Returns continue to come in for the U.S. Senate races. HSLF-backed Republican incumbent Susan Collins has won reelection in Maine. She is a great friend of animals, a cosponsor of a raft of humane bills, and a lead author of the resolution calling on Canada to stop its annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals on the Atlantic coast. We are proud to have endorsed her, and congratulate her on the win.

Results are coming in for the competitive races in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican Chris Shays, one of our greatest champions for animal protection in Congress, has unfortunately lost his bid for reelection in Connecticut's 4th District. Shays is the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, and has been the lead author of numerous bills dealing with farm animal welfare, pets in disasters, canned hunts, and other issues.

If you haven't heard, Barack Obama has been elected president! It's a historic night, and a great outcome for animals. The Humane Society Legislative Fund had backed Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as both senators have been strong supporters of animal protection legislation. We had been especially concerned about Sarah Palin's terrible record on animal protection and conservation issues in Alaska, and her retrograde policies of shooting wolves from helicopters and denying protections to imperiled polar bears.

With 81% of precincts reporting, Democratic challenger and animal protection leader Gary Peters has a commanding lead over Republican incumbent Joe Knollenberg, by 51% to 43%. Knollenberg has one of the worst records on animal cruelty in the entire Congress, and was the Humane Society Legislative Fund's top target for defeat in the 2008 election.

All of you political junkies will undoubtedly be glued to CNN or MSNBC tomorrow evening. But how will you get up-to-the-minute news on all the races around the country that have the biggest impact for animal protection?

We haven’t heard a lot from the fright-mongers of the NRA this election. On the national stage, the stakes are just too high for their kind of shrill scare tactics to attract much interest. Besides, they’re on the wane anyway. Increasingly, Americans recognize the NRA’s radical agenda for what it is—the spent politics of the fringe.

But the NRA is still plugging away. In down-ballot races, its operatives and apologists are still trying to bully the brave. Two legislative races in the swing state of Pennsylvania illustrate the absurd actions of the NRA.

We are just six days away from what is shaping up to be one of the most historic elections in our lifetime. While voters are weighing the economy and other pressing national concerns, advocates of animal protection also need to know which lawmakers and candidates are standing up for their interests. When you fill out your mail ballot or go to the polls on Tuesday, the Humane Society Legislative Fund wants you to be armed with information on the candidates who are fighting for animal welfare in a very determined way.

I led a press conference and spoke to a group of volunteers in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., this morning, announcing that the Humane Society Legislative Fund today launched a new TV ad opposing the reelection of Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg in Michigan’s 9th District.

Ever since the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced our endorsement of Barack Obama, our inbox has been full with emails from members on the issue. Many of you appreciated the information about the candidates’ records so you can share it with the animal lovers among your friends and family. Some lifelong Republicans are even crossing party lines for the first time to support the candidate who is better on animal issues.

Growing up in my neighborhood, everyone loved a good block party—meeting friends and neighbors, gathering together for a common purpose. Now, with just five weeks until one of the most critical elections in our lifetime, we have a new purpose, and a new type of “bloc” party.