The Democratic Party regained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate by defeating Republican incumbents in every region of the country.

On Thursday, November 9, 2006 the Associated Press announced that Jim Webb defeated George Allen, to gain the last Democratic seat needed to control of the Senate.

This shift of power to Democrats will force President Bush to work with the opposing party in his decision making throughout his final two years in office.

Shortly following election results on November 9, the American public was surprised to learn that Donald Rumsfeld had resigned as Secretary of Defense. In his press conference, Bush said, “Now, after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the timing is right for new leadership at the Pentagon.”

Former CIA Director Robert Gates is accepting this important position in an attempt to get a fresh approach to the war in Iraq. Many political analysts believe that this change was made due to the increasing unpopularity of the war in Iraq. The decision to remove Rumsfeld is seen as Bush’s attempt to have a new approach to his strategy in Iraq and help gain public support.

The Democratic Party has made it clear to citizens that they will use their power to help bring troops home from Iraq as soon as possible. The high voter turnout is due in large part to America’s concern and disappointment over the Bush administration’s part in the war. The new Democratic seat-holders are expected to challenge the administration on the war and questionable domestic policies.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California will become the first female Speaker of the House. In a recent speech she made it clear to the public that the Democratic Party’s main issue is ending the war in Iraq. The AP reported Pelosi saying, “We cannot continue down this catastrophic path. And so we say to the president, ‘Mr. President, we need a new direction in Iraq. Let us work together to find a solution to the war.’”

Many Republicans believe that the upheaval in Congress has been caused not only by the current administration, but also by corruption and questionable scandals facing many Republican seat holders. In the Washington Post article “A Voter Rebuke for Bush, the War and the Right,” staff writer Peter Baker quotes former Republican representative Vin Weber of Minnesota, an advisor to GOP leaders and the White House. Weber remarks, “Republicans should have been more diligent in locating instances of individual corruption and handled those appropriately, we did not need to lose all those seats.”

The shift in power was felt in Maryland’s elections as well. The Democratic Party won all seats including Democrat Martin O’Malley over Republican incumbent Robert Ehrlich.

O’ Malley has promised that he will immediately give four hundred million dollars towards school renovations and construction.

What this means to students and teens throughout the state is that Maryland now has a more liberal government focused on improvements to schools. The recent elections have encouraged young people to go out and vote when they are eligible in the next few years.

Teens are aware that their votes can help the

country with important issues such as bringing our troops home and getting laws approved that will make our society better.

AP United States History and NSL Government teacher Joseph Sangillo provided his thoughts on the effect the election has had on GHS students saying, “Regardless of political affiliation, one positive result of the election was many GHS students became engaged with the candidates and issues. Many of my NSL students started to pay attention to politics for the very first time-a joy for any social studies teacher. It will be interesting to watch how the new balance of power in Washington will shape policy decisions, foreign and domestic, and the 2008 presidential election.”

GHS who voted had mixed emotions about the election results. Senior Joel Gardner said, “The outcome of the elections was disappointing because I voted for all Republicans. It kind of makes me feel bad because my vote didn’t really make a difference in the overwhelming outcome. I am glad I voted, though, it was a pretty exciting experience.”

Senior Niels Lyyke said, “I thought the outcome reflected what most people wanted to see, a change in our government. I think the Democratic Party controlling both houses will make a lot of people happy.”