Election results

Republicans won two U.S. gubernatorial races but a New York Democrat claimed a House of Representatives seat the party hadn't held in 150 years.

Bob McDonnell's gubernatorial win Tuesday in Virginia was expected, although perhaps not by the 18-percentage-point margin, but the loss by Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey, despite strong White House support, was an upset.

McDonnell is the first Republican governor in Virginia in eight years while Chris Christie becomes the first elected GOP governor of New Jersey since Christie Todd Whitman left the post in January 2001.

Exit polling suggested a poor economy, an issue that generally hampers the incumbent party, played a key role in those campaigns although there were voters who said they were using their ballots to protest polices of U.S. President Barack Obama.

The New York vote was different. The Republican candidate was seen by many as too liberal and she withdrew last week -- somewhat proving the point against her by endorsing Democrat Bill Owens. Conservative Doug Hoffman was the right's candidate of choice but lost 49 percent to 46 percent. The seat is up for grabs again in 2010.

The last previous Democrat elected to represent that part of New York was Frances Spinner, who served in the House from 1855 to 1857.