Thoughts on Tuesday's Election
Thursday November 6, 2008
The results are now all in from both the national and local races in Tuesday's election. There were relatively few surprises.
Barack Obama won both Pennsylvania and New Jersey as polls going into the election indicated. The actual results in Pennsylvania were interesting in that, as it did in the last election for governor, Pennsylvania is a tale of two states within a state. The City of Philadelphia and suburbs votes overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. With each election the historically Republican suburban counties support Democratic candidates.
As philly.com reported today, "Obama's margin, statewide, was 600,000 votes. His margin just in the five-county Philadelphia area was 656,000." Furthermore "Obama got 1.3 million of his 3.2 million votes - 41 percent - in the Philadelphia area."
The rest of Pennsylvania remains much more conservative and much more Republican. This, however, does not mean that a Republicans cannot win in Pennsylvania. Republican Tom Corbett easily won re-election as the State's Attorney General making him the leading Republican candidate to run in the next election for governor.
In terms of the Pennsylvania House and Senate it looks like the Republicans increased their sizeable majority in the State Senate by one and the Democrats increased their slim majority in the State House of Representatives by one or two.
In New Jersey, the only major change was not a real surprise. Democratic state Sen. John Adler won election to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., in the state's Third Congressional District seat defeating Medford Township Mayor Chris Myers.
It's clear now that the Republican Party has a major task ahead of itself in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In recent national elections the Republicans have had poor showings. Just a few years ago, Pennsylvania was the most Republican state in the union with a Republican governor, two U.S. senators, the majority of PA representatives in the U.S. House as well as holding majorities in both the State House and Senate. Needless to say, things have changed quite a bit.
Barack Obama won both Pennsylvania and New Jersey as polls going into the election indicated. The actual results in Pennsylvania were interesting in that, as it did in the last election for governor, Pennsylvania is a tale of two states within a state. The City of Philadelphia and suburbs votes overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. With each election the historically Republican suburban counties support Democratic candidates.
As philly.com reported today, "Obama's margin, statewide, was 600,000 votes. His margin just in the five-county Philadelphia area was 656,000." Furthermore "Obama got 1.3 million of his 3.2 million votes - 41 percent - in the Philadelphia area."
The rest of Pennsylvania remains much more conservative and much more Republican. This, however, does not mean that a Republicans cannot win in Pennsylvania. Republican Tom Corbett easily won re-election as the State's Attorney General making him the leading Republican candidate to run in the next election for governor.
In terms of the Pennsylvania House and Senate it looks like the Republicans increased their sizeable majority in the State Senate by one and the Democrats increased their slim majority in the State House of Representatives by one or two.
In New Jersey, the only major change was not a real surprise. Democratic state Sen. John Adler won election to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., in the state's Third Congressional District seat defeating Medford Township Mayor Chris Myers.
It's clear now that the Republican Party has a major task ahead of itself in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In recent national elections the Republicans have had poor showings. Just a few years ago, Pennsylvania was the most Republican state in the union with a Republican governor, two U.S. senators, the majority of PA representatives in the U.S. House as well as holding majorities in both the State House and Senate. Needless to say, things have changed quite a bit.
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