2006 Local Politics

Evans-Novak Political Report has an article addressing GOP losses at the State level.  I doubt they will go much further into local politics.

For Republicans, the story on state legislatures in the election of 2006 rounds out the story of defeat across the board in the House and Senate and in governorships nationwide.

Democrats gained control of four (8%) state Senates and six (12%) state Houses. Republicans lost seats in most states, but may have gained functional control of one state Senate. We take a look at some of the legislative changes this week. We will continue our summary of key states next week.

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That is in addition to the 9 (18%) Gubernatorial elections that went Democrat.  There are now 28 Governorships in Democratic hands to 22 in Republican hands.  The GOP only managed to keep 16 of the 22 seats up for re-election.

I think this fits with the conclusion that many people have come to.  National politics reached very far into local politics.  CNN’s exit polls reported that 62% of voters said national issues trumped local issues:

And defying the traditional political maxim that “all politics is local,” 62 percent of voters said national issues mattered more than local issues when deciding which House candidate to pick. (Watch how national issues are playing a more critical role than local issues, which could favor the Democrats — 2:19 )