Democrats gain seats in Missouri Congress
Published Nov. 10, 2006
Democrats took control of the U.S. Congress after Tuesday's midterm election and drew closer to Republicans in the Missouri General Assembly.
"It was a good night to be a Democrat," said Ted Farnen, chief of staff for Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia.
Democrats picked up five seats in the Missouri House of Representatives and two seats in the Senate. This is the first time in 20 years that Democrats gained seats, and it was the largest gain since 1978, said Minority Floor Leader Jeff Harris, D-Columbia.
But Republicans still hold majorities in each chamber of the General Assembly. Republicans hold a 92-71 majority in the House and a 21-13 majority in the Senate.
"The fact we are standing in a strong majority position in the Senate as well as the House means that Missouri is really counter to a national trend," said Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons.
Although the number of seats gained was small, Farnen said he was happy with the outcome.
"It will take a few cycles to get back to where they were at," Farnen said. "It took a few cycles for Republicans to get the majority, and now we're going through the same process."
Harris said the voters have sent a message in this election. Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, agreed.
"I think you're seeing a trend back toward moderate and thoughtful positions," she said.
But the seats gained by Democrats did not worry Rep. Carl Bearden, R-St. Charles.
"In the total scheme of things, it could have been much worse," Bearden said. "We had 10 open seats."
Harris said there could be a bigger impact on policy decisions in the General Assembly. He said increased access to health care, more support for education and job creation were key points Democrats wanted to address.
"We have more Democrats, so there will be more on each committee and more Democrats to debate issues," Farnen said.
Much of the Democratic success in the election is believed to have come from the campaigns.
"We did a great job of recruiting candidates and finding good people to represent their districts," Harris said.
Bearden said Republicans ran well, too, because all the races were close.
Many Democrats said this election could serve as a model for campaigning in future elections.
In 2010, term limits, which limit politicians to eight years in either chamber, will begin to affect candidates at a greater rate because in 2002, the General Assembly had 90 new members. Harris said there will be many seats vacated and that it would most likely benefit the party that is not in power.
"That's the next big opportunity for a swing," Bearden said.