By Bob Benenson

How many states will have all-Republican congressional delegations (Senate and House seats) when the 111th Congress begins?

a) 0

b) 1

c) 2

d) 3

Answer: b) This year’s elections left Wyoming, with its three-member delegation, as the only all-Republican state in Congress. Both Senate races held in Wyoming Nov. 4 easily went to Republican incumbents, with Michael B. Enzi winning a third term in the regularly scheduled contest and interim Sen. John Barrasso winning the special election to fill out the final four years of the late Republican Craig Thomas ’ unexpired term. The GOP sweep was completed in the race for the state’s single House seat, in which Republican Cynthia M. Lummis fended off a strong bid by Democrat Gary Trauner for the seat left open by retiring seven-term Republican incumbent Barbara Cubin .

Democratic pickups broke Republican monopolies in two other lightly populated states, however.

Alaska Democrat Mark Begich’s victory over veteran Republican Sen. Ted Stevens — declared Tuesday after a count of absentee ballots expanded the challenger’s lead — gives the Democrats a foothold in a state where Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was not up for election this year and where Republican Rep. Don Young deflected a serious challenge for the state’s sole House seat.

Walt Minnick’s upset over freshman Republican Rep. Bill Sali in Idaho’s 1st District will give the Democrats a voice in a delegation in which Republican Sen. Michael D. Crapo will be joined by Republican Jim Risch, the easy winner in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Larry E. Craig , and in which Republican Rep. Mike Simpson holds the other House seat.