A Republican Wave Sweeps the Midterm Elections  —  In an echo of 2010, the GOP overshot its targets, taking the Senate and winning House and statehouse races across the board.  Now what will they do?  —  LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Republicans took the Senate majority in a commanding sweep on Tuesday …

President Obama Left Fighting for His Own Relevance  —  WASHINGTON — Two things were clear long before the votes were counted on Tuesday night: President Obama would face a Congress with more Republicans for his final two years in office, and the results would be seen as a repudiation of his leadership.

Midterm Elections 2014 Exit Polls: 6 Fast Facts on 6 Key States  —  According to preliminary exit poll data, here are six fast facts about voters in Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Colorado, New Hampshire and North Carolina.  —  Numbers will change as exit polls are updated and only reflect preliminary data.

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 …

Recreational marijuana passes in Oregon: Oregon election results 2014  —  Oregon voters said yes to marijuana Tuesday, making the state the third to allow the possession and sale of cannabis for recreational rather than strictly medical use.  —  The crowd at the Southeast Portland club Holocene …

Wendy Davis Was The Face Of ‘War On Women’ Politics.  How'd That Go?  —  This was a year when the War on Women messaging — previously employed so successfully by the Democrats — failed to yield the desired results.  Most of the discussions about that failure have focused on Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado.

Tonight's darker omen for the GOP: Losing the Senate in 2016  —  BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL CONGRESS BARACK OBAMA REPUBLICAN PARTY 2014 ELECTIONS 2016 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS  —  However well Republicans do tonight, President Obama will retain a veto pen.  That means GOP control of both chambers …

Voters' verdict explodes Democratic myths  —  As Democratic losses mounted in Senate races across the country on election night, some liberal commentators clung to the idea that dissatisfied voters were sending a generally anti-incumbent message, and not specifically repudiating Democratic officeholders.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Fox News definitely just broke the rules for exit polls  —  This is what Fox News looked like at about 6:07 pm Eastern time tonight:  —  The problem?  Polls don't close in New Hampshire until 8 pm — and Fox isn't supposed to show exit poll results until then: … Way to go, Fox News.  Way to go.