Democrats swept both governors’ races Tuesday, with Sen. Jon Corzine easily winning New Jersey and Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine taking Virginia despite a last- minute campaign push for his opponent from President Bush.
Elsewhere, GOP Mayor Michael Bloomberg easily clinched a second term in heavily Democratic New York City, and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was trailing in his re-election bid.
In California, ballot measures that would cap spending and take redistricting away from lawmakers were trailing while two others targeting public-service unions were ahead. All four were strongly backed by GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his power struggle with the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
Kaine had 1,006,887 votes, or 51.6 percent, to Republican rival Jerry Kilgore’s 902,264 votes, or 46.2 percent, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.
In New Jersey, Democrat Corzine trounced Doug Forrester, with 1,124,945 votes, or 53.4 percent, to 912,130 votes, or 43.3 percent, with 95 percent of precincts reporting.
In a jubilant speech, Corzine pledged that his administration would put New Jersey’s citizens first. “As your governor, together we can change the way the public business is done in New Jersey,” he said.
In Virginia, Kaine said his victory proved that voters prefer centrist government. “Tonight, the people of Virginia have sent a message loud and clear that they like the path we are on.”
Bush appeared at a Monday night rally with Kilgore – the first public campaign appearance with the president in a state that twice voted for Bush.
“There’s no way to spin this than anything other than a major defeat for Republicans and for President Bush,” said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato. “This is a red state. He came in on Election Eve, and he had no discernible effect.”
Both governors’ races were marked by record-breaking spending.
In Virginia, at least $42 million was spent in the contest between Kaine and Kilgore, the former state attorney general.
Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, who cannot seek a second term, campaigned hard for his lieutenant governor, and Kaine’s victory was likely to boost Warner’s profile as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2008.
Corzine and Forrester, both multimillionaires, spent upward of $70 million to succeed acting Gov. Richard Codey, who assumed the office last year when Gov. Jim McGreevey, a Democrat, resigned over a homosexual affair.
Corzine, as governor, will have the power to choose a successor to fill his unexpired Senate term.
Both gubernatorial races also were exceptionally nasty.
A Forrester ad quoted Corzine’s ex-wife as saying, “Jon did let his family down, and he’ll probably let New Jersey down too.” A Corzine ad featured a paralyzed teenager complaining about Forrester’s stance against stem-cell research.
A Kilgore ad alleged that Kaine’s opposition to the death penalty meant he would not have executed Adolf Hitler. Kaine cites his Roman Catholic beliefs for his opposition to capital punishment, but he insisted he would carry out death sentences because they are the law.
In mayoral races, Big Apple Mayor Bloomberg trounced former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and was on track to beat his 2001 spending record of $74 million.
Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick was trailing challenger Freman Hendrix, a deputy mayor under Kilpatrick’s predecessor. Kilpatrick stood to become the first Detroit mayor since 1961 to be defeated in a re-election bid.
