>>
now here's matt.
>>>
now to the results of the so-called super-duper tuesday. key prime marry and
runoff elections
held in 12 states. nbc's
kelly
o'donnell's in
little rock
,
arkansas
home to one of tuesday's most closely watched races.
kelly
, good morning.
>> reporter:
good morning, matt. there were women candidates making victory speeches across the country, most of them republicans. but democrat
blanche lincoln
did surprise all those who predicted her defeat.
national labor
unions had come in here to
arkansas
, spent millions trying to knock her out.
president bill clinton
worked very hard campaigning for her and he gets a little bit of the credit this morning as
blanche lincoln
defied all the national trends.
>>
you are great,
arkansas
!
>> reporter:
forget all those anti-
washington
predictions.
>>
your message is loud and clear that
washington
,
washington
needs to work for us!
>> reporter:
arkansas
democrats stood behind their incumbent, two-term senator
blanche lincoln
who survived a tough democratic runoff against lieutenant governor
bill halter
. lincoln will fight to keep her seat in november. in california, voters narrowed the field to succeed
arnold schwarzenegger
as governor.
>>
i think there is a mood all over the
state of california
that the people want reform, people want to have change.
>> reporter:
first-time candidate
meg whitman
came in with a huge lead in the polls and came out with the republican nomination.
>>
here's the really good news -- i don't owe anyone anything.
>> reporter:
the former ebay chief executive's winning bid cost a staggering $70 million of her own fortune to defeat
insurance commissioner
steve poizner
who spent his own millions, too.
>>
we've just seen two republican candidates for governor stage a billionaire's
demolition derby
.
>> reporter:
whitman faces democrat
jerry brown
who's held just about every
public office
, including governor back in the
1970s
. in the senate race, california republicans chose another business executive, former hewlett-packard chief
carly fiorina
.
>>
we will take our government back. we will make it listen. and we will make it work.
>> reporter:
voters get another big anti-incumbent test in november when fiorina takes on democrat
barbara boxer
who's been in the senate 18 years. now on to
south carolina
's race for governor where the cost was far more personal. accusations of infidelity, but no proof. republican
nikki haley
denied any affairs and voters chose her to advance to a runoff.
>>
we said no to the
dark side
of politics.
>> reporter:
in nevada, a big
tea party
victory in the gop senate primary.
>>
we need to send a message to
washington
, d.c.
>> reporter:
but democrats are actually cheering sharon angle's win, believing the
tea party
candidate would be an easier opponent for one of the most vulnerable democrats, senate majority leader
harry reid
.
>>
we're ready for the debate! come on, harry, let's talk about the issues!
>> reporter:
and sharon angle really surged in the end and her win was a surprise to many and democrats now believe that they can use that
tea party
status to paint her as a bit more extreme, and that may help
harry reid
who, for much of this year, has been trailing just about any republican he was lined up in polls. so that really sets up democrats to have a whole new conversation in the months ahead. one of those incumbents that they're talking about,
barbara boxer
, republicans are really setting their sights on her now, and of course,
harry reid
will remain one of the vulnerable names and one of the people we watch closely in the months ahead.
>>
kelly
o'donnell in
little rock
for us this morning, thanks
“ ”