What did work? Who did win?

[CBHagman]

4. Chris Van Hollen won the Senate seat in Maryland.

It amounts to a hold for the Democratic Party, as Barbara Mikulski is retiring and Van Hollen will be her successor. Moreover, Maryland is a blue state, and the Van Hollen victory was expected.

I did have a chance to observe both Van Hollen and his opponent, Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga, and the latter didn't depart from the boilerplate GOP rhetoric (e.g., don't raise the minimum wage, etc.). Van Hollen can think on his feet and push back when faced with a less than sympathetic audience (on the Iran deal, for instance).