No Clean Sweep for Senate Commerce Incumbents

“This morning, there are only a few small towns left outstanding and I hope these remaining votes are quickly recorded,” Hassan told supporters Wednesday morning. “When they are, we are confident that our margins are large enough that we will maintain a lead. It is clear that we have won, and I am proud to stand here as the next United States senator from New Hampshire.”

The final results show Hassan received 48 percent of the vote, compared with 47.9 for Ayotte. Hassan’s campaign initially said it was a margin of 716 and the New Hampshire secretary of state later certified a win by 1,023 votes. Ayotte’s Commerce Committee membership has been marked by a stringent focus on the equities of FCC USF funding and in bipartisan coordination on IoT policy.

Ayotte’s was one of many tough re-election bids for Commerce Committee Republicans. Other Commerce incumbents who won their races included Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., all active on telecom policy. Several other Senate Commerce members including Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., won re-election bids, too, largely as expected and by large margins. Ayotte’s loss would leave Republicans with a 51-seat Senate majority.

Hassan touted some telecom priorities as governor and as part of her Senate campaign. Her campaign's innovation agenda outlined a goal to expand broadband access, referring to her assistance to "launch the North Country Cell Service Initiative that combined public and private resources to help improve 4G cell and broadband service for communities in the North Country. In the Senate, Maggie will work to expand programs like this to help ensure that every business, home and community in New Hampshire can get connected." She would "work to protect the FCC’s decision" on net neutrality "and stand up to special interests and their allies who are seeking to block net neutrality," the campaign said, also blasting hidden fees on cellphone bills. In February, Hassan helped launch a broadband partnership known as the New Hampshire School Connectivity Initiative. Hassan "knows that we also need to update and advance other critical systems such as ... broadband infrastructure" and in the Senate, will fight to "expand broadband access," her campaign website said.

“There’s nothing like having good candidates,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., also chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, at a news conference Wednesday. “We wound up with the nominees that we needed. … Now it’s back to work.” Wicker said he doesn't expect any leadership changes outside the “welcome change” of a new NRSC chair.

“We kicked their tails last night,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., also chairman of the Communications Subcommittee vying to lead Commerce Committee Republicans next Congress (see 1607220053), at the same conference. He referred to “record historic majorities” that the two chambers achieved and said lawmakers are “ready to govern.”

“Our House majority is bigger than expected,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., during a different news conference Wednesday and citing recent conversations with President-elect Donald Trump and a potential forthcoming meeting, where he would coordinate on what should be achieved in the coming lame-duck session and next Congress. “We are already talking about getting our transitions working together.” He referred to ambitions of “lifting the oppressive weight of the regulatory state.” Ryan said he intends to run to be speaker again for the next Congress.

Members of House Commerce's Communications Subcommittee all easily won re-election. The only member not returning is Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., who lost her primary.

Several other telecom-focused incumbents also scraped out victories. Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Rob Portman, R-Ohio, once seen as vulnerable, beat his opponent Ted Strickland by nearly 20 points. Portman has backed the subcommittee investigation into pay-TV issues. Next year will feature some Hill newcomers with telecom expertise. The incoming Senate will include Chris Van Hollen, the Democratic Disclose Act House sponsor who easily won the open Maryland seat, and Kamala Harris, California’s tech-focused attorney general who won that state’s open seat. Former FCC aide Josh Gottheimer, who worked under then-Chairman Julius Genachowski, unseated Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., in New Jersey’s 5th District 51 to 47 percent. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., the sponsor of the Kelsey Smith Act (see 1610060047) and active on email privacy, held onto his 3rd District seat. Law professor Zephyr Teachout, who touted broadband policy goals and opposed AT&T/Time Warner, lost by 10 points in her bid to defeat Rep. John Faso, R-N.Y.