Nov. 2, 2010 10:45 p.m.

Americans have made their voices “heard at the ballot box,” as John Boehner, the new Republican speaker of the House said as the nation lit up more red than blue election night.

In an expected win, the Republicans easily took control of the House and narrowly missed taking control of the Senate too. In terms of Republican races, the vast majority of the 37 gubernatorial races went Republican. And in Illinois, Republican Mark Kirk claimed the seat once held by President Obama in what is being called a very symbolic statement to Washington.

But Republicans didn’t get all the seats they had hoped for. California has proved to be one of the remaining blue states, with Democrat Jerry Brown defeating Republican Meg Whitman in the gubernatorial race, despite Whitman’s nearly $140 million in personal contributions to her own campaign.

And with votes still being counted from California, it appears that Prop 19, which would have legalized marijuana, has failed by a significant margin.