McConnell: No Shutdowns, No Full Obamacare Repeal  —  An exclusive interview with TIME about his plans as Majority Leader  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell was giddy, not an emotion often seen in the sober 72-year-old Kentuckian.  But that's the only way to describe TIME's interview with him in Perry County, Kentucky, on Monday afternoon.

Democrats sift through the debris  —  Democrats on Wednesday morning began sorting through the wreckage of disastrous midterm elections in which losses eclipsed even their worst fears.  —  The scale of the defeats, taken together, was breathtaking: a Senate majority lost …

Battle for the Senate: How the GOP woke up while Democrats were feeling the drag  —  One night in early September, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called a longtime colleague, Sen. Pat Roberts, from his living room in Louisville, furious about the 78-year-old Republican's fumbling and lethargic reelection campaign.

The Polls Were Skewed Toward Democrats  —  For much of this election cycle, Democrats complained the polls were biased against them.  They said the polls were failing to represent enough minority voters and applying overly restrictive likely-voter screens.  They claimed early-voting data was proving the polls wrong.

Axelrod: White House changes would be ‘wise’  —  Personnel changes at the White House would be “wise” to ensure President Obama's final two years in office are successful, former adviser David Axelrod said Tuesday.  —  Axelrod, who served at the White House during Obama's first term …

First Impressions: Historic GOP House Majority  —  It's hard to overstate House Democrats' bad night.  By all measures, Republicans enjoyed an historic night, exceeding pre-election expectations across the country.  There are fewer than ten races where the outcome is in some doubt …

Berkeley breaks through on soda tax  —  Berkeley, Calif., a city known for its progressive politics, made history Tuesday night by approving the first real sin tax on soda in the United States.  —  Voters looked likely to approve Measure D, a penny-per-ounce tax, by a wide margin …

Election Results 2014: Here Are the Key Races That Are Still Too Close to Project  —  Voters in states across the nation handed Republicans control of the U.S. Senate on Election Day 2014, strengthened their majority control of the House of Representatives and also made a strong showing in gubernatorial races.

Lessons for Obama's Final Two Years From Reagan, Clinton and Bush  —  A president in the final two years of an eight-year run in the White House.  Congress held by an opposing party that loathes the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  A staff that is depleted and exhausted by six-plus years of governing.

Sullivan lead holds in Alaska U.S. Senate race; Begich won't concede  —  Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan appeared to grab an insurmountable lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich early Wednesday, with all of Alaska's precincts reporting.

The New Segregation  —  It's class, not race.  And we know how to solve it.  —  Three years ago, Kelly Williams-Bolar, a poor, single mother, stood in a Summit County, Ohio, courtroom facing a number of felony charges, including one count of grand theft.  Her crime: stealing an education …

Meet Elise Stefanik, the Youngest Woman Ever Elected to Congress … Republican Elise Stefanik has become the youngest woman elected to Congress in history, winning her race against Aaron Woolf in New York's 21st open district 56-32, ABC News projects.  —  She's the first Republican to win the district …

MSNBC's Matthews and Sharpton Bash Grimes Concession Speech: ‘You Need to Be Gracious!’  —  In the Kentucky Senate race, Democrat challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes lost by a wide margin to Senator Mitch McConnell, and as such, gave a concession speech — one that the MSNBC election coverage team immediately tore apart.

The Evaporating Democratic Majority  —  “For Republicans, what counts as victory?”  I asked in my pre-election post, and now we have an answer: This counts.  Control of the Senate with room to spare, easy victories in what were supposed to be tight purple-state races and even easier victories in red states …

27 senators who voted for Obamacare won't be part of new Senate  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS OBAMACARE SENATE HEALTH CARE 2014 ELECTIONS  —  On Dec. 24, 2009, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed President Obama's healthcare law with a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority …

HICKENLOOPER POISED TO DEFEAT BEAUPREZ FOR COLORADO GOVERNOR  —  Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was in a strong position to win re-election early Wednesday morning in a year that saw Republican gains across the state and nation.  —  Ten hours after the polls closed, Hickenlooper rebounded …