Republicans savour election revenge
Barack Obama stung by Republican party claiming surprise wins in two gubernatorial elections in US
Wednesday, 04, Nov 2009 11:22
By Matthew Champion.
The Republican party was celebrating last night the reversal of a four-year trend of Democratic election victories by claiming victory in two key governor polls.
On the one-year anniversary of his famous US presidential election victory, Barack Obama woke up to exit polls showing the Republicans had won Virginia and New Jersey.
Former state attorney general Bob McDonnell is expected to become the first Republican to become Virginian governor in 12 years, while former federal prosecutor Chris Christie, 47, is on course to oust Democratic governor Jon Corzine in New Jersey after just one term.
The Democrats have held the New Jersey governor's office for 12 years, while Mr Corzine is the first governor in the state to lose a re-election campaign since 1993.
The Republicans claimed the wins were an indictment against President Obama's liberal agenda, continuing job losses and his healthcare reform plans.
But exit polls showed voters claiming that local issues and not Mr Obama's policies were behind their choice of ballot.
In addition, according to CNN, since 1989 the party that won the White House has always gone on to lose the gubernatorial contests in both states in the following year.
The Republicans have been consistently bruised by the Democrats in a series of elections since 2005.