The Pew Charitable Trusts

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown's win over Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) in traditionally Democratic Massachusetts on Tuesday (Jan. 19) lifted the hopes of the Bay State GOP and marked the third major state race in recent months to go Republicans' way.

Brown's victory to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) not only imperils national health care reform efforts in Washington, D.C. — the new senator helped his party overcome Democrats' filibuster-proof majority of 60 votes — but is an onerous sign for incumbent Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), the Boston Herald reported .

"The gubernatorial race is expected to skyrocket into statewide prominence as voters energized by Brown's come-from-behind race look for the next big candidate," the Herald reported, citing Democratic strategist Michael Shea.

The minority leader in the state House of Representatives, Bradley H. Jones Jr. (R), said "(Massachusetts) Republicans might start looking at open seats for state treasurer and state auditor and to the attorney general's office, even if Martha Coakley decides to run as an incumbent," The Boston Globe reported .

Brown's triumph also emboldens GOP candidates around the country, just as Republican victories in last year's two gubernatorial elections — in New Jersey and Virginia — did.

Indeed, in New Jersey, another traditionally Democratic state where Gov. Chris Christie took the oath of office on Tuesday, his campaign can serve as a roadmap for other GOP candidates, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in a post-election analysis.

Christie "ran an emotional campaign focused on voters ' angst over the economy. He seized on their hope for relief and reached out to traditional Democratic constituencies," the paper said.