TRENTON, N.J. (AP) Chris Christie says he will restore hope and dreams to New Jersey as its next governor.

The Republican former prosecutor said Tuesday in his acceptance speech that ``tomorrow, we are going to pick Trenton up and turn it upside down.''

The state has been battered by the economic recession and plagued by political corruption.

Christie received a concession call from Gov. Jon Corzine before taking the stage in Parsippany just after 11 p.m.

Christie unseated the deep-pocketed but unpopular governor after a bruising contest that focused on New Jersey's ailing economy and its highest-in-the-nation property taxes.

Christie, 47, is the first member of his party in a dozen years to win a statewide contest in heavily Democratic New Jersey.

Democrat Deeds concedes in Va. gov race

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Democrat Creigh Deeds has conceded the Virginia governor's race to Republican Bob McDonnell after a lopsided loss.

Deeds addressed a somber crowd, saying he had called McDonnell to congratulate him. He also says that just because Republicans swept Tuesday's elections, Democrats can't give up.

With more than four-fifths of precincts reporting, McDonnell had about 60 percent of the vote.

Deeds' defeat comes one year after Barack Obama led a Democratic sweep of the state, handing the Republicans their first loss in a presidential race in 40 years.

Democrat leads race in highly-watched special election

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Democrat Bill Owens is leading with about 49 percent of the vote in a special Congressional election in northern New York that has grabbed national headlines in its final days as it highlighted divisions within the Republican Party.

Owens led Tuesday over Conservative Doug Hoffman's 45 percent of the vote with about 71 percent of precincts reporting in New York's 23rd House district.

Republican Dierdre Scozzafava, who withdrew from the race Saturday, has still picked up 6 percent of the vote so far.

The race in the heavily Republican district has been getting national attention, with some calling it a referendum on President Barack Obama and others saying it could help Republicans focus their message to attract more people to the party.

Bloomberg wins 3rd term as NYC mayor

NEW YORK (AP) Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has narrowly won a third term as New York mayor in a race that was startlingly close.

With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg was leading Democrat William Thompson Jr. 50.5 percent to 46.2 percent.

The richest man in New York fended off Thompson, who had tried to stoke voter resentment over the way Bloomberg changed the city's term-limits law so he could stay in office.

Thompson won big in black and Hispanic neighborhoods. This after Bloomberg spent more than $100 million on the most expensive self-financed campaign in U.S. history.

Thompson relied on donations and matching funds for his mayoral bid and probably spent about one-tenth of Bloomberg's total.

Bloomberg's margin of victory was far smaller than his nearly 20-point blowout in 2005.

Maine voters repeal gay-marriage law

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine voters have torpedoed a state law that would have allowed gay couples to marry.

With 84 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the vote Tuesday.

The outcome amounts to a heartbreaking defeat for the gay rights movement particularly since it occurred in New England, the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.

At issue was a law passed by the Maine Legislature last spring that would have legalized same-sex marriage. The law was put on hold after conservatives launched a petition drive to repeal it in a referendum.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state 31 in all in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine.

Boston Mayor Menino elected to a record 5th term

BOSTON (AP) Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has won an unprecedented fifth consecutive four-year term.

Menino held off a challenge from City Council President Michael Flaherty. Menino already has been in office for 16 1/2 years, longer than any in the city's history.

Flaherty had run in an unusual partnership with City Councilor Sam Yoon. Flaherty, a lifelong resident of South Boston, had vowed to make Yoon, a community organizer of Korean descent, his deputy mayor if he won.

History shows it's tough to unseat a Boston mayor. No incumbent has lost the seat in 60 years.

The last one was James Michael Curley, who was ousted by John Hynes in 1949 after a term interrupted by a five-month federal prison sentence for mail fraud.

Colorado ski town legalizes pot

DENVER (AP) The Colorado ski town of Breckenridge has voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana.

Early returns Tuesday night showed the proposal winning with 72 percent of the vote. The measure would allow adults over 21 to have up to 1 ounce of marijuana.

The measure is largely symbolic because pot possession remains a state crime for people without medical clearance. But supporters said they wanted to send a message to local law enforcement to stop busting small-time pot smokers.

The vote comes as communities nationwide are struggling with how to enforce pot laws at a time when medical marijuana has surged in popularity.