GOP Burns Loses Senate Seat

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The Democrats are now one seat away from sweeping the House and Senate from Republicans. In a press conference Wednesday President George W. Bush recognized Republicans would lose seats, but recognized that the "cumulative effective was not that close, it was a thumping" that the Republicans ending up facing when all was said and done. The Senate power now rests in the hands of a final vote count challenge between Democrat Jim Webb (1,169,285 votes) and incumbent George Allen (1,162,577 votes), which some say may take weeks.

Jon Tester was declared the winner of the Montana senate seat with 198,304 votes compared to GOP incumbent Conrad Burns with 195,456 votes.

Both Tester and his wife have agricultural roots. Since the late 1980s Tester enter the farming business and now grows organic wheat, barley, lentils, peas, millet, buckwheat, alfalfa and hay.

In Montana, neither candidate discussed a recount this morning, but state law says a losing candidate can request a recount at his own expense if the margin is within 1/2 of a percent, which would be a margin off roughly 2,000 votes in the state's U.S. Senate race. If the margin is less than 1/4 of a percent, the state and the counties will pick up the tab.

Agriculture remains a bipartisan issue. However, several friends of agriculture are no longer in office to keep the voice heard. In days ahead I'll discuss issues that find more favor with the new Congressional leadership, and what items may be pushed aside.