After a hard fought campaign, incumbent Rick Snyder defeated Democrat and opponent Mark Schauer in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Snyder won another term in Lansing with 51% of the popular vote, while Schauer trailed behind with 47%.
“I want to say thank you to all of Michigan,” Snyder commented after Schauer conceded late Tuesday night. “When we come together we can do anything.”
Snyder’s previous term saw Michigan’s first budget surplus since the recession of 2008, as well as oversight of the Detroit bankruptcy crisis and reforms to corporate taxation. His recent campaign focused on the continuing effort to jumpstart Michigan’s economy, claiming that the state is “on the road to recovery.”
Nationally, the Republican Party dominated Congressional elections, seizing control of the Senate and adding to their pre-existing majority in the House of Representatives. According to the Associated Press, the GOP has gained a 52-seat majority in the Senate, taking seven seats from the Democrats. Mitch McConnell, soon to be the Senate majority leader, expressed his satisfaction with the results, claiming that with the new Republican majority, the “gridlock and dysfunction can be ended” in Congress.
The results of the House elections leaned even more drastically in favor of the Republicans. After the polls closed, Republicans netted a total of thirteen additional seats, giving them a 64-seat majority over the Democrats.
The GOP’s dominance was evident in national gubernatorial elections as well. In addition to Snyder’s re-election, Republican candidates captured 31 states overall, swinging Democratic voters in the previously blue states of Maryland, Massachusetts, and Illinois.
In response to the Republican resurgence across the nation, President Obama held a press conference recognizing voters’ concerns and emphasizing his commitment to a functioning Congress. “Obviously, Republicans had a good night,” Obama conceded. “To everyone who voted, I want you to know that I hear you.”
Here in Michigan, former representative Gary Peters was elected to the Senate, defeating challenger Terry Lynn Land. Democrats in Ann Arbor saw similar successes in the House election, as Debbie Dingell, wife of recently retired John Dingell, was elected over challenger Terry Bowman. Finally, Republicans Ruth Johnson and Schuette won reelection, maintaining their incumbency as Secretary of State and Attorney General, respectively.
