Updated at 10:30 p.m. ET
CNN projects that former WWE CEO Linda McMahon will lose her bid for a Senate seat, while Rick Boucher, (D-Va.) chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee, will lose that seat to Republican Morgan Griffith.
McMahon spent a reported $40-plus million to win the seat left vacant by the exit of Senator Chris Dodd, but the most recent Quinnipiac poll had her down by almost 10 percentage points to her opponent, Richard Blumenthal.
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper asked whether how WWE "treated its employees" (the issue was providing healthcare to its wrestlers) played a role in her loss. Democratic analyst Paul Begala said he thought it had.
Boucher appeared to have a comfortable lead in the polls up until only a few weeks ago, but according to the latest SurveyUSA poll, independents broke for Griffith in the last days of the campaign.
Boucher has been a fixture in the House for well over two decades, and has been a strong voice for broadcaster interests, including trying to ensure that any FCC reclamation of spectrum from broadcasters be voluntary.
His race appeared to be a dead heat coming into Tuesday.
With Rep. Boucher's loss, Congress loses one of
its most knowledgeable on communications and tech issues," tweeted
Ross Lieberman, VP of government affairs for the American Cable Association.
"Tonight the Congress has lost one of its most
intelligent and tech-savvy members," said Public Knowledge President Gigi
Sohn. "Rick Boucher has been one of the most moderate and thoughtful
voices on communications and intellectual property policy. It has been a great
honor and pleasure working closely with him over these past nine years,
and I hope to have the opportunity to do so again in the future."
At press time, it did not look to be a good night for female former CEO's in the communications/computer industries. Meg Whitman, former CEO at eBay is running for California governor, and Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO is running for the Senate seat in that state.
Polls were still open in California, so no projections were being made, but according to a SurveyUSA poll, Whitman trailed her opponent, former governor Jerry Brown, by 11 percentage points Tuesday.
In the same poll, Fiorina trailed incumbent Barbara Boxer 38% to 45%.
