The New York House of Representatives delegation saw quite the shake-up but mirrored that of the state elections and the growing discomfort with Governor Cuomo. He eased into re-election last night with 54% of the vote, allowing his challenger Rob Astorino (R) to pull 40.6% of the vote and the Green Party candidate to edge almost 5% on his own. With Cuomo’s 2016 Presidental aspirations on the line, these numbers do not speak well to his chances. Republican hopefuls like Governor Chris Christie last year, and Governor John Kasich this year bringing in numbers well over 60% of the vote are what Cuomo should be aiming for. Instead these Republicans are rounding up key states and turning them red one by one.

New York’s county by county break down of the Governor’s race shows an even worse story, Cuomo edging out small victories in counties that voted for him in overwhelming numbers in 2010, and losing upstate New Yorkers almost entirely. Governor Cuomo’s policies were inadvertently on the ballot last night, such as the Safe Act which has a rousing repeal campaign and the educational reform standards that have the teaching lobby up in arms and narrowly jumping ship as Cuomo faced a primary challenger, Zephyr Teachout earlier this year.

These policies had several hundred thousand upstaters voting party line last night, and flummoxed incumbent Democratic candidates. Both the state level Senators and House members lost by wide margins against their Republican challengers. An officially Republican controlled New York State Senate means more compromises that do not sit well with the state’s residents, such as the minimum wage increase that is padded by New York’s tax dollars and the Woman’s Equality Act that was unable to pass all nine points. But this creates an image of Governor Cuomo that he is eager for the country to see, one man working to overcome partisanship and reaching across the aisle in a time when that is a rare gesture in local and federal government.

The state of New York did however, vote to address the severally gerrymandered districts and said yes to an independent redistricting committee. This could mean that the newly elected House members will have to be especially effective and could be appropriately held accountable over the next two years as their voters may not be the same in a short time from now. They will be critical voices and votes during the end of the Obama Administration as the President attempts to find middle ground on immigration reform, a national minimum wage increase and preemptive action against ISIS. Their votes on each of these issues are likely to be closely scrutinized as the lot of them join the new majority and the few into the minority.

There is no denying that this Republican sweep carried throughout the nation last night. They now hold the Senate majority as well as taking plenty of key governships. In closely fought races like Florida, it was down to the final hour before it was called and Democrat Charlie Crist conceded to the incumbent Governor Rick Scott late into the night. Maryland and Massachusetts both voted in Republican governors, being traditionally blue states. Maryland once touted the most liberal governor in the country, Martin O’Malley, a 2016 Presidental hopeful who retired this year and has now swung in the opposite direction. Massachusetts turned down the opportunity to elect its first female Governor, Martha Coackley in a complete upset. Smaller victories came in Rhode Island as Gina Riamondo (D) claimed her victory and Colorado’s Governor Hickenlooper (D) dug in with his nails and pulled out a narrow win.

The Senate flipped and Republicans gladly took in the new recruits. They won over even the most hopeful democratic candidates that were predicted to squeak out meager wins, but were unable to do so such as Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Michelle Nun in Georgia and the woman who would have dethrone Mitch McConnell, Allison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky. McConnell will now lead the Senate and be the leading legislator in the party, ultimately deciding which issues they will work on with the administration and which they decide are not worth the time or political capital.

The Governor’s have played the key role since 2010 in leading the anti-Obamacare movement, obstructing policy implementation, not allowing medicaid expansion and refusing to set up their own exchange highways resulted in the disgruntled consumers and sensationalized faults and ultimately the resignation of former Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Where as the Governors that had been ready and willing to work with the law saw more successes, numbers edging into the millions for healthcare enrollment and cooperative employers offering benefits to full time and part time employees a like.

Red state governors have signed into law quite a few measures that effected the 2014 Midterm election outcome outside of the Affordable Care Act obstructionism. Voter I.D. laws have lead to a fission in the country as slight majority believes that flashing a state issued I.D. of some sort seems to be a common sense measurement while other’s believe that it is blatant voter oppression since the I.D. required is not usually readily available to minorities, college students and those on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale — in other words, those that frequently vote democratic.

Ballot measures offered last night to restrict certain types of voting, however, were all shot down. In an effort to eliminate early voting and same day registration, Conneticut, Misssouri and Montana all allowed voting on these issues but not one passed. This is not the only example of the electorate voting against the policies supported by those they are in turn voting for. Last night, four states (Nebraska, Arkansas, Alaska and South Dakota) voted to raise the minimum wage but voted out their democratic representation that would back this policy change at the federal level.

Legalized recreational marijuana passed on three of the four ballots that it was allowed on to, in Oregon, Alaska and D.C. It was voted up in Florida but ultimately turned down by the state. The two “personhood” measures were turned down and California voted to allow lesser sentences for non-violent felonies. These are traditionally progressive policies that nation seems to be welcoming but it is not following through by electing representation that would allow for these measures to be put into effect.

With Republicans in control of both houses of the legislature, the next two years could go a number of ways. The last four Presidents before President Obama spent their last two years trying to work with their opposition, as they controlled both the Senate and the House; some being more successful than others. The contemporary Presidency is used to this challenge but now the President must be mindful of state level governments more so than ever before. Understanding what the 2014 Election cycle will offer us is important in moving forward with the nation. Keep a close eye on your newly elected legislators — they will not only be voting for you, but speaking for your needs the next two years.