The first test of the Obama administration and the governing Democrats’ popularity came on Tuesday, 4 November 2009. The governorships of New Jersey and Virginia were being contested and there was a special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District to replace Republican Congressman, John McHugh, who had accepted the post of secretary of the army in the Obama administration. The separation of powers prevents an individual serving in both the legislative and executive branches at the same time, so McHugh had resigned his seat.
The significance of these elections should not be exaggerated. They were fought on state and district issues, personalities and national concerns. Turnout levels were relatively low. Nonetheless, they reveal some trends and have set the stage for the mid-term elections in November 2010, when all of the House of Representatives, a third of the Senate, and 37 governorships are being contested.
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