Californians elected Democrat Jerry Brown to a third nonconsecutive term as governor, rejecting Republican contender  former chief executive of eBay Meg Whitman, Tuesday.

The 72-year-old state attorney general will take the helm of a state mired in recession and high unemployment. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves office in January after a little more than seven years in office.

Brown was California's 34th governor during from 1975 to 1983. During the 1990s, California voters limited governor terms to two four-year terms. However, Brown's previous service did not count since he served before the law was passed.

Meanwhile, Sen. Barbara Boxer is projected to hold on to her job in Congress, beating out Republican challenger Carly Fiorina. The win hands Boxer her fourth term in the Senate.

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