Republicans are no doubt feeling sour today after Romney’s defeat and a failed attempt to take control of the Senate. And while last night’s elections were a victory for Democrats, a deeper examination of the post-election playing field suggests Republicans remain [well positioned to pursue a conservative agenda](https://colorlines.com/archives/2012/11/even_if_obama_wins_the_tea_party_will_still_run_the_states.html) just as aggressively as they have for the last two years. This is especially true in the states where for the last two years tea party candidates used Republican majorities to push a radical policy agenda. In the wake of yesterday’s elections, Republican control of state politics appears largely unchanged. The 2010 election was a wave for Republicans, launching conservatives into control of a 29 governor’s mansions and 59 of the country’s 98 partisan state legislative chambers. This put Republicans in position to dominate the shape of state policy, passing dozens of bills restricting abortion access and voting rights, maligning the safety-net and attacking immigrants. After last night, the numbers look nearly the same.