The leadership of the Senate India caucus has emerged largely unscathed from Tuesday’s election.
Only one of the two co-chairs, Texas Republican John Cornyn, was up for re-election, and he defeated Democratic challenger Richard Noriega by more than 9,42,000 votes. Hillary Clinton, Democrat from New York, is the other co-chair.
Senators Carl Levin (D-Michigan), Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey), Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) and Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) were among those re-elected.
In all, 14 of the 37 senators on the caucus were in the fray. Nine won and one lost, while four races are undecided. Other winners: Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), John Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana). Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina), wife of former presidential candidate Bob Dole, lost.
Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) faces a runoff election because he did not get a majority as required. He had 18,38,891 votes, or 49.9 per cent, to his Democratic challenger Jim Martin’s 17,21,087, or 46.7 per cent, in a three-way race. Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) faces a recount; he leads Democrat Al Franken by a few hundred votes.
The races involving Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), convicted of corruption, and Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) were too close to call. Two Republican members, John Warner of Virginia and Wayne Allard of Colorado, retired.
{{/usCountry}}The races involving Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), convicted of corruption, and Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) were too close to call. Two Republican members, John Warner of Virginia and Wayne Allard of Colorado, retired.
{{/usCountry}}In the House, both co-chairs of the caucus, Jim McDermott (D-Washington) and Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina), won.