I have talked largely about House and Senate races, but in the next few days it will start to be clear how big the gains for the Republicans were in the Governorships and the State Legislatures. As of now, it looks like the same wave hit those elections as well on the down ballot.
These are important for three reasons:
1. These local offices don't get enough credit. They are highly influential in our day-to-day lives. It is easy to think nationally and miss the importance of state and local races.
2. The Governor is able to give a campaign edge to their own party in the Presidential election. This is key since Democrats lost the Governorship in several key swing states in 2009 and 2010: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio, among others.
3. The Governor and State Legislatures work together to do the re-districting using the results of the 2010 census. These shifts in the House district lines can actually significantly help the party that is in charge of setting the lines. If one party controls both the Governorship and the State Legislature, then it is likely they will have a chance to pick up additional seats in the House in 2012.
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