Elizabeth Warren elected to Senate

Democrat Elizabeth Warren has won the race for Massachusetts Senate, according to election projections from multiple news sources, defeating Sen. Scott Brown (R) in one of the most closely watched races in the nation.

The high-profile race pitted Democratic darling Warren against popular incumbent Brown in a match-up that brought national attention.

Warren, a Harvard professor and consumer advocate, ran on a pledge to fight for the middle class against big business and special interests.

Brown, who won a 2010 special election for deceased Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D) seat, framed himself as a beer-drinking, truck-driving everyman running for Massachusetts.

In a state as blue as Massachusetts, which President Obama is projected to win as well on Tuesday night, Brown's best hope lied in convincing voters of his bipartisan bona fides, and he frequently referenced his moderate voting record and work with Obama to drive the message home.

But Warren worked to frame a vote for Brown as a vote for a Republican majority in the Senate, an unpopular prospect in Massachusetts, and it seems that Brown was ultimately unable to outrun his party.

Both candidates agreed to ban outside money from the race, though outside groups were able to have a slight influence through mailings and on-the-ground organizing efforts. But the lack of outside money did not engender a cash-poor race: Warren raised more than $40 million for the cycle, with $12 million coming in in the third quarter alone, while Brown raised more than $26 million for his bid.

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