The Seattle Times has called the race — the “Queen of Pork” has won a fourth term. Sen Patty Murray (D) will return to Capitol Hill, where she’ll find a much-depleted Democratic majority waiting for her.

Dino Rossi has issued a very gracious concession statement:

“This evening, I called Senator Murray to offer my congratulations on her re-election to the U.S. Senate. 

“I ran for the Senate because I believe we need a basic course correction from where Washington, D.C. has been taking us and to make sure this country is as free, as strong and as prosperous in the future as it has been in the past to preserve the best of America for future generations.

“That was a message that found a very receptive audience all across this state, though not quite receptive enough.

Poor guy. Another valiant effort. If only he had run in Delaware, Nevada, Alaska…

So it is that the same Washington state voters who overwhelming rejected ballot initiative 1098 — to impose a new income tax on high earners — have re-elected a Senator who has explicitly promised to do just that by letting the Bush tax cuts expire. Go figure.