Despite one of the most intensive election campaigns conducted by it in recent memory, the Republican Party of President Nixon to-day failed to get the kind of mandate it had sought from the American electorate. After to-day’s [November 4, WASHINGTON] outcome, the Nixon Administration will have to continue to live with a Congress dominated by the Democrats for another two years – and many of these Democrats are of an ideological persuasion different from that of Mr. Nixon. Most of the liberals who had been a thorn in Mr. Nixon’s side are back in the Senate. Though the Republicans were able to unseat some of them the Democrats in their turn have been able to displace some of the Nixon Republicans with a few new liberals. The new liberal-moderate coalition, in the Senate which is certain to oppose Mr. Nixon on key national and international issues will continue to be led by such stalwarts as Hubert Humphrey, Edward Kennedy and Edmund Muskie who have all won re-election. In the House of Representatives the only consolation the Republicans have is that they have not lost as many seats as a ruling party normally does in a mid-term election. But the Democrats have increased their already impressive majority in the House by another eight seats. In the race for Governorships the Republicans have taker a real battering and the Democrats have captured as many as 12 States from the Republicans. This outcome could affect the fortunes of the Republicans in the Presidential elections due in 1972.
