By Amanda Hunt
Arizona Daily Wildcat
It could be called a historical night for the Republicans.
The results of last night's election will give Republicans control of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Republicans have not had the majority since Dwight Eisenhower's administration in 1954.
Arizona followed the nationwide trend.
Republican Governor Fife Symington was re-elected. After 63 percent of the precinct's votes were counted, Democratic candidate Eddie Basha gave his concession speech.
After 77 percent of precincts were counted, Basha was losing by a margin of 9 percentage points, with Symington coming in at 53 percent, Basha coming in at 44 percent and Libertarian John Buttrick coming in at 3 percent.
"You can't afford to narrow your sights just to education," said Associated Students of the University of Arizona senator Brad Milligan. ASUA registered more than 5,000 students to vote, an all-time record.
Milligan said he supports Symington's crime and economic policies and said they are important for students worried about campus safety and getting a job in Arizona.
"Symington doesn't have a good record. He really hasn't done anything in the last four years. Eddie knows what issues are affecting us. It's going to be a sad day for University students," said Christine Thompson, political science senior.
"In the last four years, Symington hasn't had a commitment to education and we aren't looking forward to four more years," said Petri Darby, media arts junior.
Republican Jon Kyl won the senatorial race to fill the seat of outgoing Sen. Dennis DeConcini. With 77 percent of precincts counted, Kyl had 54 percent, Democratic candidate Sam Coppersmith had 39 percent and Libertarian candidate Scott Grainger had 7 percent.
In response to Coppersmith's defeat, history senior Dan Benavidez said, "It's a great day for Arizona; the voters got the KKK and Jon Kyl in the same week." Benavidez is Coppersmith's Southern Arizona Field Coordinator.
The majority of seats in both the House and the Senate nationwide were won by Republicans. The final numbers came in at 21 new and re-elected Republican senatorial seats and 13 Democratic seats. New and re-elected House seats were filled by 221 Republicans, 192 Democrats and one independent. Nationwide, the 36 gubernatorial races were dominated by 24 Republican victors, nine Democrats and one independent.
"I feel very bad about the defeat (to the Republicans)," DeConcini said. "It's a big defeat for the Democrats."
"The nation's turning, getting away from big government toward small government," said Chad Majer, range management freshman.
"If we are going to give the Republicans control of the Senate we should at least make them work for it," Benavidez said. "There are too many important issues such as health care and welfare reform. What voters have to look forward to now is gridlock and deadlock."
Ben Driggs, Latin American studies and economics senior, said the national results sends a message that there is "a definite frustration with the current government." He said it shows that people want less "big government."
"I am extremely upset with the voters in the state and in the entire country because the rightest view is so far to the right. What kind of country are we living in?" said Brook Rosenbaum, political science and French freshman.
Undergraduate Sen. Ethan Orr expressed his concern for student's issues with the new Republican House and Senate seats. He said regardless of the party in control, he hopes "more focus will be on education," specifically grant funding over loans.
Incumbent Republican representative Jim Kolbe was re-elected to District 2.
Kolbe said, "We had a tremendous turnout of college and high school students. (Students) are taking responsibility for themselves and wanting government to get off their backs and let people help themselves."
Incumbent Democratic representative Ed Pastor was re-elected to District 5.
Propositions Ä At press time (2 a.m.), the current status of the propositions on the ballot were:
ù 100 (Lieutenant Governor) failed
ù 101 (Land Exchanges) failed
ù 102 (Tax Exemption) passed
ù 103 (Damage Recovery) failed
ù 200 (Tobacco Tax) passed
ù 201 (Trapping Restrictions) passed
ù 300 (State Takings) failed
ù 301 (Civil Justice) failed
ù 302 (Legislative Pay Raises) failed
Wire reports and Wildcat reporters Laura Ingalls, Cara Miller and Melissa Prentice contributed to this story.