Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) announced on NBC Channel 10 local news tonight that he's staying in the Republican party.
Sorry I don't have a link. (no pun intended)
He said he got calls since the election from Sen Majority Leader Bill Frist and Majorty Whip Mitch McConnell and that they promised him "a voice" in the party.
A reporter asked him if that ruled out a switch to the Dems indefinitely and he said it would as long as the Republican Party was bringing benefits into Rhode Island.
This isn't that much of a surprise, since there would be almost nothing for Chafee to gain by switching, since his vote would not determine which party controls the Senate. And as long as he feels free to vote against the party on issues of conscience (like appointment of federal judges) I suspect Chafee wll stick with the Rs.
(At least until he feels the hot breath of a Democrat challenging for the Seante in 2006.)