In NY-23, Conservatives Win  —  The race has now been called for Democrat Bill Owens.  —  This is a huge win for conservatives.  —  “Whaaaa. . . ?” you say.  —  There are two big victories at work in New York's 23rd Congressional District.  —  First, the GOP now must recognize …

The Obama magic has faded  —  All politics is local, they say, and Tuesday's off-off-year elections certainly had their local angles.  Jon Corzine has been a terrible governor even by the undemanding standards of terribly governed New Jersey.  Creigh Deeds, though he looked …

NY-23: Watertown Mayor: 'It's Over'  —  SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. - I caught Watertown, N.Y., Mayor Jeff Graham, who endorsed NY-23 Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman this weekend, looking very glum at Hoffman's election party.  I asked him what happened in Jefferson County, where Watertown is located …

The GOP elite's $1 million object lesson — and the message of NY-23  —  Conservatives owe NY-23 candidate Doug Hoffman immeasurable gratitude.  He overcame impossible odds (single digits just a month ago) to come within two points of defeating Democrat Bill Owens.  Hoffman had zero name recognition.

Conservative Loses Upstate House Race in Blow to Right  —  SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — Democrats won a special election in New York State's northernmost Congressional district Tuesday, a setback for national conservatives who heavily promoted a third candidate in what became an intense debate over the direction of the Republican Party.

Gubernatorial contests serve as warning to Democrats  —  Off-year elections can be notoriously unreliable as predictors of the future, but as a window on how the political landscape may have changed in the year since President Obama won the White House, Tuesday's Republican victories in Virginia …

GOP sweeps gov races; Dem wins N.Y.  —  Republican gubernatorial candidates racked up major wins for the GOP in Virginia and New Jersey Tuesday night as Democrats scored a single victory in a special congressional election in upstate New York.  —  Former Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell …

A Year After Dousing, Republicans' Hope Rekindled  —  WASHINGTON — The Republican victories in the races for New Jersey and Virginia governors put the party in a stronger position to turn back the political wave President Obama unleashed last year, setting the stage for Republicans to raise money …

Editorial: Lessons from Robert F. McDonnell's victory in Virginia  —  ROBERT F. MCDONNELL'S crushing victory in Virginia's gubernatorial election Tuesday testified to his skills as a politician and to his disciplined, focused and generally positive, issues-based campaign.

What Happened and Why?  —  The outcome of all seven contests that we were tracking tonight appears settled, or very nearly so:  —  Virginia Governor: Republican Bob McDonnell wins by 17 points, toward the upper end of the range predicted by the pollsters, although not to anybody's great surprise.

Mainers vote down gay marriage law  —  The measure is repealed in a close vote, 53-47 percent  —  PORTLAND — Maine voters on Tuesday narrowly voted to repeal a law that would have made the state one of a handful that allow same-sex couples to marry.  —  At 1 a.m., with 87 percent …