12 Key Senate Races: Who Won, Who Lost

an Oct. 24 post, we looked at how the future of Medicare, Social Security and other programs for older Americans may well be shaped by the outcomes of 12 key races for seats in the U.S. Senate, all of which have been rated as tossups by RealClearPolitics or major news organizations, and in a Nov. 2 post we looked at how those races were playing out in the final days of the 2012 campaign.

Each entry in both posts included excerpts from - and links to - stories about these races by local and national news organizations. (For more background on the races, as well as links to the AARP Voters' Guide for each contest, see the Oct. 24 post.)

Here's a state-by-state rundown of who won and who lost on Nov. 6 - with the winner in bold - in each of the 12 key Senate races, with breakdowns of the 50-plus vote, where available, from exit polls. Democrats won 10 of the races; Republicans won two.

ARIZONA


Republican Jeff Flake, who's currently in the House of Representatives, defeated Democrat Richard Carmona, a physician and former U.S. Surgeon General in the Bush administration, in his bid to succeed Republican incumbent John Kyl, who's retiring.

Breakdown: Flake 50 percent, Carmona 45 percent. In exit polls, Flake carried voters age 50-64 by 51-39 percent and voters age 65+ by 62-36 percent.

CONNECTICUT

Democrat Chris Murphy, who's currently in the House of Representatives, defeated Republican Linda McMahon to fill the seat being vacated by independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, who's retiring.

Breakdown: Murphy 55 percent, McMahon 43 percent (with 88 percent of the vote counted). In exit polls, Murphy carried voters age 50-64 by 42-46 percent and voters age 65+ by 54-43 percent.

FLORIDA

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, the incumbent, turned back a challenge from Republican Rep. Connie Mack IV.

Breakdown: Nelson 55 percent, Mack 42 percent. In exit polls, Nelson carried voters age 50-64 by 55-43 percent and voters age 65+ by 50-48 percent.

INDIANA

Democrat Joe Donnelly, who's currently in the House, defeated Republican Richard Mourdock, the state's treasurer, in his bid for the seat of outgoing Sen. Richard Lugar, whom Mourdock defeated in the GOP primary.

Breakdown: Donnelly 50 percent, Mourdock 44 percent. In exit polls, Mourdock carried voters age 50-64 by 48-47 percent and voters age 65+ by 55-42 percent.

MASSACHUSETTS

Democrat Elizabeth Warren, a law professor and consumer activist, unseated Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who won a special election in 2010 to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Breakdown: Warren 54 percent, Brown 46 percent (with 95 percent of the vote counted). In exit polls, Warren carried voters age 50-64 by 56-44 percent and voters age 65+ by 53-47 percent.