Northeast: Connecticut

50-state roundup

Fire-breathing Democrats critical of the war in Iraq, take note: Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's victory over Ned Lamont suggests that centrism on hot-button issues can still score over the wishes of the Democratic Party's liberal base.

Lieberman, who ran as an independent, defeated Lamont, who had won over partisan Democrats in the primary by making his opposition to the war the centerpiece of his campaign. But Republicans and independents vote in the general election, too, as Lieberman had long pointed out, and support from these groups returned the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee to a hard-fought fourth term in the Senate.

Lieberman said earlier that he plans to caucus with the Democrats, though Tuesday night he described his election as a "declaration of independence from the politics of partisanship." He called it a victory of "the mainstream over the extreme."

Political observers say the race between Lieberman and Lamont may have distracted state voters from the governor's race. Democratic challenger John DeStefano lost to M. Jodi Rell (R), who inherited the office when then-Gov. John G. Rowland resigned in a corruption scandal.

In House races, high-profile Rep. Nancy L. Johnson (R) was defeated by state Sen. Chris Murphy (D). The Democrat pointed to Johnson's service in the House since 1983 in making his call for change.

Moderate Republican Rep. Christopher Shays hung on to his seat after challenger Diane Farrell (D) focused the race on his support for the war. And Republican Rep. Rob Simmons was locked in a tight race with Democrat Joe Courtney.

Maine

Incumbents in the state held on to power, as expected. Gov. John E. Baldacci (D), who ran a privately funded campaign that at one point seemed no match for his rivals' publicly funded campaigns, pulled away in the end with a nine-percentage-point victory over state Sen. Chandler Woodcock. Baldacci is a former two-term House member.

Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R) never hesitated in her reelection race, taking out Democratic challenger Jean Hay Bright.

Massachusetts

Deval Patrick made history Tuesday, becoming the first black governor elected in Massachusetts and the second in the history of the United States. Patrick is also the first Democrat elected governor in Massachusetts in 16 years -- in a state so traditionally Democratic that it is used as a shorthand for "liberal" in attack ads during presidential campaigns. "The people of Massachusetts chose by a decisive margin to take back their government," Patrick said.

Patrick, 50, a Clinton administration assistant attorney general for civil rights, capitalized on voter angst over the war in Iraq and low approval ratings for President Bush. The falling popularity of retiring Gov. Mitt Romney (R) didn't help; Romney is tacking to the right, hoping to win the support of social conservatives in a possible bid for the 2008 GOP nomination for president. Patrick defeated Romney's lieutenant governor, Kerry Healey.

Patrick is a former Texaco and Coca-Cola executive, and his run for governor was his first attempt at elective office.

Another page of history was also written Tuesday: If Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D) completes the term to which he was elected Tuesday, he will have served in the Senate for half a century. Kennedy was first elected in 1962.