dem Sheila Hogan (D) by 24 votes, is pending.

MT GOP Exec. Dir. Chuck Denowh told the Great Falls Tribune the shift was "huge news. If you look across the nation, there's only a couple of states where Republicans gained a house of the legislature." Actually, the GOP's win in Montana makes it the only state in which the party won back control. Democrats have picked up ten chambers around the country.

The GOP came close in the State Senate, picking up two seats to force the chamber into a 25-25 tie though, thanks to a quirk in state law, the governor's party -- Dems -- retain control in a tie. Adding injury to insult, GOP State Sen. Sam Kitzenberg changed party affiliation after the election, giving Dems a 26-24 majority.

Democrats now control both legislative chambers in 24 states while the GOP holds both gavels in 15 states. 10 are split, and Nebraska's unicameral state senate is non-partisan. [REID WILSON]

Posted at 09:18 AM

Comments

A few additional things that might be helpful to understand what happened in Montana:

• Montana Dems didn't lose a net House seat to the GOP. Before the elections, the chamber was split 50-50. The chamber is now 50-49-1. The Dems lost a net seat to Rick Jore, a Constitution Party member.


• Taking a look at House results, a fair number of seats changed hands. Republicans won a number of Democratic open seats. Democrats mostly picked off Republican incumbents. The whole thing was impacted by a focus on the U.S. Senate race and the Republicans continued natural advantage in Montana.

Matt Singer | 11.29.06 12:01 PM

Thanks to a "quirk" in federal law, the executive branch has the deciding vote in the US Senate as well.

tp | 11.29.06 01:04 PM

Gallatin County in Montana did something right. It is a Republican County and they held their 5 Democratic seats and gained a seat from a Republican. They got two progressive women in. Figure out what they did. Hint: Has something to do with the opposite of astroturf and the opposite of exclusion.

Diane Kamp | 11.30.06 07:14 PM

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