Democratic Texas Rep. P. Solomon Ortiz has conceded defeat to Republican newcomer Blake Farenthold.
The Environmental Protection Agency has subpoenaed energy giant Halliburton, seeking a description of the chemical components used in a drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing
The Republican juggernaut lost a bit of its steam once it hit the Rocky Mountains, with Democrats and Republicans largely splitting the key contested races for governor and Senate, and Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet pulling out a win in a race that was only called late Wednesday.
Republicans held all of their Senate seats left open by retirements and picked off several seats held by Democrats to capture at least six seats in the midterm election, giving them a louder voice in the legislative chamber most likely to shape President Obama's agenda for the next two years.
The 2010 elections were carried out Tuesday without the overwhelming rash of campaign irregularities predicted by both sides of the political aisle, although there were scattered claims of voter fraud and voter suppression in several states and one formal investigation in Kansas into accusations of voter intimidation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was projected as the winner early Wednesday in the hard-fought Nevada Senate race, beating back a formidable challenge from Republican Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle and overcoming his own high negatives with the voters.
If the "tea party" is the story of 2010, then Marco Rubio's rise from anti-establishment challenger to senator-elect is the story of the insurgent movement itself.
For TV viewers, this cutthroat election year is a riot of attack ads and media saturation made possible by big-money donors. For TV stations, it's a stimulus package.
Candidates in the midterm elections unabashedly have attacked their opponents' families in recent campaign ads, leaving political observers to decide where best to draw the line and putting those targeted on the defensive — with the fallout in one instance possibly costing the Democrats a Senate seat.
