Voters cast ballots for civil justice.

The 2006 midterm election was a measurable victory for Democrats, who recaptured majorities in both the House and the Senate. But November 7 proved equally successful for those determined to protect and strengthen the civil justice system.

While President Bush, Iraq, and corruption were the dominant issues on the ballot, voters across the country restored to Congress leadership supportive of civil justice. The results were a set-back for those corporations and their CEOs that seek to evade accountability in the nation's courts.

Pro-civil-justice candidates enjoyed wide-ranging success on Election Day. And no GOP candidate who supports the civil justice system was defeated.

One of the most satisfying election-night victories came out of eastern Iowa, where trial attorney Bruce Braley defeated Republican Mike Whalen for the First Congressional District seat left vacant when Rep. Jim Nussle (R) decided to stage a campaign for governor, which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Braley was attacked for being a trial attorney and for his efforts to ensure that injured people have an opportunity to get justice in

the courtroom. His opponent made the issue the centerpiece of his campaign--to no avail.

Braley remained steadfast, and Iowa voters overwhelmingly rejected Whalen's attacks. It is a testament to Braley's accomplishment that he became the first Democrat to represent the district in 30 years, having captured 55 percent of the vote there.

Braley won't be lonely on Capitol Hill when the time comes to defend attacks on the civil justice system. Iowa's newest lawmaker will join about a dozen other trial attorneys who succeeded at the polls, including Democrats Joe Courtney in Connecticut's second Congressional District and Peter Welch in Vermont's at-large seat, and Republican Bill Sali in Idaho's First Congressional District. Of the 18 trial lawyers who ran, 14 won.

Meanwhile, some who sought to make their opponents' ties to the civil justice system a campaign issue--like 13-term incumbent Rep. Clay Shaw (R), who attacked trial lawyer Ron Klein in Florida's 22nd Congressional District--were unsuccessful. And in one of the day's biggest contests, one that helped flip control of the Senate to the Democrats, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Bob Casey (D) trounced two-term incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum (R), a vocal opponent of the civil justice system who sought to make Casey's support of it a campaign issue.

State-level success

Civil justice successes weren't limited to Congress; others played out on the state level. Heading into Election Day, Michigan was the only state with a law limiting the rights of consumers to hold wrongdoers accountable for marketing deadly and dangerous drugs approved by the FDA. Despite broad support from Michigan residents to repeal the measure, legislative leaders refused to accede to a vote.

Democrats, with help from the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association and ATLA, made the immunity law their prime issue during the campaign. As a result, three anti-civil-justice incumbents were defeated, changing control of the Michigan House of Representatives. A pro-civil-justice challenger also defeated a Michigan Senate incumbent.

In Florida, Republican Jeff Kottkamp, a trial lawyer from Cape Coral, is moving to Tallahassee to serve as lieu tenant governor under Governor-Elect Charlie Crist. Another GOP trial attorney from the Sunshine State, Sen. Mel Martinez, is assuming additional duties as head of the Republican National Committee.

The trial attorney victories, and others across the country, proved that voters rejected the false claims of candidates who would have destroyed the civil justice system at the bidding of rich and powerful interests. The returns forcefully confirm that the American people retain a sense of pride in their civil justice system and are open to arguments on its behalf, despite such scurrilous attacks.

Voter reaction is heartening. Over the past two years, ATLA has been waging an aggressive communications campaign to defend the civil justice system from those maneuvering to destroy it. Under our new name, the American Association for Justice, we are continuing and intensifying that effort. And the people are listening.

While powerful organizations intent on enriching themselves to the public's detriment were stopped on Election Day, they won't give up. They are likely to increase their efforts to demolish civil justice in the months ahead.

AAJ will work harder and smarter than they do to ensure that the civil justice system survives and thrives.

Editors' note: This month, TRIAL introduces a new column highlighting how current events, people in the news, and trial attorneys around the country are reinforcing a positive message about civil justice. The column will appear periodically.

BILL STRAUB, a former White House reporter, is deputy director of communications at AAJ.