(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
Republicans take the U.S. House but the Democrats manage to hold the Senate. Paging Dr. Gridlock…
I just heard Larry Sabato just predict that as many as 10 state House chambers will switch from Democratic majorities to Republican majorities. The Indiana House is one of those chambers, giving Governor Mitch Daniels Republican majorities in each chamber. Wisconsin may follow suit. Ditto for Ohio– where Kasich is now Governor elect, and Republicans recaptured a House majority and added to their majority in the Senate.
Not all the news is bad for the Democrats, most notably Harry Reid’s victory in Nevada. The majority leader’s son Rory Reid however fell short in the Nevada Governor race against Republican Brian Sandoval. This was an especially interesting race from an education angle, as Sandoval called for Florida reforms, and Reid proposed weighted student funding. Sandoval read Reid’s education plan, and declared that it was a good plan, so he was going to do it and the Florida reforms.
Susana Martinez will be the nation’s first Latina governor after winning the Governor’s office in New Mexico. Governor-elect Martinez platform also incorporated Florida reforms.
Speaking of Florida, the Governor’s race there between Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Rick Scott is very close. Current Florida Governor Charlie Crist is close to being very unemployed. Illinois governor’s race is also neck and neck.
Jerry Brown has won in California over Meg Whitman. Pray for him- the Democrats now control all the levers in Sacramento. The USA will never make progress moving up the education tables with California hanging as an a huge academic albatross around our neck.
Time to sleep. More later.
UPDATE 19 state legislative chambers flipped to the Republicans including full control of Pennsylvania to go along with IN, OH and WI and Michigan. Very tough night for Midwest Dems.
P.S. Republican Rick Scott has narrowly won the Florida governor race.
Jay P. Greene's Blog 
BOOOM Baby. What a good night for school choice
Reid also called for open enrollment – pick ANY public or charter school. That is a huge step for Nevada Democrats. Reid’s plan was based, in part, on my work at NPRI (which was based on work at Reason and University of Washington).
Sandoval picked up the Florida reform plan after I shared our (Matt and I) report on Florida vs. Nevada.
Democrats still control the state legislature but I see moving on open enrollment, tenure reform, teacher evaluations, weighted student funding and charter schools. Slim, very slim possibility of vouchers or tax-credits for low-income or special needs students.
PS, Sandoval is also Nevada’s first Hispanic governor.
[…] though, it may be even brighter. Writing on Jay Greene’s blog, Matt Ladner rejoices in changes in some key state legislatures, which means school choice and other important reform legislation might be forthcoming soon. On the […]
[…] has big plans to implement many pieces of the successful Florida reform model. Education expert Matthew Ladner also notes that Sandoval plans to take a page from his election opponent, Rory Reid:This was an especially […]