The Questions That Defined the Election

In 2004, Republicans tended to benefit from ballot proposals against same-sex marriage that revved the conservative base. This year, Democrats hoped to turn out their own partisans with initiatives to raise the minimum wage and promote stem cell research. The strategy did not hurt, but it's not clear how much it helped.

In Ohio, Sherrod Brown (D) defeated Sen. Mike DeWine (R) by nearly the same margin that voters approved a minimum wage initiative. In Missouri, State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) eked out a victory over Sen. James M. Talent (R), and a stem cell initiative, which she supported and he opposed, received a bare majority. Marriage measures passed in eight states, but they appear to have had limited influence on congressional contests.

THE ABRAMOFF ECHO

By the fall, it seemed that many voters were shrugging off the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and ethics was fading as an important election issue. That changed in September when the Mark Foley page scandal erupted, including allegations that the House GOP leadership had averted its gaze from Foley's advances toward young males. In exit polls, 74 percent of voters said corruption was very or extremely important in their decision.

In Florida's 16th District, Tim Mahoney (D) defeated Joe Negron (R), Foley's replacement after he resigned. Rep. Don Sherwood (R-Pa.), caught in his own scandal after his mistress accused him of choking her, lost to Chris Carney in the 10th District. Meanwhile, in Montana, Republican Sen. Conrad Burns's ties to Abramoff helped doom him as challenger Jon Tester (D) won. And Joy Padgett -- the replacement to Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio), who was indicted and resigned in the Abramoff scandal -- was defeated by Zack Space (D).

BORDER PATROL

Many Republicans thought for much of the year that they knew the key to winning close elections: anti-illegal-immigration appeals aimed at consolidating the conservative base and attracting independents upset about border security. But in virtually every competitive race, that strategy failed.

An immigration firebrand, Randy Graf, defeated a more moderate candidate in the Republican primary for Arizona's 8th District, and then was swiftly toppled by the Democratic candidate, Gabrielle Giffords. Arizona's 5th District voters unseated immigration hard-liner Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) in favor of challenger Harry Mitchell (D).

Farther from the border, Ed Perlmutter (D) soundly defeated conservative Rick O'Donnell (R) in Colorado's 7th District.

ANXIOUS SUBURBS

All year long, polls had registered voters' rising disaffection with the Iraq war and their doubts that it was contributing to U.S. security.

But Republican strategists thought the issue could be framed publicly to limit damage to the GOP or turn the war to an advantage. But no positioning could offset the reality that October was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in a year. Two-thirds of voters said the war was very or extremely important to them. They favored Democrats decisively.