Massachusetts Senate Seat Goes To Little Known Republican

The NY Times reports that Scott Brown, a little-known Republican state senator, rode to an extraordinary upset Tuesday night when he was elected to fill the Senate seat that was long held by Edward M. Kennedy in the overwhelmingly Democratic state of Massachusetts.

Brown defeated Martha Coakley by a decisive margin. Coakley, the state's attorney general, had been considered a favorite just over a month ago, after she easily won the Democratic primary. With all precincts counted, Brown had 52% of the vote to Ms. Coakley's 47%.

"Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken," Brown told his cheering supporters in a victory speech, standing in front of a backdrop that said "The People's Seat." The election left Democrats in Congress scrambling to salvage a bill overhauling the nation's health care system, which the late Ed Kennedy had called "the cause of my life."

Brown has vowed to oppose the bill, and once he takes office the Democrats will no longer control the 60 votes in the Senate needed to overcome filibusters. There were immediate signs that the bill had become imperiled. House members indicated they would not quickly pass the bill the Senate approved last month.