Republicans won at least 226 seats, up from the 223 they had going into the elections.

CNN: Gephardt considers future

Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt chaired the committee going into the 2000 elections.

ECONOMIST: Kerry Allies to Shape Party Platform

While the Republicans hold a 55-45 seat advantage in the United States Senate going into the November elections, 18 Democratic seats and only 16 GOP Senate seats are up this year.

CNN: Senate Overview

The pragmatic politician understands that going into the congressional elections in November, he has to convince the US public that he is a reliable ally for Israel and that he is credible on Iran.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The new, improved Obama

In either case, Republicans will have (1) driven the debate for the next two years, (2) developed a strong brand going into the 2014 elections, and (3) send a strong message to the markets they will get government spending under control.

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But how does the current campaign differ from the campaign going into the May 6 elections?

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