2006 Mid-Term Elections:
Democrats Soar to Victory
America Votes for Change
Four years of
one-party rule came to a dramatic end on November 8, 2006 as Americans all
over the country cast their ballots for historic change in the nation's leadership.
Democrats took control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate
for the first time in 12 years. The Republican Revolution that began in 1994
officially ended.
Whether the routing was a referendum on the war in Iraq, the burgeoning national
deficit, or the slew of scandals plaguing Republican officials is a matter
of debate. What can be said for certain is that by the time the dust settled
on November 9th, the American political landscape had undergone a breathtaking
transformation.
Before the election, Republicans controlled the Senate by a margin of 55 to
44, and the House by 229 to 202. After the election, Democrats had wrested
control of the Senate by a margin of 51 to 49, and the House by 233 to 201.
Significantly, even state governorships experienced this change in leadership.
After the election, Democratic Governors outnumbered Republicans, 28 to 22,
a switch that could prove helpful to the Democrats in the 2008 presidential
election.
The election ushered in a series of powerful "firsts," including
the first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the first African-American
Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick.
What lies ahead for the Democrats? As Pelosi said in one of her first public
statements after the election, "We've made history. Now we have to make
progress." First items on the Democratic national agenda include supporting
stem-cell research, implementing the national security recommendations of
the 9/11 Commission, raising the minimum wage, eliminating corporate subsidies
for oil companies, negotiating Medicare drug prices, placing restrictions
on lobbyists, and cutting interest rates on college loans.
Back to top
© 2002 - 2005 Easton Democrats. Paid for by the Easton Democratic Town Committee, Marvin Gelfand, Treasurer
Website hosted by Blowtorch®
