State Sen. Scott Brown won a remarkable upset victory over state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) tonight in a Massachusetts Senate special election, a victory likely to spawn broad-ranging political and policy consequences heading into the midterm elections.
Brown's victory is the first for Republicans at the Senate level for Republican in Massachusetts since 1972 and he becomes the lone GOPer in the 12-person federal delegation from the Bay State.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said President Obama called Brown and "congratulated Senator Brown on his victory and a well-run campaign."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent nearly $1.5 million on ads in support of Brown and President Obama made a hastily-scheduled visit to the state on Sunday -- his wife's birthday -- in hopes of energizing a lethargic party base.
Brown said to raucuous cheers at his victory rally, " "Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken."
Republicans, meanwhile, were gleeful -- touting the Massachusetts victory on top of wins in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey in 2009 as evidence that the political pendulum was swinging quickly in their direction.
"Democrats will try to play this race off as an isolated incident, but the recent spate of polling in swing districts across the country proves that Massachusetts isn't the exception of the 2010 election cycle, its the rule," said National Republican Congressional Committee communications director Ken Spain. "Any Democrat who voted for the health care bill now knows how big of an albatross they will have hanging around their necks."
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