Democrats Move Closer to Magic “60″
As discussed previously on the Blawg, Democrats need to control 60 Senate seats to prevent a bill-busting Republican filibuster. Without a filibuster, bills like the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) are far more likely to pass.
According to reports today from CNN, Democrats now control 58 seats. With all but a few overseas ballots counted, it appears that Alaskan Republican (and convicted felon) Ted Stevens has been ousted by Democrat Mark Begich by 3,724 votes.
Two other races are still up for grabs:
- In Georgia, a runoff election will determine whether Republican Saxy Chambliss or Democrat Jim Martin prevails. (Chambliss “beat” Martin by a slim margin in the general election but failed to capture the required 50%.)
- In Minnesota, Republican Norm Coleman “beat” comedian-turned-Democrat Al Franken by a few hundred votes but faces a recount that could stretch into December.
If Democrats prevail in both races, they will hit the magic number of 60. Stay tuned to see how this plays out.
