PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Which way will Florida go? Predictions from Twitter
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Which way will Florida go? Here's some predictions sent to the Buzz via Twitter...@ProgressFlorida: Obama 50, Romney 49 Other 1.
FEATURED
STORIES
Victorious Obama 'more determined' in face of challenges
By Michael O'Brien
NBC News
Related: Divided U.S. Gives Obama More Time
Related: AP analysis: Barack Obama wins but Washington still unchanged
President Barack Obama won four more years in office on Tuesday, describing his victory over Republican nominee Mitt Romney as a call to action that would help move the U.S. past the difficult times endured during the past four years and promising "the best is yet to come."
Florida too close to call with 200,000 votes to be counted
The Associated Press
Yet again, Florida hangs in the balance. Only this time, it doesn't matter. President Barack Obama held onto a slim lead in Florida early Wednesday, but he didn't need the largest swing state to win re-election. Instead, he captured several other battleground states. In Florida, the race was too close to call as 200,000 votes had yet to be counted, and Obama's lead was much less than that — about 50,000 ballots.
Dems keep Senate, leaders urge working toward solutions
By Ted Barrett, Catherine E. Shoichet and Ashley Fantz
CNN
Democrats will retain their control of the Senate and Republicans will maintain majority in the House of Representatives. The Democrats' larger Senate majority will give them the ability to influence much of the Washington agenda during the next two years.
Democrats keep Senate; House will stay Republican
By William Douglas
McClatchy News Service
Democrats retained control of the Senate on Tuesday while Republicans will continue to rule the House of Representatives, after congressional elections that featured several high-profile races.
Most Florida amendments rejected
By Brittany Alana Davis and Toluse Olorunnipa
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Legislature loaded up this year’s historically long ballot with 11 lengthy and confusing constitutional amendments — only to see voters reject almost all of them. Eight of the amendments — including a massive property tax overhaul, abortion restrictions and a “religious freedom” proposal — failed to get the requisite 60 percent vote.
Across South Florida, long lines, glitches make for exhausting Election Day
By Kathleen McGrory, Curtis Morgan and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Long lines — and a long-winded ballot — made for frustrating voting delays across South Florida on Tuesday. The worst waits, up to six hours, were in Miami-Dade County, where Mayor Carlos Gimenez showed up at a Brickell Avenue polling place to personally apologize to hundreds still waiting to cast ballots as polls closed at 7 p.m.
POLITICAL
RACES
Nelson wins third term over Mack
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson easily won re-election to a third term Tuesday, trouncing Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV in a race that saw little active campaigning and asked voters to choose between an incumbent Democrat who preached centrism and a fiscal and social conservative who held to his convictions.
Dorworth, in line to be House speaker, now in danger of losing his seat altogether
By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
In what would be one of the most shocking upsets in Florida legislative history, Rep. Chris Dorworth, the Lake Mary Republican in line to become speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, is in danger of losing his seat in the state House altogether.
Murphy takes lead over Tea Party hero West
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
Conservative firebrand and Tea Party hero U.S. Rep. Allen West, one of the highest profile Republicans in the nation, appeared headed for defeat early Wednesday in Congressional District 18. Democrat Patrick Murphy, a political newcomer, held a narrow lead over West in what was one of the most expensive and bitter Congressional campaigns in the nation.
Grayson easily beats Todd Long
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
Look out, Congress. Alan Grayson is coming back. The fiery Orlando Democrat won a double-digit victory on Tuesday night, besting Republican Todd Long in Florida's newly created 9th Congressional District.
In South Florida congressional races, David Rivera loses to Joe Garcia, Allen West appears to fall to Patrick Murphy
By Patricia Mazzei and Amy Sherman
Miami Herald
U.S. Rep. David Rivera — whose tenure was marked by a series of scandals and who remains the target of two federal investigations — was booted out of office Tuesday, becoming the only Miami-Dade congressional incumbent to lose his seat in recent memory.
3 Republican incumbents lose in Florida House races
The Associated Press
Three Republican incumbents lost Tuesday in the Florida House, where Democrats gained half a dozen seats, meaning they'll no longer be forced to deal with a GOP super majority that effectively left them procedurally powerless the past two legislative sessions.
Victory in Florida: From no LGBT legislators to two or more
LGBTQ Nation
Joe Saunders is expected to win his race for the Florida House of Representatives tonight, joining David Richardson, who won a decisive primary for another State House seat in August.
Congressional Candidate Steve Southerland Claims Victory Over Al Lawson
WFSU
Florida Congressman Steve Southerland has won a second term in office, beating out Democratic challenger Al Lawson.
U.S. House District 16: Buchanan
By Jeremy Wallace
Herald Tribune
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is headed back to Congress for a fourth term and what shapes up as his best chance to be a national player, without clouds of controversy hanging over him.
Florida House District 72: Pilon
By Zac Anderson
Herald Tribune
State Rep. Ray Pilon won a second term in the Legislature Tuesday after a campaign that emphasized his history of community involvement and public service.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Most of Florida's constitutional amendments fail
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
An unprecedented push by Florida Republicans to allow more state funding of religious programs, restrict abortion rights, ban the required purchase of health insurance and oust three Democrat-appointed Supreme Court justices was headed for failure Tuesday.
Ballot Roundup: Gay Marriage Makes Gains, and Pot Too
By Joe Palazzolo
Wall Street Journal
In Maine and Maryland, voters approved ballot initiatives to begin allowing same-sex unions. And in Minnesota voters declined to back an initiative that would enshrine in the state’s constitution a definition of marriage permitting only a union between a man and woman.
EDUCATION
Scott task force: Charge lower tuition in high-demand degree fields
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
State university students seeking degrees that are highly sought by employers would get a break on tuition, but others might pay higher rates under recommendations approved Tuesday by the governor’s higher education task force.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Obama Win Boosts Health Law, But States Still Control Its Destiny
By Phil Galewitz
Kaiser Health News
President Barack Obama’s re-election ensures the survival of his landmark health care law, but predominantly Republican state officials will get a big say in how it is carried out. State lawmakers will control whether millions of uninsured people get coverage through Medicaid beginning in 2014, as the law envisions.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Sweeping 2012 Victories Show Promise Of LGBT Equality’s Future
By Zack Ford
Think Progress
In no uncertain terms, this year’s election was a sweeping mandate on LGBT equality. Forgotten is 2008′s bittersweet realization that though Barack Obama had won, California’s Proposition 8 had passed. Instead, this election’s returns show a new America poised to move forward and ensure that sexual orientation and gender identity are never barriers to freedom and security.
Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin becomes first openly gay U.S. senator
By Victoria Cavaliere
New York Daily News
Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay U.S. senator on Tuesday, defeating popular former Gov. Tommy Thompson after an expensive and contentious race. Baldwin will take over for Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl, who is retiring after four terms in office. She is also Wisconsin’s first woman senator.
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