DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS DEFEATED REPUBLICAN NOMINEE MITT ROMNEY IN PENNSYLVANIA AND WON THE STATE'S 20 ELECTORAL VOTES.  HIS WIN EXTENDS THE STATE'S STREAK OF SUPPORTING DEMOCRATS TO SIX ELECTIONS.  NO DEMOCRAT HAS WON THE WHITE HOUSE WITHOUT PENNSYLVANIA IN 64 YEARS.  OBAMA'S VICTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA WAS HIS SECOND STRAIGHT, HE BEAT REPUBLICAN JOHN MCCAIN IN 2008 BY 10 PERCENTAGE POINTS.

  DEMOCRATS WON ALL STATEWIDE RACES IN PENNSYLVANIA, INCLUDING THE SENATE RACE.  BOB CASEY SAYS HE REALIZES HIS SECOND TERM BEGINS WITH A LOT OF PENNSYLVANIA FAMILIES STRUGGLING AND SACRIFICING.  "WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE BEGIN A NEW CONGRESS AND DEAL WITH THE ISSUES OF THE ECONOMY, JOB CREATION AND GETTING OUR FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER THAT WE REMEMBER THOSE FAMILIES," CASEY TOLD SUPPORTERS TUESDAY NIGHT.  CASEY WON RE-ELECTION BY A COMFORTABLE MARGIN OF ABOUT NINE POINTS OVER REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TOM SMITH.

  REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN CHARLIE DENT WILL REPRESENT THE 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.  DENT DEFEATED DEMOCRAT RICK DAUGHERTY BY ABOUT 39,000 VOTES TO WIN A FIFTH TERM AND SAYS HE WILL WORK TO MAKE LIFE EASIER AND BETTER FOR BUSINESS OWNERS.  "WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS REGULATORY ASSAULT ON MUCH OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THIS COUNTRY.  A GUARANTEE YOU THAT I'M GOING TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO UNSHACKLE THE PRIVATE SECTOR SO IT CAN CREATE THE JOBS WE NEED.  IT MUST HAPPEN," DENT TOLD SUPPORTERS.  DENT WON WITH 57 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.

  THE LEHIGH VALLEY HAS A NEW CONGRESSMAN.  LACKAWANNA COUNTY ATTORNEY MATT CARTWRIGHT HAS WON THE RECONFIGURED 17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH RUNS FROM NORTHAMPTON COUNTY ALL THE WAY UP TO SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE.  EVENTHOUGH HE HAS NO TIES TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY, CARTWRIGHT SAYS HE WON'T VOTERS THERE.  "NO MATTER HOW RIDICULOUS THIS DISTRICT IS, NO MATTER HOW ABSURD IT IS THAT THEY SPLIT UP THE LEHIGH VALLEY THE WAY THEY DID, YOUR NEW CONGRESSMAN WILL NOT FORGET YOU IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY," CARTWRIGHT TOLD SUPPORTERS AT A VICTORY PARTY.  CARTWRIGHT EASILY DEFEATED OLD FORGE NURSE AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER LAUREEN CUMMINGS BY A 54,000 VOTE MARGIN.

  LOCAL STATE HOUSE WINNERS IN CONTESTED RACES INCLUDE JUSTIN SIMMONS IN THE 131ST DISTRICT, DANIEL McNEILL IN THE 133RD, RYAN MACKENZIE IN THE 134TH, STEVE SAMUELSON IN THE 135TH DISTRICT, JOE EMRICK IN THE 137TH, MARCIA HAHN IN THE 138TH DISTRICT AND GARY DAY IN THE 187TH HOUSE DISTRICT.

  PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS APPEAR LIKELY TO LAUNCH A NEW SESSION IN HARRISBURG NEXT YEAR WITH BOTH CHAMBERS REMAINING UNDER REPUBLICAN MAJORITY CONTROL, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL FAMILIAR FACES WON'T BE RETURNING.  DEMOCRATS PICKED UP REPUBLICAN SENATE SEATS IN ERIE, PITTSBURGH AND HARRISBURG.  VOTERS FLIPPED AT LEAST ONE HOUSE SEAT, ELECTING A REPUBLICAN TO A CLEARFIELD COUNTY HOUSE SEAT VACATED BY RETIRING VETERAN DEMOCRATIC REP. BUD GEORGE.  IN THE FIVE UNCALLED RACES, THREE INCUMBENT REPUBLICANS ARE TRAILING AND TWO HOLD NARROW LEADS.  THE HOUSE HAS BEEN IN GOP HANDS, ENDING THE CURRENT TWO-YEAR SESSION WITH A 111-TO-92 MARGIN.  THE SENATE HAS BEEN AT 30-TO-20, SO THE MARGIN NEXT YEAR WILL DROP TO 27-23.

    KATHLEEN KANE HAS LED A DEMOCRATIC SWEEP OF PENNSYLVANIA THREE STATEWIDE "ROW OFFICES."  SHE BECAME THE FIRST DEMOCRAT AND THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTED AS STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SHE SNAPPED A CHAIN OF GOP SUCCESSION THAT HAD GONE UNBROKEN SINCE THE POST BECAME AN ELECTIVE OFFICE IN 1980.  KANE BEAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DAVID FREED, 56 PERCENT TO 41 PERCENT.

  DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENT ROB MCCORD HAS BEEN ELECTED TO A SECOND FOUR-YEAR TERM AS PENNSYLVANIA STATE TREASURER.  HE DEFEATED REPUBLICAN DIANA IREY VAUGHAN, A COUNTY COMMISSIONER FROM WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.  THE 53-YEAR-OLD MCCORD IS A FORMER VENTURE CAPITALIST FROM BRYN MAWR.  THE 50-YEAR-OLD VAUGHAN HAS BEEN A WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER SINCE 1995. 

  EUGENE DEPASQUALE, A DEMOCRATIC STATE LEGISLATOR FROM YORK COUNTY, HAS WON A THREE-WAY RACE FOR STATE AUDITOR GENERAL.  THE 41-YEAR-OLD DEPASQUALE SERVED AS A DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THE RENDELL ADMINISTRATION.  HIS OPPONENTS WERE REPUBLICAN JOHN MAHER AND LIBERTARIAN PARTY CANDIDATE BETSY SUMMERS.

  PENNSYLVANIA WAS THE SCENE OF WHAT A STATE COMMON CAUSE OFFICIAL CALLED "WIDESPREAD" CONFUSION OVER VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS.  THE STATE THIS YEAR ENACTED A NEW PHOTO ID REQUIREMENT BUT IT WAS PUT ON HOLD FOR YESTERDAY'S ELECTION BY A JUDGE AMID CONCERN MANY VOTERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLY IN TIME.  BARRY KAUFFMAN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMON CAUSE IN PENNSYLVANIA, SAYS ELECTION WORKERS IN MANY PLACES WERE DEMANDING IDS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED.  IT WAS UNCLEAR, HOWEVER, JUST HOW MANY VOTERS MAY HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY OR DISCOURAGED.

  A ZIONSVILLE MAN IS DEAD AFTER A TUESDAY AFTERNOON ACCIDENT IN UPPER MILFORD TOWNSHIP.  59-YEAR-OLD THEODORE BRENT WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SECNE OF THE CRASH, WHICH HAPPENED JUST AFTER 4 O'CLOCK ON VERA CRUZ ROAD.  POLICE SAY BRENT'S CAR LEFT THE ROAD AND SLAMMED INTO A UTILITY POLE.

  A MAN CHARGED IN THE STABBING DEATHS OF AN ELDERLY LEHIGH COUNTY WOMAN AND HER MENTALLY DISABLED DAUGHTER LAST SPRING IS SEEKING A NEW PRELIMINARY HEARING.  28-YEAR-OLD BRANDIN KASICK HAS TOLD A LEHIGH COUNTY JUDGE YESTERDAY THAT HE WAIVED HIS EARLIER HEARING BECAUSE HIS FORMER ATTORNEY TOLD HIM THAT PROSECUTORS WOULDN'T SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY..  PROSECUTORS DENY HAVING MADE THAT OFFER, SAYING THEY OFFERED TO CONSIDER TAKING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT OFF THE TABLE ONLY IF KASICK PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, WHICH WOULD MEAN AN AUTOMATIC LIFE TERM WITHOUT PAROLE.  JUDGE KELLY BANACH IS EXPECTED TO RULE ON THE MOTION BY THE END OF JANUARY BEFORE KASICK'S TRIAL IN THE MARCH 11 SLAYINGS OF 82-YEAR-OLD ALTHEA WALBERT AND HER 59-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER JEANNETTE IN ALBURTIS.

  COACH ANDY REID SAYS HE STILL BELIEVES THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES CAN TURN THEIR SEASON AROUND.  REID SAYS THE EAGLES ARE ONLY "OFF A LITTLE BIT" AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING A "FEW THINGS TIGHTENED UP."  REID ALSO SAYS HE'S NOT WORRIED ABOUT OWNER JEFFREY LURIE'S PRESEASON DECREE THAT THE EAGLES NEED TO WIN BIG THIS SEASON TO SAVE THE COACH'S JOB.  THE DISAPPOINTING EAGLES WON THE FINAL FOUR GAMES OF LAST SEASON TO FINISH 8-8 AND GAVE LURIE A REASON TO GRANT REID ANOTHER SEASON.