thebattalion
Democrat Republican Libertarian Green Party
● wednesday,
United States Senator 57.8% Ted Cruz 39.6% Paul Sandler 1.8% John Myers 0.8% David Collins United States
november 7, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
Obama 303
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
Romney 206
*Numbers reflect results at time of press. Electoral votes from Florida were not counted.
Nation decides
Representative, District 17
81.2% Bill Flores 18.8% Ben Easton Railroad Commissioner (Unexpired Term) 75.4% Barry
Smitherman
16.9%
Jaime O. Perez
7.7% Josh Wendel Justice Supreme Court, Place 2 80% Don Willett Roberto
20% Koelsch
Justice Supreme Court, Place 4 76.4% John Devine 15.8% Tom Oxford 7.8%
Charles Waterbury
Justice Supreme Court, Place 6 55.3% Nathan Hecht 40.6% Michele Petty 2.8% Mark Ash 1.2% Jim Chisholm Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals 56.9% Sharon Keller 40.1% Keith Hampton Robby Smith 3.0% Lance Stott The Battalion Judge, Court mericans elected another Obama of Criminal administration Tuesday. The Appeals, president claimed both the Place 7 popular vote and the Electoral College.
Compiled by Jessica Smarr, Sarah Gibson, Tanner Garza, David Cohen — THE BATTALION
Obama wins electoral vote, Romney concedes
A
Barbara
78.8% Hervey
21.2% Mark W. Bennett
State Board of Education, District 8 71.6%
Barloara Caryill
28.4% Dexter Smith
State Senate, District 5 Charles
78.5% Schwertner 21.5% Jeffrey Fox State Senate, District 12 56.9% Kyle Kacal 43.1% Robert Stern
Pg. 1-11.7.12.indd 1
At time of print, Obama had 303 of the 538 electoral votes to Romney’s 206. Electoral votes from Florida were not yet allocated. Obama’s success in winning battleground states led to his electoral lead.
He won Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, Iowa, New Hampshire, Colorado and Nevada, seven of the nine battlegrounds. The Romney-Ryan campaign and their supporters poured nearly $1 billion into these states with dueling television commercials. Romney failed to win Massachusetts where he served as governor from 2003 to 2007. Of the battleground states, Romney won North Carolina. Justin Carpenter, senior political science major and program director for Aggie Democrats, said he watched results come in to the local precinct office. “I and another girl were involved with the Judy
State decisions ◗ Voters a continent apart made history Tuesday on two divisive social issues, with Maine becoming the first state to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote and Washington state becoming the first to legalize recreational use of marijuana. ◗ Colorado voters also voted to legalize marijuana.
See Election on page 4
student bonfire
election 2012
Stack shifts begin, inspire camaraderie
Democrats maintain control of Senate
Luz Moreno-Lozano The Battalion More than a century ago, a few Aggies gathered barn wood and garbage to burn what would become Aggie Bonfire. Though no longer a school-sanctioned tradition, hundreds of students continue to join every year in the camaraderie and construction of the offcampus student bonfire. After 12 students were killed in the bonfire collapse in 1999, the University refused to recognize the tradition and students were forced to take it off campus.
Thirteen years later, in the wake of a conference transition and renewal of old rivalries, student bonfire continues its purpose of unity and camaraderie among those who participate. “I first started bonfire when I lived in the dorms on campus,” said Dan Jatem, senior industrial engineering major. “As the season went on I had a lot of fun, created strong bonds with my crew and continue to enjoy it.” The bonfire stack is traditionally topped with a burnt-orange, “t.u. See Stack on page 2
Democrats secured a majority in the Senate on Tuesday, snatching Republican-held seats in Massachusetts and Indiana and turning back fierce, expensive challenges in Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin and Connecticut to maintain the control they’ve held since 2007. With a third of the Senate up for election, Republicans were undone by candidate stumbles. GOP hopefuls in Missouri and Indiana uttered clumsy statements about rape and abortion that severely damaged their chances and the party’s hopes of taking over. The losses of Senate seats in
Massachusetts and Indiana, combined with independent Angus King’s victory in the Republican-held Maine seat, put the GOP too far down in their already uphill climb. Democrats held open seats in Virginia, Wisconsin and New Mexico, and were leading in North Dakota shortly after midnight. The only pickup for the Republicans was Nebraska, where Deb Fischer denied former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey’s bid to return to the Capitol. Democrats, once on the wrong side of the political math with 23 See Senate on page 3
11/7/12 1:24 AM