Races bring crop of GOP governors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - State capitols across the country will be more Republican than at any point since the Roaring Twenties when victorious legislators and governors take office next year. That could result in lower taxes and perhaps fewer dollars flowing to social safety net programs.

A day after a big election, newly emboldened Republican state leaders already were making plans Wednesday to pursue deeper tax cuts, relax business regulations, expand private school vouchers, and impose new limits on public welfare programs.

In some states, such as Kansas, Republicans will be able to do as they want, because they control both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office. In others, such as neighboring Missouri, the Republicans' legislative super-majorities will be so large that they can essentially disregard the objections of a Democratic governor. Elsewhere, like in New York, the Republican takeover of one legislative chamber simply means a stronger say in a state still otherwise led by Democrats.

Bucking the trend, in Colorado, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Narberth native, beat Republican challenger Bob Beauprez in a close race.

But nowhere in the nation did Democrats take over a legislative chamber previously held by Republicans.

For statehouse Republicans, "it's their strongest position in nearly a century," said Tim Storey, an analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Republicans will have full control of at least 28 state legislatures, their largest total since 1928. The GOP will hold at least 31 governorships, including newly won offices in traditionally Democratic Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

In many cases, the Republican victories expanded majorities won in previous elections, such as the 2010 GOP sweep. Over the last several years, Republicans already have used those majorities to cut taxes, restrict abortions, expand gun rights, and limit the powers of public employee unions.

Those issues all remain high on the Republican agenda.

The challenge for Republicans may be to constrain their enthusiasm, lest they go further than some voters had anticipated and complicate their chances of reelection.

After large GOP majorities in Kansas enacted widespread income-tax cuts in recent years, the resulting budget difficulties turned Tuesday's election into a referendum on Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's financial policies. He narrowly won, as Republicans added to their ranks in the House.

Brownback acknowledged at a victory party that "it's a difficult time for many Kansas families" and "jobs are scarce," but he pledged to keep the state on the route he had charted.

"Our way is holding down taxes, holding down regulations, controlling spending," Brownback said.