TEMPORARY GLITCH:

Republicans hold state Senate (TOM FAHEY, MIKE COUSINEAU and DALE VINCENT, 11/03/04, Manchester Union Leader)

Democrats stood within striking distance of gaining up to four seats in the state Senate as ballot counting went into the early morning hours today.

In an election with record turnout, voters cast ballots that created a Senate that will continue to be dominated by Republicans, but without the 18-6 edge they held for the past two years. If everything fell the Democrats' way, the balance would shift to 14-10 in favor of the Republicans.

NH has the weakest governorship in the free world, with only a two ytear term and appointments and contracts requiring approval from an Executive Council. Governor Craig Benson managed to cause so many scandals, trying to run the state as he had his corporation, that he was voted out despite delivering a budget surplus with no tax hikes. However, Republicans retained both houses of the state legislature and a majority of the Executive Council, meaning new governor, John Lynch, is little more than a placeholder until the 2006 election.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 3, 2004 12:51 PM