One-term Tom.
Gov. Tom Corbett made history Tuesday. And in the process he proved me wrong.
I was one of the few people in the state who believed that Pennsylvanians would continue to do what they have done every time a Republican governor was on the ballot in Pennsylvania. Send them back for another four years in the governor's mansion.
Since the state started allowing its top executive to seek a second term, an incumbent had never been ousted after four years. Instead what the state's voters consistently did was flip-flop parties every eight years. They'd go two terms with Republicans, then flip and go eight years with a Democrat in the governor's seat.
Until yesterday.
Corbett's fate likely was sealed early in his first term, when faced with a massive budget crunch and vanishing federal stimulus funds, he enacted a series of wicked cuts, in particular to education.
The claim that he cut a billion dollars from education hung around his neck for years. And the governor allowed his critics to frame the argument, failing to respond until he found himself looking up at Tom Wolf in the pools. By then it was too late.
The final margin shows Wolf, the York County business man who spent $10 million of his own money to vault himself from unknown to the friendly, Jeep-driving Democrat nominee, blowing out Corbett 55 percent to 45 percent, with 99 percent of the polls reporting.
You can read the details on that race here.
All those polls we read for weeks showing Wolf with a double-digit lead were on the money. He wound up with a 10-point margin.
But he did not have much in the way of coattails, especially here in Delaware County.
Republican County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle edged Democrat John Kane in the fall's nastiest race, for the open 26th District state Senate seat. McGarrigle eked out a 52-48 percent win to succeed Republican Sen. Ted Erickson.
And in the state House, Upper Darby Councilman Jamie Santora was victorious over Democrat Vince Rongione for the 163rd House seat being vacated by retiring state Rep. Nick Micozzie. Santora posted a 53-47 percent win.
U.S. Congressman Pat Meehan, R-7, rolled to an easy win over Democrat challenger Mary Ellen Balchunis in a district - once considered a tossup - that likely will remain in Republican hands for a long time due to the wonders of gerrymandering.
Republican state Rep. Bill Adolph, R-165, majority chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, won over Dem challenger Chuck Hadley in a blowout.
Incumbent Republican Reps. Joe Hackett, R-161, and Steve Barrar, R-160, rolled to easy wins.
For the Dems, they held serve with House seats held by Margo Davidson, Greg Vitali and Thaddeus Kirkland.
But while Wolf was showing Corbett the door, Republicans were widening their margins in both the state Senate and House.
That's what Tom Wolf faces now. He beatr an unpopular incumbent who had alienated himself from the voters and was rejected soundly across the state.
He won the battle, but it certainly appears as if the GOP won the war.
Now his job is to avoid a similar fate.
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