Rothenberg: Democrats could get to 60 Senate seats by 2010

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Tester barely winning after leading for the whole race makes me wonder how much longer our good luck can continue in Montana. After all, the state still voted 59% for Bush and swung to Dole against the national tide in 1996.

Montana was the only state in the country where control of a state legislature flipped from Democrat to Republican in 2006.  In fact, Democrats nearly lost both houses -- their majority in the State Senate is because of a party switch.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

The Democrats would have held the Montana Senate without the floor-crosser; it was split 25-25. Also, the loss of the House in Montana should come as no surprise, given that the Democrats only won it in the first place because the Constitution and Republican Parties split the vote in the district the Constitution Party won this time.

Did I read that correctly, the Constitution Party won a district!?

56% - 44%!

http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=291429

To be fair, the Constitution Party member was a former Republican State Representative from 1995 to 2001; he switched to the Constitution Party in 2000 but lost his race for re-election (against a Democrat), 50.7 - 49.3%.

He got 42.9% of the vote in 2002 (again, as a Constitution Party member), and lost by 7 votes after a court overruled his initial victory in 2004.  Fourth time's the charm.