victory, a debate was raging in the republican party over whether to fund her. i also want to thank the tea party express. reporter: .or disavow her. i m really not concerned about that because we didn t have their support when we won. reporter: o donnell, a political novice who g.o.p. leaders have described as everything from a liar to delusional has provided by beleaguered democrats with a new national rallying cry. look, last night showed that there s a very vociferous debate going on inside the republican party for the hearts and mind of republican voters. reporter: o donnell becomes the seventh tea party-affiliated candidate to defeat a more mainstream republican in a senate primary this season. six tea partyers have won primaries for governor. carl paladino of new york joined their ranks last night. but republican leaders are keeping their distance from him, too, after he named his dog his chief of staff and proposed that welfare recipients be housed in unus
incumbents are doing. 58% disapprove of the democrats, 68% disapprove of the republicans. nearly three out of four registered voters say they re dissatisfied with or angry about what s going on in washington. and some of that feeling was reflected in yesterday s primaries with victories by candidates supported by the tea party. in delaware s republican senate primary, christine o donnell beat g.o.p. establishment candidate mike castle. in new york s republican gubernatorial primary, tea party support helped carl paladino defeat rick lazio. and in new hampshire, kelly ayotte just barely beat tea party favorite ovide lamontagne for the republican senate nomination. it s 48 days and counting until the election and congressional correspondent nancy cordes begins tonight s coverage. reporter: within minutes of christine o donnell s stunning victory, a debate was raging in the republican party over whether to fund her. i also want to thank the tea party express. reporter: .or