Despite a light snow, which fell much of the day Tuesday along the Wasatch Front, voter turnout was still moderate to heavy, a check with several voting districts showed.
Polls closed at 8 p.m., as Utahns and other Americans voted in midterm elections that could reshape Congress and set the stage for the remaining two years of President Clinton's administration and the 1996 presidential elections.Complete election results will appear in Thursday's Deseret News. The main stakes in Tuesday's elections nationwide and the outlook:
- THE SENATE: Thirty-five of 100 seats are up for renewal. The Democrats have a 56-44 majority and have controlled the chamber for all but six of the past 40 years. By coincidence, the Democrats are defending 22 of the 35 vulnerable seats, giving the Republicans wide pickings for the net shift of seven seats they need to regain a majority. The most cautious forecasts concede them at a gain of at least five.
- THE HOUSE: All 435 seats are up. Democrats now hold a 256-178 majority with one independent. Republicans need a net gain of 40 seats to regain the majority for the first time since 1954. Even Democratic-leaning analysts predict a Republican pickup of at least 25 to 30 seats.
- GOVERNORSHIPS: At stake are 36 of the 50 state governorships, key political offices that wield big influence as campaign power bases in presidential election years. The Democrats now prevail by 29 to 20 with one independent, but most polls say they will lose that majority including possibly such coveted strongholds as Texas and Florida.
If the Democrats lose the Senate, Clinton will have to barter with Republicans to get anything done and will see key committees, which control legislation, chaired by fierce foes. Examples: arch-conservative Jesse Helms of North Carolina running the Foreign Relations Committee; Alfonse D'Amato of New York, a Clinton scourge, heading the Banking Committee; and Orrin Hatch as head of the Judiciary Committee.In Utah, Deseret News/KSL pollster Dan Jones expected voter turnout at 50-55 percent - excellent by national standards but perhaps a bit low for Utah where upward of 70-80 percent of registered voters cast ballots in presidential elections.
Jones' 55 percent estimate is statewide. But in many locales there are few close races. The tightest race was in Salt Lake County, which featured the 2nd Congressional District contest between Democratic Rep. Karen Shepherd, Republican Enid Greene Waldholtz and Independent Merrill Cook.
The Senate race between Hatch and Democrat Pat Shea was not close. The latest Jones' poll showed Hatch ahead by 43 percentage points. The 1st and 3rd congressional district races also were not close according to polls conducted last week. But both challengers - Democrat Bobbie Coray in the 1st District and Republican Dixie Thompson in the 3rd - claimed to be closing on the incumbents, Reps. Jim Hansen and Bill Orton, respectively.
At least one outraged Cook supporter was upset Tuesday because she couldn't vote for him - she lives in the 3rd Congressional District in Salt Lake County and Cook is only on the ballot in the 2nd District.
"Why didn't anyone tell me that," she yelled through the telephone line. "I thought I could vote for him no matter where he was" running.
In San Juan County, 18 federal election observers were providing language assistance to American Indians. Federal monitors also are observing elections in 10 other states.