Dems add one more to the senate

Democratic challenger wins Senate race in Oregon By BRAD CAIN, Associated Press Writer Brad Cain, Associated Press Writer 48 mins ago PORTLAND, Ore. – The Democratic challenger in Oregon's Senate race, Jeff Merkley, has defeated Republican Sen. Gordon Smith. The victory will bring at least 55 Democrats to the new Senate, with three more races involving Republican incumbents yet to be decided in Alaska, Minnesota and Georgia. The party breakdown so far includes two independents who caucus with Democrats and 40 Republicans. It was one of the last Senate races to be decided. A flood of votes Oregonians delivered on election day kept election workers tallying ballots for two days. Merkley, speaker of the House in Oregon, planned an appearance Thursday morning to claim victory, and Smith planned a press conference in the afternoon. Smith's spokeswoman Lindsey Gilbride said she couldn't say whether Smith would concede at the press conference he scheduled for 2 p.m. The Democratic tide led by Barack Obama's election overwhelmed Smith, a moderate Republican who was seeking his third term. Smith was the lone Senate Republican on the Pacific Coast. Early Thursday, about 81 percent of the vote had been counted statewide. Merkley had a margin of nearly 40,000 votes.