Election 2014: Results for Princeton Alumni Candidates

The GOP dominated the midterm election results, which was good news for at least one Princetonian: Republican Ken Buck ’81, the district attorney for Colorado’s Weld County, will head to Washington, D.C., as a freshman representative from the state’s 4th district, the Denver Postreported. Buck ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 2010 and lost narrowly in the statewide election, but voters in his home district backed him this fall with more than 65 percent of votes cast in his favor.

Other alumni challengers did not fare as well. Greg Orman ’91, running for Senate as an independent in Kansas, lost in a tight race to incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Roberts. Orman gave Roberts “the strongest challenge of his three-decade congressional career,” according to The Wichita Eagle.

Republican Nan Hayworth ’81, a former congresswoman attempting to regain her seat in New York’s Hudson Valley, trailed incumbent Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney — but as of Wednesday morning, she had not yet conceded, according to The Journal News. (Update: Hayworth did concede Wednesday afternoon.) Paul Clements *92 *96, D-Mich., won 40 percent of the vote in his state’s 6th district but could not unseat Republican Rep. Fred Upton. Republican Peter Theron ’78 won 31 percent of the vote in Wisconsin’s 2nd district and fell to incumbent Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan.

All six alumni congressional incumbents on the November ballot will return to Washington. Sen. Jeff Merkley *82, D-Ore.,won 58 percent of votes cast in his state and was able to “cement his political standing,”The Oregonian said. Republican Rep. Leonard Lance *82 (N.J. 7th district) and Democratic representatives Derek Kilmer ’96 (Wash. 6th), Jared Polis ’96 (Colo. 2nd), and John Sarbanes ’84 (Md. 3rd) each won handily. Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell ’86 was unopposed in the general election for Alabama’s 7th district.

Alumni also had success at the state and local levels. Democrat Nellie Gorbea ’88 became the first Latina to win statewide office in New England, according to the Providence Journal, when she captured the race for Rhode Island’s secretary of state.

Republican Dan Schwartz ’72 will be the new treasurer of Nevada, according to the Nevada Appeal. In Austin, Texas, Democrat Steve Adler ’78 led an eight-candidate mayoral field but did not earn enough votes to avoid a runoff, KXAN television reported. The city will go back to the polls in December to choose between Adler and his top rival, Mike Martinez.

Other alumni victors on Tuesday included state representatives, senators, or delegates: Della au Belatti ’96, D-Hawaii; Bill Botzow ’68, D-Vt.; William Doyle ’49, R-Vt.; Andrew Fleischmann ’86, D-Conn.; L. Scott Frantz ’82, R-Conn.; Brian Hoven ’63, R-Mont.; Brian Kavanagh ’89, D-N.Y.; Herman Quirmbach *83, D-Iowa; Dana Stein *85, D-Md.; Jimmy Tarlau ’70, D-Md.; andMary Throne ’82, D-Wyo.

UPDATE, Nov. 6, 10:50 a.m.: Ken Simpler ’89 was elected treasurer for the state of Delaware. He was the first non-incumbent Republican elected to statewide office since 1994, according to The News Journal.

UPDATE, Nov. 10, 11:27 a.m.: Seattle-area Democrat Brady Walkinshaw ’06 won election to the Washington state legislature. He was unopposed in the general election, according to the Associated Press.