Elections

President-elect Barack Obama announced Monday that Robert Gates would remain as defense secretary, making President George W. Bush's Pentagon chief his own as he fills his Cabinet at record speed. Obama also picked former campaign rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. Obama said the appointees "share my pragmatism about the use of power, and my sense of purpose about America's role as a leader in the world."

Sen. Ted Stevens' loss to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich moves Senate Democrats closer to a filibuster-proof majority.

But the Missouri secretary of state waits to receive official election results from some of the state's most populous jurisdictions.

Blaine Luetkemeyer, the 9th District U.S. Representative-elect, is in Washington, D.C., this week for Congressional orientation. But before he left, Luetkemeyer he shed light on some of his legislative priorities.

Constitution Party treasurer candidate Rodney Farthing got 2.4 percent of the vote in last week's election. Farthing did not win, but that's a large enough proportion to ensure the party a spot on Missouri's 2010 and 2012 ballots.

Barack Obama's victory shows how important the Hispanic vote is in presidential elections. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Obama received 67 percent of the Hispanic vote in the election. Click here for a graphic on voter turnout in Boone County.

Combined, Chris Kelly and Ed Robb raised nearly $400,000 — a record for the state for a Missouri House seat.

The secretary of state's office said Friday the ballot initiative repealing the loss limits took effect the day of the election. That came as a surprise to the Missouri Gaming Commission — and to casinos.

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan said she will ask the legislature next year to adopt early voting. Nationwide, an estimated one-third of voters cast ballots before Tuesday, which proponents said led to reduced lines and quicker vote counts.

Sixty-nine percent of registered Missouri voters turned out on Election Day, despite earlier projections from the Missouri secretary of state's office that projected a voter turnout of as high as 76 percent.

Areas around MU and downtown trended strongly Democratic, while southern and southwestern parts of the city voted heavily Republican.

In Perche Creek Cafe, two regulars were eating with friends and family: Tim Moloney, a landscaper, and Tom Forney, a retiree and homeowner in Rocheport. They spoke about their reactions to the presidential election.

With the election behind us, people in Columbia gave their opinion about the results.

Democrat Jay Nixon on Wednesday claimed a voter mandate for an "agenda of progress for Missouri," topped by reversing the 2005 Medicaid cuts, enacting a tuition-free college grant program and expanding job opportunities.

After locking in his seat in the General Assembly during the primaries, Stephen Webber helped other candidates with their final efforts.

Cathy Richards will replace Connie Hendren as Boone County's public administrator after defeating Republican candidate John Sullivan.

As Democrat Barack Obama assumes the position of president-elect in the U.S., many Missouri black leaders said this may open doors for a black politician to become a statewide elected official.

Missouri has never elected a black official to a statewide office.

From Paris to New Delhi to the beaches of Brazil, revelers said Obama's election made them feel more connected to America, and that America, after years of strained relations, seemed suddenly more connected to the world.

The exit poll showed how much the state's mood has changed since 2004. When President George W. Bush carried Missouri four years ago, slightly more than half of voters said the economy was good.