It is no small coincidence that Election Day is so close to Halloween. For supporters of a candidate or party, votes can result in a hard-to-stomach trick or an exhilarating treat. For backers of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry—and for Democrats in general—it was definitely the former.
Kerry lost to incumbent George W. Bush, 274 electoral votes to 250 in an election that threatened to be a repeat of the 2000 race, both in terms of the tightness of the contest and in post-election maneuvers. Those who voted for Bush cited moral concerns and terrorism fears as their reasons for supporting the president.
Even though voters participated on Tuesday, Nov. 2, the Massachusetts senator did not actually concede the election until the morning of Nov. 3. Four years ago, Florida was the ultimate swing state; this year, Ohio had that distinction. Questions about provisional and absentee ballots in Ohio delayed the final outcome of the presidential election for hours.
Ohio's 20 electoral votes were the final hurdle to give either candidate the electoral college majority of 270 needed to win the White House after a divisive campaign that focused on the war in Iraq, the battle against global terrorism, and the economy. However, Kerry felt—as he later stated—that 'the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process.' Despite pleadings from members of his own team that he explore every avenue possible before ending things, the senator called Bush to concede before making his concession speech in the early afternoon. Kerry pleaded for the country to come together. ' [ Bush and I ] talked about the division in our country and the need, desperate need, for unity. ... Today, I hope we can begin the healing,' he said. In his victory speech, Bush also spoke of unifying the country and stated that he was 'humbled by the trust and the confidence of [ his ] fellow citizens.' The next day, however, he was already boasting of a 'mandate' given to him by the American people for his policies.
Pundits predicted that voters would turn out in droves for the election, and they did. Figures tabulated by the Associated Press showed that 114.3 million people had voted with 99 percent of precincts reporting. However, about 120 million people cast ballots, including 5.5 million to 6 million absentee and provisional ballots. The 120 million figure represents just under 60 percent of eligible voters—which is the highest percentage turnout since 1968.
House losses
Democratic losses occurred beyond the presidential arena, though. Republicans retained control of the U.S. House of Representatives and added at least four seats to their number, joining GOP gains in the Senate to solidify the party's congressional control. Two of the House's 435 seats remain undecided; both of these are in Louisiana, where the final winner will be determined in a December runoff. Not counting the Louisiana seats, the Republicans would hold 230 seats and the Democrats 202, with one held by an independent. GOP candidates picked up seven Democratic seats—five of them in Texas, where a controversial redistricting plan pushed by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay redrew the state's map to make it more Republican-friendly. Texas's new map cost four Democratic representatives their seats. Of the five Democrats targeted in the redistricting plan, only Rep. Chet Edwards will return to Washington from a district that includes President Bush's ranch.
Besides Texas, Republicans snagged House seats in other states. In Indiana's 9th Congressional District, Republican challenger Mike Sodrel took the seat held by Democrat Baron Hill. The GOP also snagged Kentucky's 4th District seat, with Geoff Davis winning out over Nick Clooney, father of actor George Clooney. In Louisiana, Republican candidate Bobby Jindal has won a House seat. Jindal polled 78 percent to become only the second Indian American ever to be elected to Congress; the first was California's Dilip Singh Saund in 1956.
However, all was not lost for Democrats. They took a Republican seat in Illinois, where Melissa Bean made history by defeating 35-year veteran Phil Crane, and in Colorado, where rancher John Salazar won out over orchard owner Greg Walcher.
Also, Democrat Tammy Baldwin, the only out lesbian in the House, beat Republican Dave Magnum. During a debate on the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, Baldwin delivered an impassioned speech supporting gay families. Lastly, Arizona representative Jim Kolbe won his 11th term. Kolbe—the only gay Republican in the House—offers a bright spot for the GLBT community. Earlier this year, Kolbe broke from party ranks to vote against amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage. Openly gay Democratic incumbent Barney Frank had little difficulty defeating his GOP opponent, Chuck Morse, in Massachusetts. Morse's platform included support for amending the U.S. Constitution to bar gay marriage and called for curbs on gay-rights laws including hate-crimes legislation and job protections.
Senate shocker
In a stunning upset, Republican challenger John Thune toppled Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, winning the biggest Senate prize after the GOP swept the South. Daschle, who was elected to the Senate in 1986 from South Dakota and had served eight years in the House, told backers he was 'grateful for the extraordinary opportunity.' Daschle, who was labeled an obstructionist by Republicans, fell short by about 4,500 votes, garnering 49 percent to 51 percent for Thune. The last time a Senate leader was unseated was in 1952, when Barry Goldwater of Arizona turned Senate Majority Leader Ernest McFarland out of office. An Associated Press exit poll showed that South Dakota voters concerned with moral values and terrorism helped Thune.
Republicans will now have 55 seats, the Democrats will have 44, and one will be independent. Currently, Republicans hold 51 of the 100 seats.
In North Carolina, White House chief of staff for former President Clinton Erskine Bowles conceded the race to Republican Rep. Richard Burr. Both were vying for the seat left open by Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards.
In Louisiana, Republican David Vitter won, becoming the first Republican since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era to win a term in the Senate.
In Florida, Democrat Betty Castor conceded defeat to Republican Mel Martinez in the down-to-the-wire race to capture the U.S. Senate seat vacated by fellow Democrat Bob Graham. Martinez edged out the former legislator and university president by more than 76,000 votes out of more than 7.1 million cast statewide. His margin of victory was by more than 1 percent of the vote—just outside the threshold requiring a recount.
In South Carolina, Republican U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint narrowly defeated Democrat Inez Tenenbaum for the open U.S. Senate seat, which had been held by Democrat Ernest 'Fritz' Hollings for 38 years. During a recent televised debate with Tenenbaum, DeMint said gays should not be allowed to teach in South Carolina public schools.
There were bright spots for Democrats here as well. In Illinois, where state Sen. Barack Obama became the only African-American member of the Senate after defeating Republican Alan Keyes by a huge margin, and in Colorado, where Democratic Attorney General Ken Salazar defeated Republican beer magnate Pete Coors.
Reactions
During a Nov. 3 conference call, Human Rights Campaign president Cheryl Jacques said that Kerry's loss was a 'tough defeat.' However, she also emphasized the importance of putting things in perspective. Jacques said that the battle for equality is 'not a question of if, but a question of when.' She pointed out the wins of several politicians, including local victors Barack Obama and Melissa Bean—but also mentioned the possibility that conservative congressmen, emboldened by the latest election results, will again attempt to push the Federal Marriage Amendment through.
Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, feels that gays were offered as sacrificial lambs: 'Months ago, we all knew that if George Bush was re-elected, 'gay marriage' would be blamed. A scapegoat is required. Offer up the gays. The right wing was indeed energized. I would be too if I shared their 'values.' The Bush Administration has catered to their every request and fed them tons of red meat—abstinence-only-until-marriage 'sex education,' the 'Faith Based Initiative,' the ban on late-term abortion, restrictions on oversees contraception programs, the ban on stem cell research, and yes, gay marriage. It's sickening and fascinating that when one in five voters said [ the concept of ] 'moral values' was the most important issue for them, pundits immediately equated that with gay marriage alone. Frankly, the right did a better job in turning out their vote in key places. They've been building their machine—illegally, unethically, or both—through churches for 30 years. They have seized and occupied 'moral values' for years. Our side is not going to make up these deficiencies in one cycle. But to pin all of this on 'the gays' is wrong. Don't buy it.'
For most Chicagoans, Kerry's defeat is indeed a bitter pill to swallow—but they plan to persevere. Local attorney Mike McRaith echoed the thoughts of many when he stated that 'I accept John Kerry's loss as our loss, but I know that our fight will not stop, our efforts will not cease, my heart will not waver, and our collective courage and passion must endure without the slightest fracture.'
