Republican Rep. John Boozman unseated Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas, and Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) defeated former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon (R) in the Connecticut race to replace retiring Sen. Chris Dodd (D). Neither outcome was a surprise, but Boozman’s victory means the GOP so far has picked up two Democratic seats.<p>Earlier, former Sen. Dan Coats (R) won in Indiana.

The Arkansas and Connecticut contests were high-profile races. Lincoln, the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, struggled to win her primary against the more liberal Lt. Gov. Bill Halter and never really rebounded. Blumenthal steadily increased his lead over McMahon as she sunk more than $40 million of her own money into her campaign. 

Three other incumbent Republican Senators easily won reelection: Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn and North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr.