Dems likely to gain veto-proof majority.

Byline: Mark Zaretsky

Nov. 8--Democrats lost the governorship, but it appears they may have set up a political battle royale for the next two years, increasing their numbers in the state House Tuesday by at least three and likely holding their two-thirds majority in the Senate to attain veto-proof majorities in both chambers.

Veto-proof two-thirds majorities could give Democrats the ability to dictate their agenda on critical issues in negotiations with Gov. M. Jodi Rell, elected to her first full term Tuesday. But Democrats say one major challenge for them will be to hold those super majorities together as individual Democrats seek to use their increased leverage.

The Democratic Party previously held a veto-proof twothirds majority in the Senate, but fell two votes short of that goal in the House two years ago.

Speaker of the House James Amann, D-Milford, said Democrats "picked up four or five seats that we did not expect," but also lost two incumbents.

The bottom line was that Democrats needed to win 101 seats, a gain of two over the current 99, to attain a veto-proof majority -- and appeared to have done that.

"We have 103 seats confirmed right now, with about two outstanding right now," Amann said, soon after introducing Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., at Lieberman's victory party at the Goodwin Hotel in Hartford.