Election Day 2009: Republicans Take Back Virginia and New Jersey

Without a president or senator on any ballots for Election Day this year, local elections and ballot referendums are making national headlines. 
 
Voters in both Virginia and New Jersey replaced Democratic governors with Republicans and New York City's billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent a record amount of his own money to win a third term. 

Meanwhile, Maine voters repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed.

Virginia & New Jersey Gubernatorial Elections

	Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Creigh Deeds lost to Republican Bob McDonnell

Democrats in both Virginia and New Jersey were worried about losing control of their governor seats in races where President Obama's presence at Democratic campaign rallies did not help in the polls.

Republicans campaigned against the White House's health care reform efforts and Democrats' handling of the economy.
 
Traditionally a Republican stronghold, Virginia became an important battleground state in the 2008 presidential election and ultimately voted for Obama. While Virginia's past few governors have been Democrats, Republican candidate Bob McDonnell led Democratic state senator Creigh Deeds by a wide margin in the polls all the way up to election day.   

"My promise to you as governor," McDonnell said once the results were clear, "is to strengthen the free-enterprise system, to create more jobs and opportunity so that every Virginian can use their God-given talents to pursue the American dream and liberty here in this great commonwealth."
 
New Jersey's incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine failed in his bid to keep his seat against Republican candidate Chris Christie. 
 
Republicans hope victories in both states will galvanize a base that has been disappointed with the election results of recent years. 

GOP In-Fighting in New York

	Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has become a vocal conservative figure in the Republican party.

But Republican in-fighting may have lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives when moderates and conservatives squared off over a special election to fill New York's 23rd Congressional district seat. 

The House seat became vacant when President Obama chose Republican John McHugh to become Secretary of the Army.

Moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava unexpectedly stepped out of the race days before the election and endorsed Democratic candidate Bill Owens after Republican conservatives such as former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and talk show personalities Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck criticized her stance on abortion and gay rights. Palin endorsed Conservative Party candidate Douglas Hoffman. 

Owens won 49 percent of the vote to Hoffman's 46 percent.

Republicans hope wins will continue in 2010

	President Obama hit the campaign trail for Democratic candidates this election season.

Voters in both states remained strongly supportive of President Obama, exit polls conducted by Edison Research showed, but the majority of independent voters went for the Republican candidates.

While White House officials insist that the 2009 election is not a reflection of President Obama's policies, politicians considering whether to run next year are analyzing the results carefully to see which messages resonated with the public and which ones drew voters to the polls.