Democrats take New York and Virginia as Republicans win New Jersey
Anger at hardline conservative Republicans over last month's government shutdown has affected the party's fortunes, say analysts
Moderate Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has won a landslide re-election, a possible launch pad for a 2016 White House run.
In the Virginia governor's race, Terry McAuliffe, a key Hillary Clinton ally, narrowly beat a Republican in the key presidential swing state.
Bill de Blasio's thumping victory in New York makes him the city's first Democratic mayor-elect in two decades.
Tuesday's results could also influence next year's US midterm elections.
New Jersey's straight-talking Governor Christie brushed aside his Democratic challenger, state senator Barbara Buono, by 60.5% to 38%, retaining a handy platform for a possible presidential bid.
His ability to attract the support of Democrats, independents and minorities makes him a tantalising prospect for the ideologically split Republican party ahead of 2016.
"We stand here tonight showing that it is possible to put doing your job first," said Mr Christie in his victory speech, "to put working together first, to fight for what you believe in yet still stand by your principles and get something done for the people who elected you."
The governor, known for his readiness to work with Democrats in a left-leaning state, won much praise for his handling of the carnage wrought on the region by super-storm Sandy one year ago.
However, fellow Republicans at a national level lambasted him for his embrace of Democratic President Barack Obama as he visited Jersey Shore to see the devastation.
In the Virginia governor's race, Mr McAuliffe eked out a 48% to 45.5% win over his socially conservative Republican rival Ken Cuccinelli.
"Over the next four years most Democrats and Republicans want to make Virginia a model of pragmatic leadership," said Mr McAuliffe, a Democrat taking the helm in a state where Republicans control the legislature. "This is only possible if Virginia is the model for bipartisan co-operation."
During the campaign, Mr McAuliffe had emphasised his opponent's support among the tea party. The hardcore conservative wing of the Republican party was widely blamed for last month's partial government shutdown, which temporarily laid off many of the federal workers who populate Virginia's suburbs.
Mr Cuccinelli, the state's outgoing attorney general, had hit back by stressing the Democrat's championing of the Obama healthcare law, whose troubled rollout has been a White House public relations disaster.
Chris Christie: "Thank you New Jersey for making me the luckiest guy in the world"
A Libertarian candidate who won nearly 7% of Virginia's vote may have cost the Republican candidate the race, say analysts. Mr Cuccinelli was also vastly outspent by his Democratic opponent.
Mr McAuliffe is a veteran Democratic party fundraiser who was chairman of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.
His victory in a crucial presidential swing-voting state could plot a road map to victory for her should she run again for the White House, say political analysts.
Meanwhile, Mr de Blasio will succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg to become New York's first Democratic mayor since 1993.
He secured 73% of the vote, trouncing his Republican rival Joe Lhota, who polled 24%.
In his victory speech, Mr de Blasio said the result showed that America's largest city had chosen "a progressive path", and he promised to make fighting income inequality his top priority.
In other elections across the US on Tuesday:
- Colorado voted to tax marijuana sales after the state legalised the drug last year
- Six of 11 counties in Colorado passed protest votes to secede from the state
- Mike Duggan became the first white mayor-elect of Detroit since the 1970s
- Washington state voters rejected a measure to label all genetically-modified food
The results of Tuesday's polls could prove an early measure of the parties' support ahead of the midterm elections of 2014.
Those polls will decide the make-up of the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and the governorships in more than half the states.
In Washington, Mr Obama's Democratic party controls the Senate, while the Republicans hold sway in the House of Representatives.
Now in his second term, Mr Obama will vacate the presidency in 2017.
- New York City Mayor
Joseph Lhota (Republican): 24% - Bill de Blasio (Democrat): 73%
- New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie (Republican): 60.5% - Barbara Buono (Democrat): 38%
- Virginia Governor
Ken Cuccinelli (Republican): 45.5% - Terry McAuliffe (Democrat): 48%
No comments:
Post a Comment