In congress. From massachusetts to florida and from West Virginia to colorado, the republicans won key senate, house and gubernatorial races. We had to hold our elected officials accountable. I wanted tell you right now, with your help and gods will, we will change the direction of our country. We will break down what happened in this, the most expensive Midterm Election in history, and look ahead to what it means for the 2016 race. President obama starts making grand bargains with his Republican Senate in the next two years, he creates a situation where democratic hardy that still has many advantages going into president ial cycle, could lose some of those advantages. And we will look at Ballot Initiatives including increasing the minimum wage which one in every state it was put before voters. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Republicans have emerged from tuesdays Midterm Elections with control of congress for the first time in eight years. In the most expensive midterm in election history, the Republican Party took control of the senate, strengthened its control in the house and won a number of key gubernatorial races. Republican candidates won at least 10 of the days 13 closely contested senate races giving the Party Control of the senate for the First Time Since 2007. Kentucky senator Mitch Mcconnell is expected to become the next Senate Majority leader after he withstood a challenge from democrat Alison Lundergan grimes. Mcconnell celebrated his victory in kentucky. This experiment and Big Government has lasted long enough. [applause] it is time to go in a new direction. [applause] it is time to turn this country around. [applause] and i will not let you down. Thank you so much. Three sitting Democratic Senators lost races kay hagan in north carolina, mark pryor in arkansas, and mark udall in colorado. The Political Landscape could still worsen for the democrats as the senate race in alaska remains too close to call and louisiana is headed for a runoff. The republicans also picked up at least 10 more house seats, giving the party its largest majority since world war ii. Republicans also won another of tightly contested gubernatorial contests. Republican candidates in maryland, arkansas, illinois and massachusetts took control of seats that had been previously held by democrats. A number of sitting republican governors also overcame strong challenges, including wisconsins scott walker, floridas rick scott and michigans rick snyder. In one of the rare democratic upsets on tuesday, tom wolf is projected to have beaten incumbent Pennsylvania Republican governor tom corbett. Republicans also picked up gubernatorial victories in the traditional blue states of massachusetts and illinois. The midterms saw nearly 150 ballot measures nationwide. Voters in four traditionally conservative states approved initiatives that will raise the minimum wage in alaska, nebraska and south dakota and arkansas. Voters in illinois also backed an increase to 10 an hour, although state lawmakers will have final say. In massachusetts, voters approved a landmark measure that will provide workers with the strongest paid sick leave requirements in the country, up to 40 hours per year. Washington, d. C. Passed a ballot measure to legalize marijuana, as did oregon. A medical Marijuana Initiative failed in florida. In a victory for abortion rights, voters in both colorado and north dakota have defeated personhood amendments which would have defined fertilized eggs as human beings. But an antichoice amendment in tennessee that would enable the state legislature to pass extreme antichoice legislation was approved. Colorado voters rejected an initiative to require labeling of gmo foods after monsanto spent 4. 7 million to defeat the measure. Voters appear to have defeated a Similar Initiative in oregon but it remains too close to call. In washington state, voters approved the days only gun control measure, imposing background checks on all gun sales. Well have more on the Midterm Elections after headlines. A top alqaeda leader has reportedly been killed in a new u. S. Drone strike inside yemen. Shawki albadani, head of alqaeda in the arab peninsula and deemed a global terrorist, by the u. S. , was among four people reportedly killed in an american attack overnight. Badani has been accused of links to bombings that killed over 100 yemeni soldiers and a plot on the u. S. Embassy in yemen. The strike follows an earlier u. S. Bombing that killed at least ten people. 10 alleged militants. Ten people have been wounded in jerusalem after a driver drove his car into ten pedestrians. The attacked occurred near a similar incident two weeks ago where a palestinian ran into a group of israelis, killing two people. Daily clashes in occupied East Jerusalem continued today with clashes between palestinians and farright israeli demonstrators who tried to enter the alaqsa mosque. Israel stoked new outrage this week after advacing plans to build 500 new illegal settlements homes in occupied East Jerusalem. Both ukraine and Russian Troops are moving their forces closer to Eastern Ukraine after a weekend vote backing prorussian separatists leaders. Russia has recognized sundays elections will ukraines president has threatened to scrap and autonomy deal for the eastern regions of donetsk and lunhansk. On tuesday, the ukraine government said it would deploy whereits to the east fighting has killed more than 3000 people since april. In brussels, nato chief said russia has also moved forces closer to its border with ukraine. Recently, we have also seen Russian Troops move closer to the border with ukraine, and russia continues to support the separatists by training them, but providing equipment, and supporting them also by having special forces Russian Special forces inside the eastern parts of ukraine. Authorities in mexico have captured the fugitive mayor of iguala who is suspected of ordering a Police Attack on 43 students, who have now been missing for more than five weeks. Federal Police ArrestedJose Luis Abarca and his wife in mexico city, where they were hiding in a workingclass neighborhood in a building that appeared to be abandoned. They are suspected of orchestrating the attack by police on the students from a rural teachers college, who were apparently then turned over to a local drug gang. The mayors wife is accused of being the gangs leading operator. The group fled iguala in the Southern State of guerrero, amidst an investigation that has netted more than 50 arrests and uncovered remains in multiple mass graves, none of which have so far been identified as the students. Family members and protesters have continued to hold out hope the students are alive. And those are some of the headlines, this is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. A republican rout. Thats how tuesdays election the most expensive midterm in history is being described after the republicans took control of the senate, strengthened its control in the house, and took a number of key gubernatorial races. Republican candidates won at least 10 of the days 13 closely contested senate races giving the Party Control of the senate for the First Time Since 2007. Kentucky senator Mitch Mcconnell is expected to become the next Senate Majority leader after he withstood a challenge from democrat Alison Lundergan grimes who refused to say during the campaign whether she had voted for president obama. Although she had been once an obama delegate. Three sitting Democratic Senators lost races. In north carolina, thom tillis defeated kay hagan. In arkansas, tom cotton unseated senator mark pryor. And in colorado, senator mark udall lost to cory gardner. The Political Landscape could still worsen for the democrats as the senate race in alaska remains too close to call and louisiana is headed for a runoff. This is Senate Minority leader Mitch Mcconnell speaking last night at his victory speech in louisville, kentucky. They said we could have real change in washington. [applause] republicans also picked up and that is what i intend to deliver. Tonight turns a corner. In the future i see is a bright one. Americans have seen that what the current crowd in washington is offering is making us weaker both at home and abroad. Hey have had enough you know, there is an old saying that is often a too rooted to Winston Churchill that im reminded of attributed to Winston Churchill that im reminded of. Heres what he said about americans. He said, you know the americans, they always do the right thing after they have tried Everything Else first. [laughter] through publicans also picked up at least 10 more house seats, giving the party its largest majority since world war ii. President obama is facing a similar predicament as ronald reagan, bill clinton and george w. Bush the last three president s to serve two terms. That all governed for the final two years with the opposition controlling both chambers of congress. The Republican Party also strengthened its control in gubernatorial races as republican candidates in maryland, arkansas, illinois and massachusetts took control of seats that had been previously held by democrats. A number of sitting republican governors also overcame strong challenges, including wisconsins scott walker, floridas rick scott, and michigans rick snyder. In one of the rare democratic upsets on tuesday, tom wolf is projected to have beaten incumbent Pennsylvania Republican governor tom corbett. Republicans also picked up gubernatorial victories in the traditional blue states of massachusetts and illinois. We began our show in kentucky. Phillip bailey is a freelance journalist in louisville, a former Political Editor at the local npr affiliate Radio Station wfpl. This extremely significant race, not only for kentucky, but for the nation since the Senate Minority leader, Mitch Mcconnell, could now become the Senate Majority leader if republicans decide to choose him. Talk about this race, phillip bailey. This is what Mitch Mcconnell has always wanted. The coveted position since he was first elected back in 1984 was to be Senate Majority leader. He has all but guaranteed to get position. There seems to be no one else who wants the job that republicans are galvanizing around, even though a few say they dont want to vote for mcconnell. Can almost assure he will be sit majority leader. During this campaign, reporters who were not clear on asking the senator what the agenda was, if you took over the senate, mcconnell would say, well, i dont want to show my hand too early, lets not measure the drapes. Were interested to see what exactly is going to happen with this new republican majority in the u. S. Senate. Will there be more cooperation with president obama . Will president obama be more aggressive . On thell often sat campaign trail, i was the defensive coordinator and not get to be the offense of coordinator. Of what you doot is to disrupt. In a democrats would refer to doctor ofas the dysfunction. No yes to govern as well in particular for the democrats and republicans in 2016, it is support for them to show how. Hey can govern many are frustrated with mcconnell overall. Congress is less popular. Americans seem to be saying, get anything done. We are to see house and a majority leader Richard Mcconnell can get that accomplished. Thats go back to senator mcconnell speaking last night in louisville. Some things dont change after tonight. I dont expect the president to wake up tomorrow and view the world differently than he did when he woke up this morning. He knows i wont, either. That is Mitch Mcconnell. Phillip, can you talk about with the key issues were in kentucky and why this senator, who is the minority leader, could become the majority leader, actually really was given quite a run for his money and it was a lot of money. Exactly. Mitch mcconnell, probably more than any other politician in the u. S. , associated with being the architect of Citizens United. He often said money is speech. Inis filed amicus briefs many of the Supreme Court cases seeking to tear down mccainfeingold. This race in many ways was Mitch Mcconnell stream come true. Somewhere north of the question was, what did the money get us besides a bunch of tv ads . There was only one debate, talking about president obama. Mcconnell saying his allies saying that grimes would be a surrogate for obama. Grimes spent a large part for time saying, im not barack obama. Literally saying that in a tv commercial. What does all of this money in politics get voters . There are a lot of infrastructure issues in kentucky, the epidemic of heroin did not come up. We certainly had a conversation about internet broadband access. A large part was spent on coal with both candidates trying to show who is more of a champion for coal. Of your good conversation came up about how the free market impacted coal and the idea it cost more money to extract coal from the ground. A lot of it was missed from this campaign, but it sure did by a lot of ads. Grimes, people thought she was going to give Mitch Mcconnell a run for his money which is why Many Democrats left with their jaws stopped considering she lost by 15 points, pretty much a blowout, and i think she only one nine or 10 counties in the entire state. This was a rout, as far as that race was concerned. Thecrats still held on state house but no one expected grimes to lose the way she did. She underperformed heavily in democratic strongholds like lexington and louisville. You do have a lot of democrats pointing figures at each other now, trying to figure out what went wrong. I think the Mcconnell Campaign probably of the easiest and best strategy the entire summer barack obama is unpopular, she is barack obama, big me Senate Majority leader and kentucky will be in power. That is what kentucky voters supported. Democrat to go back to grimes. Whethersed to reveal she voted for president barack obama. Did you vote for president obama in 2008 and 2012 . This election isnt about the president. It is about making sure we put kentuckians back to work. Did you vote for him . I was a delegate for hillary clinton. I think kentuckians know im a clinton democrat through and through. I know the members of this Editorial Board bricabrac so you are not saying. She is referred to herself as a clinton democrat, but not in obama democrat. Though she had been an obama delegate at the Convention Earlier and was sent secretary of state of kentucky, sort of informatics of democrats around and lymphatic of democrats around the country when it can to the relationship with president obama in this election . Than any single democrat, that answer probably epitomized the problem the National Democratic party and democrats had in this Midterm Election. How do you reconcile running in states were barack obama lost if you still the head of your party . It was surprising giving grimes understood early on this was going to be a strategy that she was so prepared for that question. The first she tries to blow through with a talking point. Then she says, well, i was a clinton delegate. Then she just creates this very weird answer of, well, i dont want to say things well, youre running for u. S. Senate. Folks are interested in who you voted for. There were many ways for heard answer that. That came off [indiscernible] to be quite honest. If you look at the turnout numbers, a democratic stronghold that half a million democrats registered, far more than republicans in the city. [indiscernible] got about 157 thousand votes. Grimes only got 144,000 votes from more precincts in louisville. That disconnect shows there are some democrats who said, i am not going to associate myself toh her if she doesnt want associate with obama or speaker for the environment. What Many Democrats are saying this morning is, [indiscernible] officials have grimes as someone trying to be a republican in this is what youre getting. Now you have a Mitch Mcconnell blowout. About a year and half ago, Many Democrats were arguing whether she could beat ashley judd ru