American voters began heading to the polls Tuesday morning in elections that will recalibrate the balance of power in Washington and in state houses across the nation, with Republicans poised to make big gains, particularly in the House of Representatives where they expect to seize a majority, and Democrats anxious to stem their losses and hold control of the Senate.With polls showing the public disquieted over a weak economy and generally disapproving of how President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress are leading the country, Republicans seemed well within reach of capturing the 39 seats that they need to win a majority in the House, which Democrats now hold by a margin of 255 to 178, with two vacancies.
If they succeed, the Republicans would break the one-party lock that Democrats have held on Washington since Mr. Obama’s victory in 2008. They would also set new parameters for the remainder of the president’s term, potentially slamming the brakes on what has been, by any historical standard, a remarkably ambitious agenda, and forcing the administration to rethink many of its policies, especially on the economy.
As the polls opened shortly before or after dawn in many states, candidates headed to their local polls trailed by photographers, while their campaigns fired off last-minute e-mail exhorting supporters to get out and cast their ballots. Frenzied volunteers continued to work the phone banks, and a final round of ads filled the airwaves.
The House Republican leader, John A. Boehner, who is the likely speaker if Republicans take control, voted at home in West Chester, Ohio, before heading to Washington to watch the election returns.
“This is going to be a big day,” Mr. Boehner said. “If you look at races around the country, I think we have a real opportunity to win the majority.”
In Ohio, a battleground state, Democrats sent out an e-mail congratulating volunteers for their early get-out-the-vote efforts. The message also included an important detail: “The weather forecast is sunny with highs in the 50s across the state.”
Former President Bill Clinton was calling radio programs in Ohio, on behalf of the Democratic governor, Ted Strickland, who is in a tough re-election fight. Before casting his own vote, near his official residence in Columbus, Mr. Strickland handed his identification card to a poll worker who jokingly asked if he was still the governor.
“For the time being I am,” Mr. Strickland replied.
At the White House, Mr. Obama, who had already voted by absentee ballot, was also giving live Election Day radio interviews in a bid to lift support for Democratic candidates, including the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, who was locked in a tight race against Sharron Angle, the Republican candidate backed by the Tea Party.
Mr. Obama also sent an e-mail to his huge list of supporters, urging them not to sit on the sidelines. “I need you to make sure your voice is heard,” his message said. “Figure out when you will vote and how you will get there.” It included a link that helps voters find their polling stations.
Mr. Reid was the most prominent, but hardly the only, incumbent fighting for his political career. In the Senate, where Democrats nominally hold 59 seats, including those of two independents aligned with them, the Republicans stood to make gains but not win the 10 seats they need to clinch a majority. Republicans seemed likely to pick up Democratic seats in North Dakota, Indiana, Arkansas and Wisconsin, and were also fighting close battles in Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Washington.
In all, 37 Senate seats are being voted on across the country on Tuesday. There are also governor’s races in 37 states, including California, Texas, Florida and New York, where the Democrat, Andrew M. Cuomo, seemed well positioned to defeat the Republican, Carl P. Paladino, who also has backing from Tea Party supporters.
Currently, Democrats hold 26 governorships and Republicans hold 24, but that balance is expected to tilt. Republicans are likely to make big gains, with candidates leading in polls in at least 10 states currently held by Democrats, including Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming.
Both parties said that voter turnout, which typically runs about 40 percent nationally in a midterm year, would be a critical factor in Tuesday’s results. Polls show Republican voters substantially more energized and enthusiastic than Democrats, particularly among the Tea Party faithful, which are a factor in more than 130 races nationwide.
The weather forecast was dry and clear for the vast bulk of the nation, with rainy conditions only expected in the South, from coastal Texas eastward across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
In Georgia’s Fulton County, north of Atlanta, the weather was chilly and overcast, and voters seemed divided.
(source:nytimes.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment