Two big governor's races and a win for marriage headlined the off-year election Tuesday.
Despite last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama, Republican candidates won clear victories in New Jersey and Virginia.
In New Jersey, a predominantly blue state, Chris Christie was declared the winner over incumbent Jon Corzine. President Obama won the state by a 15-point margin in 2008.
Virginia Republican Bob McDonnell easily defeated Democrat Creigh Deeds, 59 percent – 41 percent.
Politico called the wins "an unmistakable rebuke of Democrats," and Charlie Cook, of the Cook Political Report, said the results of the vote Tuesday were a confirmation for Republicans.
"It's been increasingly clear over the last few months that Democrats were likely to have a tough mid-term next year," he told the Los Angeles Times. "What we've seen tonight doesn't dispute that assumption."
Gary Bauer, president of American Values, said the U.S. is still a right-of-center country.
"The candidates that ended up doing very well," he said, "were candidates that understood the importance of keeping a conservative coalition together."
Pro-family groups gained a victory in Maine, where voters repealed a same-sex marriage law. More than half of voters said marriage in the state should be defined as the union of one man and one woman.
Mark Mutty, campaign manager for Stand for Marriage Maine, said marriage advocates overcame tremendous odds.
"We prevailed" he said at a rally in Portland, "because the people of Maine, the silent majority, the folks back home, spoke with their vote tonight."
Votes were still being counted in Washington state today, where voters were deciding on Ref. 71, a measure that would allow same-sex couples all the benefits of marriage, without the name.
Larry Stickney, campaign manager for Reject Ref. 71, said they're far from conceding.
"We've got a re-engaged community," he said at a rally in Everett. "We're still in the hunt."
