Apparently, New Hampshire's statehouse is not immune from voting trends in the nation.
Just as they have with races all across the country, Republicans have also secured control of the State Senate.
NHPR's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Before one vote was counted last night, Democrats had all but conceded 12 of the 24 state senate seats to Republicans. Most political analysts talked about a 14-10 Republican split. Then the results started coming in. St. Anselm's political science professor Dante Scala.
:06 it looks like R. have stayed together up and down the state, and D incumbents have gone done. Toss-ups seem to be going to the R. It just seems like it was a R. night from the top of the ticket to the bottom.
Democratic incumbents, Senators Caroline McCarley and George Disnard lost their seats. And Democrats even struggled to win in traditionally Democratic districts. The GOP netted 18 seats. That's five more than they held before voting started. And it leaves the Democrats with only 6.
As far as Republican state Senator-elect Bob Klegg is concerned, last night?s vote was a clarion call.
1:12 the D as well as R and Independents sent a message that says no more taxes, figure out how to live like we live instead of constantly coming back to piggy bank, and find a way to do it with what we have.
Klegg believes that?s exactly what the 18 Republican senators have in mind. He adds such a large majority will lead to better, more honest policy discussions.
6:15 I think the closer the numbers get to being equal the more partisan it gets. The further away it gets people don?t say oh I have to hold the party line.
5:26 I think in some sense that?s true.
Democratic Senator Cliff Below.
?With 18 members you are going to have all sorts of different positions on a lot of issues, and Democrats will be joining with some of the R. to create majorities at times. The reality is most of the work we do isn?t partisan.
Below was one of the few Democrats to win and he says it was by the biggest margin yet.
With almost no Democratic opposition, the Republicans will have the ability and responsibility for balancing the budget. Some estimate they will have to find ways to reduce a 100 million dollar deficit. And Republican national committeeman Tom Rath says GOP senators won?t be marching in lockstep to a solution for the education funding crisis.
3:36 ?I don?t know if there is anyone that is a R. pro-income tax senator?there are some who might want to go at targeting aid differently, there are some who might want to craft an anti-Claremont constitutional amendment. Some concerned about immediately lowering property taxes.
But re-elected Democratic Senator Sylvia Larson doesn?t see much positive coming from a Republican-controlled legislature combined with a Republican governor and Executive Council.
Track 7
:01 what it means is that we are going to see an ever increasing property taxes. It means that we are going to see a freeze on state spending for education. So some of the tax relief that has come to the towns is going to stop. There will be increase in property taxes, they will see the effects of freeze on state spending. There will be layoffs, in general we will be frozen in time. And it will be a matter of time before people stand up and say this isn?t the way we want our state to run. It?ll be that way for a couple of years.
One more senate election remain. The race for state senate president. Statehouse scuttlebutt has Republicans Tom Eaton from Keene and Jack Barnes from Raymond as the two most likely candidates. At this point, GOP official Tom Rath says it?s hard to handicap.
1:14 ? so many of the senators are new they said don?t talk to us until we get in there. There is some feeling that Eaton has more strength in the caucus. Barnes great ability may have been to reach over and get some Democrats.
Rath says the picture will be clearer once the Republicans caucus in a few weeks. Asked about Democratic support of a senate president, Senator Below joked given his party?s numbers, he doesn?t think it?ll really matter who they want. For NHPR News, I?m DG.
