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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.

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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.



MISSOURI

Democrat Claire McCaskill, the incumbent, turned back a challenge from Republican Rep. Todd Akin.

Breakdown: McCaskill 55 percent, Akin 39 percent (with 95 percent of the vote counted). In exit polls, McCaskill carried voters age 50-64 by 51-43 percent; Akin carried voters age 65+ by 53-40 percent.


MONTANA

Democrat Jon Tester, the incumbent, turned back a challenge from Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg.

Breakdown: Tester 49 percent, Rehberg 43 percent (with 83 percent of the vote counted). In exit polls, Tester carried voters age 50-64 by 52-46 percent; Tester and Rehberg tied among voters age 65+ by 49-49 percent.

NEVADA

Republican Dean Heller, a former House member who was appointed to replace Sen. John Ensign after the latter's resignation, turned back a challenge from Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley.

Breakdown: Heller 46 percent, Ensign 45 percent. In exit polls, Heller carried voters age 50-64 by 49-41 percent and voters age 65+ by 53-40 percent.

NORTH DAKOTA

Democrat Heidi Heitkamp, a former state attorney general, defeated Republican Rep. Rick Berg in the contest to succeed Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad, who's retiring.

Breakdown: Heitkamp 51 percent, Berg 50 percent (totals rounded). Age breakdowns from exit polls aren't available for North Dakota.

OHIO

Democrat Sherrod Brown, the incumbent, turned back a challenge from Republican Josh Mandel, the state's treasurer.

Breakdown: Brown 50 percent, Mandel 45 percent. In exit polls, Brown carried voters age 50-64 by 51-45 percent; Mandel carried voters age 65+ by 52-46 percent.

VIRGINIA

Democrat Tim Kaine, a former governor, defeated Republican George Allen, also a former governor, for the Senate seat that Allen lost narrowly in 2006 to Democratic Sen. James Webb, who decided to retire after one term.

Breakdown: Kaine 52 percent, Allen 48  percent. In exit polls, Allen carried voters age 50-64 by 52-48 percent and voters age 65+ by 51-49 percent.

WISCONSIN

Democrat Tammy Baldwin, who's currently in the House of Representatives, defeated former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, who served in the George W. Bush administration as Secretary of Health and Human Services, for the seat of Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl, who's retiring.

Breakdown: Baldwin 52 percent, Thompson 46 percent. In exit polls, Baldwin carried voters age 50-64 by 51-46; Thompson carried voters age 65+ by 50-48 percent.

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