Some winners and losers in Tuesday's races

Winners include:

• Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) who defeated the state's lieutenant governor, Bill Halter, by five percentage points, overcoming a multimillion-dollar campaign by national unions and liberal interest groups to oust her. Her win is a confidence booster for centrist Democrats.
• Nikki Haley (R- SC State Rep.) who trounced three prominent Republican rivals in her bid for the Republican gubernatorial slot by tapping into populist anger and libertarian rhetoric. Though facing a runoff with Rep. Gresham Barrett, scheduled to take place in two weeks, Haley is the presumed Republican nominee. Faced with accusations of infidelity late into her campaign, Haley denied the allegations and received kudos for her dignity, determination and confidence.
• Sharron Angle - backed buy the Tea Party movement, she topped former state Republican Party chair Sue Lowden and businessman Danny Tarkanian for the right to challenge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November.

Losers include:

• Gov. Jim Gibbons - the Nevada Governor failed to convince Republican voters that he deserves a shot at a second term.
• Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) - failed to win yesterday's primary and must now compete in a runoff with Spartanburg prosecutor Trey Gowdy. If Gowdy wins the runoff, Inglis would be the third House incumbent to lose re-election this year.