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Matt York / AP
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks to supporters during an election night party Tuesday, Nov. 6, in Phoenix. At right is his wife, Eva.
Other results that might have flown under your radar on Election Night:
• Republican Joe Arpaio, 80, nationally famous for his fierce enforcement of laws against illegal immigration, won his sixth straight term as sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz. Arpaio — who is the defendant in federal and civil lawsuits accusing him of violating the rights of undocumented immigrants — defeated Democrat Paul Penzone, a former Phoenix police officer, Telemundo Arizona reported.
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., beat Republican former Gov. Tommy Thompson to become the nation's first openly gay senator, NBC News projected. Thompson — who served as secretary of Health and Human Services in the administration of former President George W. Bush, announced his retirement from politics in his concession speech.
• The latest effort to abolish the death penalty in California was headed for defeat, NBC 4 in Los Angeles reported. Proposition 34 would have applied retroactively to nearly 725 people on California's Death Row and would also have diverted $100 million from the state's general fund to help solve more homicide and rape cases.
• Republican Kerry Bentivolio — a reindeer farmer and Santa Claus impersonator — defeated Democrat Syed Taj, a physician, in Michigan's 11th Congressional District, NBC News projected. The race became wide open after Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a five-term Republican, resigned in July after failing to produce enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
• "Joe the Plumber" — real name Samuel Wurzelbacher — lost his House race to Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, winning only 24 percent of the vote, NBC station WNWO of Toledo reported. Wurzelbacher, who came to prominence as a politicized symbol of the economy's toll on the middle class in during the 2008 campaign, had said he would advocate for veterans and use his "notoriety" to help others — no matter their party affiliation.
• Republicans lost their 102-member supermajority in the Texas House, opening the door for Democrats to slow or block the majority's conservative agenda, The Associated Press reported. That means Republicans can no longer suspend the rules to push through legislation over the objections of minority Democrats. Last year, Republicans had enough lawmakers to form a quorum without any Democrat showing up for work.
• But Republicans won enough seats in the Tennessee Senate to earn their first supermajority since Reconstruction.
• Voters in Wichita, Kan., defeated a measure to put fluoride in their water, NBC station KSN reported. "I'll be in my office tomorrow morning at 7:30 like most every dentist in Wichita," said Dr. Lucynda Raben of Wichitans for Healthy Teeth.
More election coverage from NBCNews.com:
- Obama wins re-election; Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin prove pivotal
- Democrats retain control of Senate with series of hard-fought wins
- Rape remarks sink two Republican Senate hopefuls
- In costliest-ever Senate race, Warren beats Brown for Mass. seat
- Maine's Harley-riding King vowed to 'shake up' D.C.
- Republicans easily maintain control of House
- Colorado, Washington approve recreational marijuana use
- Pence in as governor of Indiana; Hassan wins in N.H.
- Majority of voters see American on wrong track
Leave a Comment:
I fear that no one is enforcing our immigration laws. Amnesty for illegal aliens living in the United States is NOT the answer. We need enforcement of the existing laws. It should not fall to local Sheriffs, we need a Federal Government that deports all illegal aliens, secures the border and fines anyone who hires an illegal alien.
Pres.Obamas administration has deported more people than any other administration. This is the fact. Its also the fact that it did not increase jobs for Americans, it did not decrease any debt. It did not decrease Racism, crime, drug traffic or problems in the schools. What did it do?
"I fear that no one is enforcing our immigration laws"
Try paying attention. You are waaaay off base.
Happy to see that Joe the opportunist lost.
Joe Arpaio, Jospeh Goebbels, Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Just one more reason not to want to live in Kansas, not that there wasn't enough reason already.
At least we have some body besides our Socialist Government to take care of our immigration laws.People bitch all day long about this subject but did anyone here any of the candidates talk about it?You didn't because Comrade Obammy needed that that vote.
He may have needed the vote, people may have talked about it but the Obama Administration has deported more people than any other before him. So what did it change?
He let almost 2 million stay with amnesty while they filed to stay. The point ? They were here ILLEGALLY and should have been sent back. That was by executive order BTW. People who enter the country illegally broke the law. The President doesn't get to pick and choose which laws to uphold and which ones to ignore
Mebbe Rove and Rush can spin Sherrif Joe's re-election into saying that the Republicans won 2012
Why is there nothing mentioning Puerto Rico voting to become the 51st state?
I think because Congress has to approve it first. Also, the new Gov voted in, Padilla, likes the relationship as it is but it does have to go to Congress first to decide "best interest or not" to existing USA. Its like they voted for permission to ask to be admitted. Not to be admitted.
Dang, Joe's wife goes to the same salon as Jan Brewer.
Ok, Joe the Plumber, you can go back to obscurity again. Thanks for playing.
The sheriff from Hell is a Republican creation. They are trying to attract the Hispanic vote, even if they have to take hostages. Not so smart, even for racist Republicans.