parts of the state which was sufficient to overcome McCaskill's leads in St. Louis and Jackson County. Blunt defeated McCaskill by 1,382,419 votes (50.83%) to 1,301,442 (47.85%) and thus became Missouri's second-youngest Governor. Tenure When Blunt took office on January 10, 2005, it was the first time in Missouri since 1921 that a Republican held the Governor's office with Republican majorities in both houses of the State Legislature. Blunt and his allies in the Missouri General Assembly moved quickly to enact legislation that they said would create a positive business climate in the state and result in job growth. With legislative support, Blunt claimed in 2009 that he had enacted almost all of his policy proposals. Among the legislation passed were tort reform measures that overhauled the state's legal system, and changes in the state's workers compensation laws. Blunt's first year in office was difficult, and he was criticized by both the right and the left. In February 2006, a poll conducted by SurveyUSA showed him with a 33% job approval rating, the fifth lowest of any governor in the nation. His approval among Republicans polled was 62%, but his rating among Democrats was only 12%. This was one of the greatest partisan divides of any governor. In September 2009, the state insurance agency issued a report showing medical malpractice claims in Missouri at a 30-year low in 2008, believed to result from Blunt's restriction of injury settlements under tort reform in 2005. "...Missouri's medical malpractice insurers made a profit for the fifth straight year in 2008. It also shows an increase in the number of medical providers getting insurance through nonprofit coalitions." Fiscal policy Blunt believed he had to reduce spending to deal with what he described as a state financial crisis. He trimmed state spending in order to keep the budget balanced without raising taxes. Particularly controversial were provisions reducing coverage of programs created by state legislation to provide a social net, especially to families. Two years later, with an election almost a year away, Governor Blunt implemented the MO HealthNet Initiative, Senate Bill SB577. This was intended to offer residents more choices and rewards for healthy behavior. Some citizens were deemed qualified again for Medicaid coverage. In July 2007, Blunt signed an executive order launching the Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP), which provides Missourians with free, immediate, online information about how the state spends taxpayer money. Blunt signed