In Michigan today, Republicans are waking up with quite an electoral hangover.  Election Day 2008 provided historic victories for Democratic candidates at all levels of government from President to Michigan Supreme Court--many at the expense of GOP incumbents. 

For Republicans, the election-night tsunami began with President-elect Obama's overwhelming victory with over 57% of the vote.  In fact, early analysis indicates Obama won 46 of 83 counties including some by almost 3-1 margins.  This large victory provided huge momentum down-ballot as Obama's coat-tails pulled several Democratic candidates along to victory.

In State House races, this effect was perhaps most pronounced.  Of the 13 'toss up' seats (GOP currently holds 11, Democrats 2), House Democrats padded their majority by adding 9 current GOP-held seats.  What is most troubling for Republicans is that many of these 'pickups' occurred in traditional GOP-leaning territory such as Grosse Pointe, Oakland county, northern Macomb county, and Ionia.  The House Democrats will now enjoy a 63-47 majority--their largest majority in 30 years.  This also marks the third straight election in which Democrats have made gains in the State House.

Of further political note is Speaker Dillon's defeat of a recall attempt on the November ballot.  The anti-tax group, Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, went through a complicated and expensive process to place a recall on the ballot to punish the Speaker for last year's tax increase votes.  The recall was soundly defeated yesterday and the Speaker was elected to another 2-year term--his last.

On the congressional side, the news was even better for Democrats where their candidates beat 2 Republican incumbents--Joe Knollenberg in the 9th District and Tim Walberg in the 7th.  Former Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters now assumes the 9th district seat and current State Senator Mark Schauer will take over in the 7th.  This now restores the Democrat majority in Michigan's congressional delegation 8-7.

In perhaps the biggest surprise of the night, Chief Supreme Court Justice Cliff Taylor was defeated by challenger Dianne Hathaway.  This is the first time an incumbent Justice has been defeated since 1984.  It also marks the defeat of the court's current 4-3 conservative majority.  Many business groups supported Justice Taylor fearing his defeat would open the floodgates to many anti-business court decisions.

Again riding the Obama wave, Democratic candidates won every statewide election for the various education boards.  These seats include Wayne State University, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and State Board of Education.  Of the 8 education seats up for election this year, 7 were held by Democrats.  The lone GOP incumbent, Scott Romney on the MSU Bd. of Trustees, lost.

In other noteworthy election news, the state's two ballot proposals (approving medical marijuana and stem cell research) easily passed despite opposition by conservative groups, law enforcement, and health professionals.  Michigan now becomes the 13th state in the nation to legalize some form of marijuana use for medicinal purposes (other states include Alaska, Calif., Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington).  Further, Michigan becomes the 9th state in the union to expressly permit embryonic stem cell  research (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York).

With the 2008 election now history, all eyes now turn toward 2010 and the race for Governor.  Let the political posturing...errr....process begin.