Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden holds Senate seat

Before his campaign,the law professor defended bonuses for Wall Street executives. Wyden’s campaign used the comments against him in a state struggling through economic problems.

Wyden,who won a special election in 1996 and three more terms since,has taken a leading role in several high-profile national issues,including health care reform and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. He returns to Washington with seats on the influential Finance and Budget committees.