Brown's win in Massachusetts Senate big — for Romney0

So, who was the big winner in the Massachusetts Senate race?

Well, the Democrat-dominated state does have a new GOP senator, Scott Brown. But former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, described as the hidden hand in the improbable victory, also scored.

"Romney is clearly the most influential national Republican right now. He's filled the void," said longtime supporter Kirk Jowers, director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics.

Known by Utahns for leading the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and for being a strong Mormon presidential candidate in 2008, Romney worked hard for Brown behind the scenes.

From the start, Romney backed Brown to be the successor to the late Edward M. Kennedy, the legendary Democrat who held the Senate seat for nearly half a century. Romney helped the Brown campaign raise money, including more than $1 million in a single day by e-mailing his own supporters nationwide.

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