November 7, 2012
      
The political landscape in Tennessee has taken a drastic shift.
     
The votes are in, and the state legislature is overwhelming dominated by Republicans.
       
The House and Senate each have a supermajority, which is something that hasn't happened in 35 years.

It wasn't long ago Tennessee was considered a solidly Democratic state.
   
A Republican majority in the state legislature was unheard of. Now it's a gamechanger on Capitol Hill.

Before Tennessee's Legislature takes votes, the people cast their votes.
   
Tuesday night's results were decidedly Republican.

"It's a paradigm shift in our state," says Rep. Glen Casada, R-Williamson County.

Party leaders recognize it's a historic achievement. Republican's now have a super, two-thirds, majority in the House and Senate.
  
Some voters aren't sure what to make of it.

"I don't think that's a good idea that the Republicans would have dominant control.  I think there should be more balance," says voter Carol Waterman.

"A lot of people don't feel our system is right, but that's the way it is you know," says voter Tom Peters.

House Democrats called a news conference Wednesday.  They say President Obama's lack of support in Tennessee was just one reason they struggled.

"In every seat, Mitchell, Powell, Jernigan, and Johnson, we were outspent in some cases by a margin of two to one," says Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley.

Democrats say, despite their smaller numbers, they'll continue to fight.

"We're not going to sit there and roll over, and when something needs to be done for the people of Tennessee, we're going to defend our values," says Rep. Mike Turner, D-Old Hickory.

Republicans, meanwhile, have a dominant position. They'll likely control every committee and every key vote on Capitol Hill.
   
Representative Glen Casada, who is expected to lead the House Republican Caucus, says Democrats won't be excluded.

"So everyone is welcome at the table of ideas. And we'll put them up for debate, and we'll vote, and the majority will prevail as it should," says Rep. Glen Casada, (D) Williamson County.

As for the legislative priorities, Casada says education reform, tax cuts, and less regulation will be the focus.

"In two years the Republicans in the General Assembly have taken Tennessee to the fifth most business friendly state in the Union, and our goal is to make us number one," says Casada.

Republicans will have 70 House members and 26 Senators when the General Assembly convenes in January.
          
That means they'll have more than two-thirds control in each body.
   
Some party members aren't just calling this a supermajority, they're calling it a mega-majority.

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