following the 2008 elections, the republican party, reeling from the loss of the presidency, congress and key state governorships, was fractured and leaderless. michael steele became the first black chairman of the republican national committee, but was a poor fundraiser and was replaced after numerous gaffes and missteps. republicans suffered an additional loss in the senate in april 2009, when arlen specter switched to the democratic party, depriving the gop of a critical 41st vote to block legislation in the senate. the seating of al franken several months later effectively handed the democrats a filibuster-proof majority, but it was short-lived as the gop took back its 41st vote when scott brown won a special election in massachusetts in early 2010.