JIM LO SCALZO FOR USN&WR
DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel and DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer hold a brief press conference Tuesday afternoon.
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Early exit polls have Democrats trying to contain their excitement. According to a veteran Democratic insider, early polls show Democrats with at least marginal leads in all the contested Senate races, except for Tennessee. Democrats are convinced they'll win handily in Pennsylvania, unseating conservative Rick Santorum, and in Ohio, where Sherrod Brown has been handily beating incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine in polls. With early returns trickling in, they're increasingly optimistic about Virginia, Montana, and Rhode Island. Missouri, a tossup, is polling too close to call. If these races all break for Democrats, it would be enough to put them over the top in the Senate. While obviously elated, Democrats say they are "taking the results with a grain of salt," said a strategist. Similar early exit polls in 2004 showed Kerry pulling away from President Bush, prompting celebration, which quickly melted into dismay as results continued to come in through the night.