Democrats Celebrate Election Gains

Democrats today celebrated their gains in Congress and the takeover of governors’ offices in two high-growth Sun Belt states. They swiftly proclaimed that the midterm election results show that “George Bush is extraordinarily vulnerable in 1992.”

But Republicans also had victories to hold up, including the biggest prize of all as Pete Wilson kept the California governorship in GOP hands. The President’s party also made inroads in the Northeast and industrial Midwest, electing governors in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Massachusetts.

In an election framed by fear of recession and war, by unhappiness with taxes and politicians, governors of both parties took a beating. That wasn’t true in the House and Senate, where most incumbents won and where the 102nd Congress will look a lot like the late, unlamented 101st.

“We’ve got a lot to smile about,” said Democratic National Chairman Ron Brown as he surveyed the midterm returns on CBS’ “This Morning.”

President Bush spent the morning in the Oval Office and offered no comment. But White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said “all in all, it looks like a pretty standard off-year election. . . . You win some and you lose some.”

The Democrats cited the poor showing of candidates for whom Bush campaigned. Brown said the President “campaigned heavily for 18 candidates, and 14 of them lost.”

Asked why the Democrats lost the California governor’s race, Brown said: “George Bush didn’t stay long enough.”

Of the 32 senators who sought reelection, 31 won easily. Only Republican Sen. Rudy Boschwitz lost--to liberal college Prof. Paul Wellstone.

In the House, the reelection rate for incumbents was 96%.

With several House races still to be decided, the likely outcome would give the Democrats a 268-167 majority, a gain of nine seats--including Vermont socialist Bernard Sanders, who is expected to side with the Democrats.

John Engler of Michigan and Arne Carlson of Minnesota brightened the morning after Election Day for the Republicans, ousting Democratic incumbents. Engler beat James Blanchard, and Carlson unseated Rudy Perpich.

In two gubernatorial squeakers, Democrat Ben Nelson narrowly defeated Republican Gov. Kay Orr, denying a second term to Nebraska’s first woman governor, and rising GOP star Jim Edgar defeated Neil Hartigan in Illinois.

By late morning, the Arizona governor’s race between Democrat Terry Goddard and Republican Fife Symington was the only undecided contest. State officials said there would be a runoff because neither candidate won a majority of the vote.