Democrat Terry McAuliffe wins a squeaker in Virginia. Republican Chris Christie enjoys a laugher in New Jersey. A "big business" Republican defeats a Tea Party challenger in Alabama. Those are among Tuesday's highlights.

The reversal of a conservation law court decision to protect Michigan's Au Sable River is an unintended outcome from large donations by anonymous funders funneled through tax-exempt organizations. Known as 501(c)4s, these groups are becoming a vehicle of choice for big donors to hide large political donations.

The big news is expected to be from the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. Other races to watch include mayoral contests in New York, Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis. Also, many states and localities have ballot initiatives - including whether the Astrodome should be torn down.

The Senate showdown over the first of three pending nominees for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit seems to be less about her ideology and more about President Obama's.

As the 29 lawmakers on the bipartisan budget conference committee begin discussions, they'll be led by two negotiators who seem to get along well despite many differences.

The messy rollout of the online exchanges under the Affordable Care Act has provided fodder for Republicans determined to make Obamacare an issue in the 2014 elections. A handful of Democratic incumbents in battleground states are among senators now calling for an extension of the open enrollment period, which could be a way to curry favor in relatively conservative states.

Emboldened by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and funded by organizations advocating small government, GOP activists are battling party incumbents for Senate seats in six states - and counting. They're even going after the Senate minority leader.

Having successfully stared down congressional Republicans in the shutdown-debt ceiling fight, President Obama's pivot to immigration has almost no downside risk for him or his Democratic Party. Which makes it perfect for the president to use to cause congressional Republicans major indigestion.

More than a month before the Jan. 15 deadline on government spending expires, a bipartisan, bicameral committee is expected to produce a compromise budget.

What we learned: Obama wasn't bluffing, the House GOP is ungovernable and Republicans blew a golden opportunity to direct attention to the botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act.