Election 2012: Five Biggest Winners
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Following a heated day of races on the local, state and national levels, here's a look at some of the major winners from yesterday's elections. 
Paul Ryan looks to be a top Republican candidate for 2016 (Creative Commons).
1) California Democrats
Tuesday was an exceptional night all around for Democrats across the state. According to the Los Angeles Times, should the preliminary results hold, the election marks the "first time since 1933 that one party has had a supermajority in both houses of the Legislature," meaning Democrats are likely to win a two-thirds majority in both the the Senate and the Assembly. Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30, one of the biggest measures on the state ballot, passed as well. The proposition will increase sales and income taxes for a fixed number of years to avoid what would have been an immediate $6 billion cut to educational funds across the state.
2) Proponents of Marriage Equality
In four states, Maine, Minnesota, Washington and Maryland, measures supporting same-sex marriages won on a monumental day for gay rights across the country. In Wisconsin, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) became the first openly gay senator in United States history as well. "When the history books are written, 2012 will be remembered as the year when LGBT Americans won decisively at the ballot box," Human Rights Campaign head Chad Griffin told the Los Angeles Times.
3) Jackie Lacey
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jackie Lacey made history in Los Angeles County by defeating challenger Alan Jackson in the race for District Attorney. Lacey, who has worked in the DA's office for 26 years, became the first African American and woman to hold the position in Los Angeles County. "I have learned that standing tall and resisting adversity is strength training for the mind and soul," she said in her victory speech.
4) 2016 Republican Presidential Field
Gov. Romney's loss to President Obama assures that the Republican candidate will not be up for a second term come next presidential election season. Regardless of if he chooses to run again, a new field of Republican presidential hopefuls now has a straight path to take over the White House in four, rather than eight, years. Early names to consider include N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio and . . .
5) Paul Ryan
Despite the defeat of the Romney-Ryan presidential ticket, election night wasn't all a loss the congressman from Wisconsin. Ryan was re-elected to his seat in the House of Representatives Tuesday. "I look forward to spending some time with my family in the coming days and then continuing my responsibilities as chairman of the House Budget Committee and representative of Wisconsin's First Congressional District," he said. The exposure Ryan has received throughout the campaign will make him one of the top candidates for the Republican presidential ticket in 2016.
Read more on Neon Tommy's coverage of Election 2012 here.
