Election Day

A handful of off-year elections is grabbing attention and leading the U.S. populace to wonder just what the final results will mean in the bigger picture.

Gubernatorial elections are being contested in New Jersey and Virginia. Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is in a tight race to keep power in Trenton while Republican Bob McDonnell is a strong favorite to end two terms of Democratic Party stay in the Virginia Executive Mansion.

There is a House of Representatives' seat up for grabs in New York. Republican Party candidate Dede Scozzafava under fire for being well left of where many activists wanted a Republican candidate to be, suspended her campaign and, as if to prove her detractors right, endorsed the Democrat in the race.

But it is the Conservative candidate who is leading the polls. Doug Hoffman, who pulled many key national conservative endorsements even when Scozzafava was in the race, is ahead of Democrat Bill Owens.

Whoever wins these races will be seen as a bellwether for the 2010 races and perhaps give an idea as to the Democrats' chances to keep their current hold on power.