2008 Election Results as of 11/12/08

 

President

 

The 2008 Election is over.  Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has been elected as the 44^th President with 52.4% of the popular vote.  He should win the Electoral College with 349 votes.  President-Elect Obama will be sworn-in on January 20, 2009. 

 

President-Elect Obama is already making plans for his transition.  Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-5-IL) has been named White House Chief of Staff.  Names that have surfaced to fill the Cabinet position of Secretary of Health and Human Services include Former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) of Kansas. 

 

Here is the link to President-Elect Obama’s healthcare platform:  http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

                                                    

At the congressional level, Democrats have expanded their majorities in both the Senate and the House.  As a result, Democrats will have control of both the executive and legislative branches next year for the first time since 1993 – when President Bill Clinton was elected. 

 

Senate

 

Prior to November 4^th, the Senate had 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats for planning and committee purposes. After Tuesday’s election, there will be at least 55 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and two Independents in the Senate next year – along with the winners of three Senate races in Alaska and Georgia which have yet to be determined, and Minnesota where the race is too close to call so has been thrown into a run-off.  The new freshman class in the Senate will include at least six Democrats and two Republicans.  Therefore the leadership of the Senate is likely to remain the same with Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) as Senate Majority Leader, Dick Durbin (D-IL) as Senate Majority Whip, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Minority Leader, and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) as Minority Whip.

 

Democrats picked up Senate seats in three states where the incumbent Senator was retiring and three additional seats in very competitive races.  Republicans held onto two seats in Idaho and Nebraska.  Below is a list of all eight new Senators (where the outcome has been determined):

 

Newly Elected Senators (At Least 6 Democrats and 2 Republicans)

·        Colorado – Mark Udall (D)

·        Idaho – Jim Risch (R)

·        Nebraska – Mike Johanns (R)

·        New Hampshire – Jeanne Shaheen (D)

·        New Mexico – Tom Udall (D) **

·        North Carolina – Kay Hagan (D)

·        Oregon – Jeff Merkley (D)

·        Virginia – Mark Warner (D)

            Senate Races Too Close to Call

·        Alaska – Sen. Ted Stevens (R) and Mark Begich (D)

·        Georgia – Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R)and Jim Martin (D)

·        Minnesota – Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D)

 

** Indicates states where Molina operates.

 

House

 

The political break-down in the House before the election was 235 Democrats and 199 Republicans.  At the start of the 111^th Congress there are projected to be 256 Democrats and 174 Republicans, with 5 undecided races at this point. 

 

It is expected that the House Leadership on the Democratic side will remain with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-8) as Speaker of the House, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5) as Majority Leader, and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC-6) as Majority Whip.  Although there is some speculation that if offered a Cabinet appointment, Rep. James Clyburn would accept and his name has been raised as Secretary of House and Urban Development.  On the Republican side, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH-8) will likely remain; however, Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO-7) is stepping down.  Eric Cantor (R-VA-7) will most likely be the next Minority Whip.  Below are the results of several important House races:

 

Incumbent House Members Who Were Defeated (at least 13 Republicans and 4 Democrats)

·        Nancy Boyda (D-KS)

·        Don Cazayoux (D-LA)

·        Steve Chabot (R-OH) **

·        Thelma Drake (R-VA)

·        Phil English (R-PA)

·        Tom Feeney (R-FL)

·        Virgil Goode (R-VA-5)

·        Robin Hayes (R-NC)

·        Ric Keller (R-FL)

·        Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) **

·        Randy Kuhl (R-NY)

·        Nick Lampson (D-TX) **

·        Tim Mahoney (D-FL)

·        Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)

·        Jon Porter (R-NV)**

·        Christopher Shays (R-CT)

·        Tim Walberg (R-MI)

 

Newly Elected House Members

·        Bobby Bright (D-AL-2)

·        Parker Griffith (D-AL-5)

·        Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-1)

·        Duncan Duane Hunter (R-CA-52) **

·        Jared Polis (D-CO-2)

·        Betsy Markey (D-CO-4)

·        Mike Coffman (R-CO-6)

·        Jim Himes (D-CT-4)

·        Alan Grayson (D-FL-8)

·        Bill Posey (R-FL-15)

·        Tom Rooney (R-FL-16)

·        Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL-24)

·        Walter Minnick (D-ID-1)

·        Debbie Halvorson (D-IL-11)

·        Aaron Schock (R-IL-18)

·        Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-2)

·        Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2)

·        Bill Cassidy (R-LA-6)

·        Frank Kratovil (D-MD-1)

·        Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1)

·        Mark Schauer (D-MI-7)

·        Gary Peters (D-MI-9)

·        Erik Paulsen (R-MN-3)

·        Gregg Harper (R-MS-3)

·        Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-9)

·        Dina Titus (D-NV-3)

·        John Adler (D-NJ-3)

·        Leonard Lance (R-NJ-7)

·        Marty Heinrich (D-NM-1)**

·        Harry Teague (D-NM-2)**

·        Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM-3)

·        Mike McMahon (D-NY-13)

·        Paul Tonko (D-NY-21)

·        Dan Maffei (D-NY-25)

·        Christopher Lee (R-NY-26)

·        Eric Massa (D-NY-29)

·        Larry Kissell (D-NC-8)

·        Steve Driehaus (D-OH-1)

·        Steve Austria (R-OH-7)**

·        Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11)

·        John Boccieri (D-OH-16)

·        Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5)

·        Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA-3)

·        Glenn Thompson (R-PA-5)

·        Phil Roe (R-TN-1)

·        Pete Olson (R-TX-22)

·        Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-3)**

·        Glenn Nye (D-VA-2)

·        Tom Perriello (D-VA-5)

·        Gerald Connolly (D-VA-11)

·        Cynthia Lummis (WY-R- At Large)

 

House Races That Are Undecided or Too Close to Call

·        AK – Rep. Don Young (R) and Ethan Berkowitz (D)

·        CA-4** - Tom McClintock (R) and Charlie Brown (D)

·        LA-2 – William Jefferson (D) and Anh Cao (R)

·         LA-4 – Paul Carmouche (D) and John Fleming (R)

·        OH-15** – Steve Stivers (R) and Mary Jo Kilroy (D)

 

Winners in other closely watched House Races

• CA-50** - Rep. Brian Bilbray (R)


• FL-21 – Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R)


• FL-25 – Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R)


• WA-8** – Rep. Dave Reichert (R)

 

** Districts where Molina has a presence.

 

Congressional Committees

 

The Committees in Congress with primary jurisdiction over our issues are the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the House Ways and Means Committee. 

 

On the Senate Finance Committee, there will be at least one opening on the Republican side, with the loss of Senator John Sununu (R-NH).   

 

On the House Energy and Commerce Committee there will be one opening on the Democratic side as Rep. Tom Allen ran for the Senate against incumbent Sen. Susan Collins and lost.  The Republicans will have three openings resulting from two retirements and one because Rep. Heather Wilson ran for the Senate and lost in the primary. 

 

In the Ways and Means Committee, there will be at least eight openings for the Republicans and one Democratic opening (with Rahm Emanuel being appointed Chief of Staff to President-elect Obama).  As soon as the Committee assignments are released we will inform you as to the new members of these committees.

 

Governors

 

Molina has three states of operations with races for Governor.  In Washington, Governor Christine Gregoire was re-elected with 54% of the vote to 46% for

Dino Rossi (R).  John Huntsman, Jr. (R) was re-elected Governor of Utah with 78% of the vote against Bob Springmeyer (D) who received 20% and Dell Shanze (L) who received 2%.  And finally, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon (D) was elected the Governor of Missouri defeating Congressman Kenny Hulshof (R) 58% 0 40%.