Election 2006
The Results
Doyle and Moore win reelection; power shifts in state legislature and U.S. Congress
On the eve of the election, Governor Doyle made a campaign stop at Gee’s Clippers on the northside. Congresswoman Gwen Moore (far left) accompanied him, as did Alderman Willie Wade (behind Doyle) and state Representative Barbara Toles (second from right). Next to her is the shops owner Gaulien (Gee) Smith. Both Moore and Doyle won reelection to their respective offices. (B. White photo)
Compiled by MCJ Staff
After what can best be described as contentious and controversial election campaigns for a number of offices, the dust has finally settled on the 2006 election season.
What do we see?
We see the reelection of a governor, Milwaukee county sheriff and the first Black woman congressman; a new state attorney general--from an opposing political party, a paradigm shift in the power structures of the state legislature and the U.S. Congress with Democrats regaining power in the House of Representatives and picking up seats in the Senate, the passing of amendments on the definition of marriage and whether or not the state should bring back the death penalty.
It was a busy Tuesday night as candidates, their supporters (and detractors) watched and/or listened to the poll results come in that made them either jump for joy or curse in despair.
Late-deciding voters are credited with lifting incumbent Governor Jim Doyle past Republican challenger, Congressman Mark Green for a second four-year term as the state’s chief executive.
The win made Doyle the first Democrat in over 30 years to win re-election. With 2,296 of 3,597 units (polling places) reporting, Doyle garnered 794,161 votes to Green’s 656,916 votes.
As expected, the governor took Milwaukee County, one of the key battlegrounds in the gubernatorial election. With 76% of the precincts reporting as of Tuesday, Doyle had 143,000 votes (64%).
Though the final results for the winner of the state Attorney General’s election were late in coming, they were well worth that wait--for backers of Republican J.B. Van Hollen, who narrowly defeated Democrat Kathleen Falk.
A former federal prosecutor who stressed law and order issues during his campaign, Van Hollen received a reported 1,061,991 votes (50.2%) to Falks 1,052,652 votes (49.8%).
The victory makes Van Hollen the first Republican attorney general in 16 years.
In Milwaukee County elections, incumbent Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr. easily won reelection over challenger Donald Holt. With 15 of 19 municipalities reporting, Clarke received 179,129 votes to Holt’s 63,832.
John Chisholm will replace outgoing Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann, who has been in that office for 40 years. Chisholm, who is expected to make a number of changes in the office, which has been under fire for several years, received 173,260 votes to Attorney Lew Wasserman’s 33,975 votes.
The numbers come after 15 of 19 municipalities reported their results.
Two years after her historic election, incumbent Representative Gwen Moore handily won a second term, beating challenger Perfecto Rivera, 104, 696 votes (73%) to 38,551 votes (27%).
Incumbent U.S. Senator Herb Kohl also won reelection by a comfortable margin--as expected. With 2,413 of 3,597 precincts reporting, Kohl garnered 1,024,250 votes (68%) to Republican challenger Robert Lorge’s 439,696 votes (29%).
For the first time in 16 years, Democrats in the state assembly are projected to pick-up seven seats, narrowing the Republicans control of the legislature to 53-46. Before the election Tuesday, Republicans had a 59-39 majority with one open seat.
The only Black state legislator who was reportedly running was Assemblywoman Barbara Toles, who easily won her reelection, beating Christopher Brown 12,242 votes to 1,212 votes.
In the state Senate, Democrats resumed power for the first time in four years. They will have a slim 15-13 margin of control.
In the U.S. Congress, Democrats took back the House of Representatives. When the 110th Congress officially convines next year, they will be 220 members strong compared to the Republicans 180 members.
In the U.S. Senate, the GOP still holds a majority--but barely. When it reconvenes, they will hold a 49 member margin to the Democrats 46 members.
Commenting on the election outcomes during a news conference from the White House Wednesday, President Bush expressed hopes of bipartisanship and cooperation for the remaining two years of his administration on domestic and foreign policy issues confronting the nation.
Many political observers believe the new Democratic majority in the House and narrowing of the Republican majority in the Senate was due to negative public opinion of the Iraq War and recent Washington scandals.
Two key state referendums received "YES" votes. Despite an extensive campaign and media blitz opponents of a state constitutional amendment recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman saw the amendment pass by a wide margin.
Voters also supported a state referendum that would bring back the death penalty. The referendum was advisory only, meaning the Legislature would have to pass a law, which the governor would then have to sign. Doyle has reportedly indicated that he would not sign law to reenact the death penalty.
On the national front, Black political candidates--depending on their party affiliation--either made history by winning or were defeated in their respective high-profile races.
In the U.S. Senate races Black candidates Michael Steele (Republican from Maryland) and Harold Ford (Democrat from Tennessee) lost their bids for that office.
In national gubernatorial races, African Americans were one out of two in wins. In Pennsylvania, GOP candidate and Hall of Fame football player Lynn Swan lost his bid to unseat incumbent Governor Ed Rendell.
In Massachusetts, history was made when Democrat Deval Patrick was elected to be the first African American governor in that state’s history and the second to ever be elected in the entire country. The first African American elected governor was Virginia’s Douglas Wilder
