Perry among nation's 10 biggest midterm election winners - Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama got change he hadn't hoped for in the midterm elections. Republicans swept to power in the House of Representatives, slashed the Democratic majority in the Senate and made significant gains in state capitals.

Here are 10 of this year's biggest winners — and losers - among the nation's elected officials:

John Boehner

Pundits and liberals like to make fun of his perpetual tan and his golf and fine wine, but this Ohio conservative with a blue-collar upbringing will finally realize his dream of becoming House speaker.

Haley Barbour

The Mississippi governor, a self-described fat, white, middle-aged good ole boy from Yazoo City, proved a wily strategist and prolific fundraiser as he helped Republicans gain about eight governorships and some 20 state legislative chambers. That puts the GOP in strong position as states tackle redistricting following the 2010 census. It won't hurt his presidential prospects, either.

Pete Sessions

The low-profile conservative from Dallas is getting kudos for his work as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, where his recruiting and fundraising helped the GOP gain more than 60 seats in the biggest midterm rout since 1938.

Marco Rubio

Expectations are high for this very charismatic, very conservative former Florida House speaker who's headed for the U.S. Senate. He became a hero of the right when he scared centrist GOP governor Charlie Crist out of the Republican primary and then trounced him in the general election.

Rand Paul

This Kentucky eye surgeon rocked the Republican establishment when he swept to the GOP Senate nomination with the help of the grass-roots tea party movement. He followed it up with a massive general election win over a well-funded Democrat. His bold declaration that "we've come to take our government back" reverberated from the Potomac to the Pacific.

Rick Perry

He's not running for president. He's not running for president. That's what he says. Again and again. So why is the tough-talking Texas governor on a post-election national victory lap after routing Democrat Bill White? He says he's selling a new book. He's also selling himself as a leader of the anti-Washington movement.

Barbara Boxer

Targeted for defeat by Republicans, conservative groups, the business community and free-spending, secretly funded organizations, California's outspoken liberal senator won a surprisingly big re-election win. And she's still chair of the Senate's environment committee, where she can continue to torment corporate America and anti-regulation conservatives.

Terry Branstad

The once-and-future Iowa governor immediately jumps to the top of the list of influential governors (well, right behind Haley Barbour). The reason: His endorsement is pure political gold in the first-in-the-nation Iowa presidential caucuses. How are you, Sarah?

Kelly Ayotte

This freshman Republican senator will be one of the most popular - and powerful - newcomers on Capitol Hill. Did we tell you she's from New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation primary? That can make you friends in a hurry.

Harry Reid

The winner of the Survivor: Endangered Democrats edition. He's the only Democrat left on the island. But he's still feisty and ready for the next fight.

Barack Obama

His agenda is in tatters and his leverage on Capitol Hill is significantly weakened.

Nancy Pelosi

The most powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill is about to become a member of the oppressed minority.

Meg Whitman

Spend $150 million or so and what do you get? A second-place finish for California governor. A landslide defeat. Not much return on investment for the ex-eBay CEO.

Charlie Crist

In 2008, the Florida governor was talked about as a vice presidential prospect. Now he's about as welcome in the Republican Party as a skunk at a tea party. Running as an Independent for Senate, he didn't even carry Independent voters against Republican Marco Rubio.

John Spratt

How the mighty have fallen. A year ago, the House Budget Committee chair from South Carolina was helping to write the economic stimulus bill designed to create millions of jobs across the country. Now he's looking for a job.

Solomon Ortiz

He was so sure he was going to win re-election that the 14-term Democratic congressman from Corpus Christi spent little money and did only a modest amount of campaigning. Then the ballots were counted and he lost by 799 votes. Surprise!

Jim Oberstar

Like Ortiz, this veteran House member from Minnesota, chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, thought he had a job for life. His political life ended on Tuesday.

Mike Castle

He's only the most popular politician in his state, a candidate who hadn't lost an election in four decades. But 2010 was no normal year. And this moderate Republican was defeated in a Republican primary by tea party favorite Christine O'Donnell, who later became the first candidate in American history to begin a commercial, "I'm not a witch."

Carl Paladino

His slogan was "I'm mad," but some New York voters didn't think that this Buffalo businessman was just angry. After sweeping to the Republican gubernatorial nomination, he blustered and bumbled his way to a monumental defeat against an insider's insider in a pro-outsider year.

Blanche Lincoln

She narrowly survived a Democratic primary challenge, but Arkansas' senior senator might have saved her dignity by losing then. Instead, the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee was routed in the general election by Rep. John Boozman.

richard.dunham@chron.com

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