GOP ends 12 year losing streak in Nevada Senate race
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John Ensign
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(CNN) -- Former Republican Rep. John Ensign's victory tonight over Democratic trial attorney
Ed Bernstein
gives the GOP its first Nevada Senate seat since 1988.
Exit polls showed the top voter priority in this race to be tax cuts. Seven of ten voters in this faction went for Ensign.
He carried half of the state's union households. But he lost the Hispanic vote by a 2-1 margin to Bernstein.
More than half of those voters polled said nuclear waste in their state was a huge issue for them. But those voters seemed equally split between the two candidates.
Republicans viewed this seat as ripe for the picking after popular Democratic Senator Richard Bryan decided not to seek re-election.
Like so many other political campaigns this year, the two contenders dueled over differing plans for Social Security, education, taxes and prescription drugs.
The wealthy Bernstein took one busload of seniors to Mexico so they could buy their prescription drugs at a cheaper price.
Ensign held the lead in fund-raising in this race.
He had higher name recognition in this race after losing his first bid for the U.S. Senate by only 428 votes two years ago to Democratic Sen. Harry Reid.
Before this race, Bernstein was known from television advertisements for his law practice. After he threw his hat into the ring, Republicans were quick to point out he had represented mobsters and a brothel.
Ensign also said Bernstein didn't know enough about Nevada's problems.
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