Election Day in the US
- Millions of Americans headed to the polls on Election Day.
- See the full results here.
- As the dust settled: Democrats will take control of the House, but Republicans will hold the Senate – and possibly grow their majority.
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Election Night in the US
Updated
3:43 AM EST, Wed November 7, 2018
146 Posts
CNN’s live coverage of the 2018 midterm elections has concluded.
Democrats on Tuesday captured the House of Representatives and are set to exert a major institutional check on President Trump, while breaking the Republican monopoly on power and ushering in a younger, more female and more racially diverse political generation.
But the GOP solidified their Senate majority after an acerbic midterm election that enshrined America’s deep divides and shaped a highly contentious battleground for the stirring 2020 presidential race.
Stick with CNN Politics as we sort through the changed political landscape.
Scott Walker loses bid for third term in Wisconsin
From CNN's Dan Merica
Democrat Tony Evers will oust Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office, CNN can project, denying the Republican a third term and accomplishing something Democrats have long looked to achieve.
Evers, the Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction, hammered Walker throughout the campaign as a career politician who has been around too long with too few results.
Evers, like Democrats across the country, ran in clear opposition to the Republican health care plan, but he also seized on the widely held view in the state that education had suffered under Walker.
The governor was on defense for much of the campaign, accusing Evers of being a Democrat who wants to raise taxes on all Wisconsinite and arguing that he was wrong about his health care attacks.
A record number of women were elected to the House
From CNN's Eli WatkinsA record number of women are projected to win seats in the House in a massive night for female candidates across the political spectrum.
In the House:
- CNN projected by early Wednesday that 96 women would win House races, with 31 women newly elected to the House and 65 female incumbents.
- That beats the previous record of 85 representatives, according to the Congressional Research Service.
In the Senate:
- CNN projected by early Wednesday that 11 women would win Senate seats, with two newly elected women joining nine female incumbents.
In governor’s races:
- CNN projected at the same time that eight women — five incumbents and three non-incumbents — would win gubernatorial races.
The numbers in each category tilted largely to Democrats, with 76 of the projected female House winners coming from the Democratic Party and 11 from the Republican side.
Read more on the record number of women elected Tuesday here.
Paul Ryan: "Tonight history has repeated itself"
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, issued a statement following Tuesday’s election results.
Ryan, who did not seek re-election, congratulated Democrats on winning the majority in the House of Representatives, and noted that, “A party in power always faces tough odds in its first midterm election.”
Here’s his full statement:
Democrats pick up Senate seat in Nevada with Rosen win
From CNN's Dan Merica
Rep. Jacky Rosen will win her bid to unseat Republican Sen. Dean Heller in Nevada, CNN can project, delivering a key Senate pick up for Democrats.
Heller’s campaign was defined by his awkward dance with President Donald Trump, someone that the senator flip-flopped on throughout the President’s first two years in office. After saying he was “99 percent” against Trump, Heller fully embraced him during his campaign for re-election.
Rosen tapped into Nevada’s leftward tilt in recent years in her effort to oust the vulnerable Republican. Democrats have won the last three presidential elections in Nevada.
Rosen focused primarily on health care and other local issues, but also tried to tie her opponent to Trump.
Watch more:
Democrat Joe Cunningham will win seat formerly held by Rep. Mark Sanford
Democrat Joe Cunningham waits in line to vote at St. Andrews School of Math and Science in Charleston on Tuesday.
Democrat Joe Cunningham will win the race for South Carolina’s 1st district against Republican state Rep. Katie Arrington, who defeated Rep. Mark Sanford in the Republican primary, in another House pickup for the Democrats, CNN projects.
Democrat Stacey Abrams refuses to concede in Georgia gubernatorial race
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to supporters Nov. 6, 2018, in Atlanta.
Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams, though trailing in the latest numbers, refused to concede the race in Georgia early this morning.
She told supporters: “I promise you tonight, we’re going to make sure every single vote is counted. Every single vote.”
Watch moment:
No winner will be declared in Arizona's Senate race
From CNN's Kyung Lah
Democratic Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema’s campaign said she will not be making remarks, given the large number of uncounted ballots still remaining in the race with Republican Martha McSally.
Murphy Hebert, spokesperson for the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, said trucks are still coming in with data packs.
The Recorder’s Office on Wednesday will be verifying signatures on early voting ballots. (Voters returned those ballots in person to their polling places.) The next update from Maricopa County won’t be until 5 p.m. MT Thursday.
Arizona’s Secretary of State Garrett Archer said there are approximately 920,000 votes outstanding in Arizona. He believes 500,000 will be counted on Election Day. That still leaves a significant number of votes yet to be counted, in addition to the early ballots.
A GOP source said they don’t believe a winner will be announced until Friday or Saturday.
Voters in key states trust Republicans to protect pre-existing conditions
From CNN's Tami LuhbyHealth care was front and center in the 2018 midterm elections, with Democrats accusing their GOP rivals of undermining Obamacare’s protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
Nationally, voters clearly felt the Democrats would better defend those who are or have been sick. Some 58% said Democrats would better protect health care for those with pre-existing conditions, compared to 34% who said Republicans would.
But voters in several key Senate races were more willing to trust Republicans with these popular Affordable Care Act provisions – even though in some cases, the GOP candidates actively supported dismantling the landmark health care law.
Take Indiana, where Mike Braun defeated incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly. Hoosier State voters had equal confidence in Democrats and Republicans when it came to protecting those with pre-existing conditions.
Same thing happened in Missouri, where Josh Hawley bested incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill. Hawley is among the attorneys general who have filed a lawsuit in Texas District Court seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, including its protections.
When it came to Trump’s economic and immigration policies, voters in states sending Republicans to the Senate had more positive views than the national electorate. For instance, they generally felt their financial situations had improved from two years ago. And fewer felt the president’s immigration measures were too tough.
What Democrats in Congress will do once they're in power
From CNN's Lauren Fox and Jeremy Herb
Before they even won control of US House of Representatives, Democrats were quietly preparing to hold the Trump administration accountable.
In more than a dozen interviews, CNN learned that Democrats on virtually every committee in the House of Representatives were carefully positioning themselves to be ready in the event that they find themselves in the majority after the midterms.
Staff level discussions are well underway about how Democratic-led committees would divide the work and tackle whole entire controversies that have roiled the Trump administration from questions about whether the President’s family has profited from Trump’s time in the White House to ethics questions surrounding Cabinet secretaries to the very policies like family separations along the southern border that have made headlines.
One Democratic leadership aide told CNN that at this point, the key role of leaders is to help each of the committees coordinate their efforts so that investigations are targeted and yield results, not just rhetoric.
But there’s reason to be cautious: One person familiar with ongoing discussions said Democrats are well aware that attacking every corner of controversy in the Trump administration could backfire politically just before a presidential election and put Democrats on the wrong track to keep the majority. Already, Republicans are using the threat of Democratic investigations to get out their base.
Colorado will pass an amendment that creates a redistricting commission
An amendment that creates a 12-member independent redistricting commission instead of having the state legislature draw district maps in Colorado will pass, CNN projects.
It sets criteria for district maps and membership for commission, imposes a competitiveness standard for maps, and requires at least eight members of the commission to approve the final map.
Read more ballot measure results here.
Republican Rep. Kristi Noem will be the first woman elected governor in South Dakota
Republican Rep. Kristi Noem will win her bid to become governor of South Dakota, CNN projects.
She is the first woman elected governor in the state.
Watch below: Women elected to the House in record numbers
California voters will reject a measure to allow local rent control
A proposition to repeal a 1995 rent control law and allow cities and other local jurisdictions to regulate rent prices on residential property has failed, CNN projects.
If passed, it would have allowed local jurisdictions to set laws governing what rent owners may charge for new tenants, new construction, and single-family homes
You can read more ballot measure results here.
Alabama voters will pass a fetal rights measure
An amendment to the Alabama Constitution declaring that the state’s policy to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life, the rights of unborn children — including a right to life in all manners and measures appropriate and lawful — and that the Constitution does not protect the right to abortion or require the funding of abortion will pass, CNN projects.
You can read more ballot measure results here.
Scott Walker is locked in a tight race with Democrat Tony Evers
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is locked in a tight race with Democrat Tony Evers in his bid for a third term.
Democrats have seen Evers are their best chance to defeat Walker, who is asking voters for their vote for the fourth time in eight years because Democrats unsuccessfully tried to recall the Republican in 2012.
Evers, the superintendent of Wisconsin schools, has hammered Walker throughout the campaign as a career politician who has been around too long with too few results.
Evers, like Democrats across the country, ran in clear opposition to the Republican health care plan, but he also seized on the widely held view in the state that education had suffered under Walker.
Walker regularly accused Evers of being a Democrat who wants to raise taxes on all Wisconsinite and arguing his attacks on Walkers’ health care views were inaccurate.
Kentucky clerk who refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates loses re-election bid
From CNN's Ray Sanchez
Republican Kim Davis, the Kentucky court clerk who became a conservative Christian heroine for refusing to sign same-sex marriage certificates three years ago, lost her re-election bid Tuesday, according to unofficial results posted by the state board of elections.
Democrat Elwood Caudill Jr. appeared to defeat Davis by more than 650 votes in the race for clerk in Rowan County, according to the unofficial results, with all precincts reporting.
Davis spent several days in jail in September 2015 after refusing to abide by that summer’s historic US Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.
Watch below: Supporters came to Davis’ defense, others rallied against her
You can read more on the race here.
Indicted Republican congressmen win re-election in New York and California
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter and New York Republican Rep. Chris Collins, both indicted in August on unrelated charges, won their re-election battles Tuesday night, CNN projects.
They were the first two members of Congress to support then-candidate Donald Trump.
Hunter was indicted on a series of charges including using campaign funds for personal use and counts of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy. Hunter has pleaded not guilty.
Collins was charged with 13 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements related to an alleged insider trading scheme. Collins has called the charges “meritless” and also pleaded not guilty.
Rep. Elijah Cummings says Democrats will hold Trump "accountable"
From CNN's Manu Raju
Rep. Elijah Cummings, who is set to be chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the Democratic majority, told CNN that he plans to use his committee in a thorough and methodical way to answer a range of issues that Republicans have ignored.
He also expressed interest in seeking President Trump’s tax returns to determine whether there are conflicts with the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits federal officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments without the consent of Congress.
“We probably will,” Cummings told CNN when asked if tax returns could help his investigation into whether Trump violated the emoluments clause, specifically with regards to his business with the Trump International Hotel and the FBI headquarters building in Washington.
Cummings said he wants to restore “accountability” to the Trump administration as chairman of the committee.
“Right now, we have a President who is accountable to no one,” he said, adding that, “My plan is to use the subpoena as a method of last resort.”
Still, Cummings insisted he would “work very hard” to approach his chairmanship in a deliberative and bipartisan manner.
“I don’t want people to think we are going to rush in and beat up on Trump,” he said.
Cummings said there would be two lanes to investigate:
- One, he said, would be to “defend our democracy,” to look into voting rights and limitations facing under-privileged communities. He said they would also look into matters involving the use of security clearances in the Trump administration — whether it was for ex-aides Michael Flynn and Rob Porter as well as for Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law and senior adviser.
- The other lane would look at day-to-day issues affecting many Americans, such as the high price of prescription drugs and insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions — as well as the U.S. Postal Service, Cummings said.
He said there would be a lot of coordination between the various House committees to ensure there isn’t overlap — including on the Trump tax returns, which the House Ways and Means and Financial Services panels both may want as well.
“I would expect that this week, we will start to get all of that stuff and begin to organize,” Cummings said. “And there will be coordination … The last thing we want to do is step on each other.”
Arkansas approves voter ID amendment
Voters in Arkansas will vote to amend the state’s Constitution to require a voter to present valid photographic identification when voting in person or casting an absentee ballot and that the state issue free photo ID to eligible voters without one, CNN projects.
You can read more ballot measure results here.
Sighs of relief and just plain sighs for Democrats on a topsy-turvy night
From CNN's Greg Krieg
Democrats got what they needed on Tuesday night, but not – so far – what they really, really wanted.
On another confounding election night in America, Democrats smashed the Republican House majority, and could win in the range of 35 seats by the time all is said and done.
But there is no howling catharsis. No partying in the streets tonight. Something is missing.
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is projected to have lost the Florida governor’s race. Ditto for Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz. Former Georgia House minority leader Stacey Abrams looks like she could fall short in her pioneering run to become the first female African American governor in US history.
Three rising stars – each of them with a certain mixture of chops and personal magnetism – demanding change in states that Democrats desperately wanted to win again, or win over after a generation on the outside, all fell short on Election Day.
Instead, the party will have to dig a little deeper for inspiration.
To Kansas, perhaps, where a Democrat, Laura Kelly, will be governor, breaking GOP control of the state. Or to Iowa, where Democrats are leading in three congressional races.
Or to Michigan, where Gretchen Whitmer is projected to reclaim the governorship for Democrats and become the new face of liberalism in the Midwest.
But that’s all for tomorrow.
Tonight, even as Democrats breathe a sigh of relief, there will also be some plain old sighs. For what might have been.
Watch: CNN’s David Chalian reacts to Dem losses and wins
President Trump calls Rep. Nancy Pelosi to congratulate her
From CNN's Steve Brusk and Jim AcostaPresident Trump called House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tonight to congratulate her for winning the House, her chief of staff, Drew Hammill, tweeted.
“He acknowledged the leader’s call for bipartisanship in her victory remarks,” Hammill said.
Read the tweet:
Watch Pelosi’s address to Democrats: Tomorrow will be a new day
Van Jones: "My heart has been restored"
From CNN's Josiah RyanCNN’s Van Jones’ tone changed sharply tonight just hours after he called the first round of results “heartbreaking.”
Speaking with Anderson Cooper shortly after CNN called the House for Democrats, Jones suggested the moment marked a rebirth for his party.
He continued: “We have the first Muslim women, first Native-American women, the first black woman from Massachusetts, the first Latina woman from Texas. It may not be a blue wave, it is a rainbow wave. There is something happening out there and I am happy about it.”
Watch the moment:
Tonight's results would have major ramifications for 2020
From CNN's Eric BranderTonight’s results have already made clear that despite Democratic gains in the Sun Belt, they can’t yet count on wins in states like Georgia, Arizona and Texas – and are looking at more statewide losses in Florida.
Democrats are having a much better night, though, in the Upper Midwest. Democrat Gretchen Whitmer ran away with the Michigan governor’s race, and suburban House seats in the state tipped in their direction. Their candidates are currently leading in the governor’s races in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. And Republicans never even seriously contested statewide races in Pennsylvania.
There’s much left to learn tonight, but these results so far would have major ramifications for 2020.
They suggest the Great Lakes states could be the most important battlegrounds – which could shape which types of candidates Democratic presidential primary voters see as the most capable of defeating President Donald Trump, as well as the eventual nominee’s strategy and choice as a running-mate.
GOP’s Josh Hawley defeats Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri Senate race
From CNN's Rebecca Berg
Republicans will pick up a Senate in Missouri, CNN projects, with state attorney general Josh Hawley defeating Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in a state Donald Trump won by nearly 19 points in 2016.
McCaskill conceded the race on Tuesday night.
Hawley touted himself as a self-proclaimed champion of President Trump’s agenda who said McCaskill had become out-of-touch politically with the state she represents. Trump’s last campaign rally for the 2018 midterms was for Hawley in Missouri on Monday night.
Also central to Hawley’s strategy was the Senate’s role in confirming Supreme Court justices, which came into even sharper focus with the bitter battle over Brett Kavanaugh, whom McCaskill opposed.
From the beginning, McCaskill faced a challenging political landscape in her bid for re-election. Missouri has trended progressively more Republican since her last race in 2012.
Watch below: Democratic incumbent concedes to GOP challenger
There’s still a lot to watch in tonight’s elections
From CNN's Eric BradnerTonight’s focus has now shifted out West, where Democrats hope to pick off their first Republican-held Senate seats and grow their majority in the House.
The two major Senate contests on the board are Arizona, where Republican Rep. Martha McSally faces Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema in the open-seat race, and Nevada, where Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen is challenging GOP Sen. Dean Heller.
On the House side, California is the major battleground, with Democrats hoping to win a half-dozen or more seats – including several in and around Orange County, once a bastion of conservatism. Democrats have two House pick-up opportunities in Washington state, as well.
There are some tight East Coast races left to watch, as well. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is holding onto a narrow lead of less than a percentage point in the Florida Senate race against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.
So the night’s not over. CNN will continue streaming in the video player above.
Pelosi to Democrats: "Thanks to you tomorrow will be a new day in America"
From CNN's Dan Merica
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, taking the stage to cheer Democrats taking the House, was greeted with chants of “Speaker, Speaker, Speaker,” telling Democratic campaign aides, legislative staffers and top donors in Washington, DC, on Tuesday that they have guaranteed “ tomorrow will be a new day in America.”
Pelosi, flanked by her leadership team, family and DNC chair Tom Perez, applauded the party’s “dynamic, diverse, incredible candidates who have taken back the House for the American people.”
“Remember this feeling, know the power to win,” she added.
What was clear seconds after Pelosi took the microphone, however, was the looming leadership fight that could roil Democrats in the House. Chants of “Speaker, Speaker, Speaker” broke out as Pelosi took the stage and a few aides yelled “Speaker” in the middle of Pelosi’s speech.
Pelosi did not acknowledge the chants.
“Today, the American people have spoken to restore that vision,” Pelosi said after outlining Democratic priorities.
Watch the moment:
Rep. Jerrold Nadler: Trump is “going to learn he’s not above the law”
From CNN's Manu Raju
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who is slated to chair the House Judiciary Committee, said “it’s way too early” to be talking about impeaching President Trump but he wouldn’t rule it out — depending on what special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe finds.
Nadler continued: “He’s going to learn that he’s not above the law.”
He said that his committee would probe the administration’s family separation policy, gun safety, environmental laws and health care policies — the failure to defend the affordable care act in the Supreme Court.
He said if the administration tries to interfere with the Mueller probe, his panel will try to protect the inquiry and push the administration to preserve the records.
Nadler said that his committee is “not planning to do impeachment proceedings…. We’ll see where the mueller investigation goes.”
“I think it’s way too early to talk about impeachment,” Nadler said. “We have to see what the Mueller investigation comes up with.”
He said there are still open questions — about whether Trump worked with the Russians or obstructed justice.
“If there are no longer open questions, then we will have to make judgement and we will go from there.”
Aide says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just spoke with President Trump
From CNN's Phil Mattingly
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump spoke by phone a short while ago, according to an aide, who characterized it as “a great conversation” in which McConnell thanked the President for all of his help in the Senate races.
CNN reports that the GOP has maintained control of the Senate.
Democrats flip governor’s seat in Michigan
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won the Michigan governor’s race, CNN projects, ending Republicans’ eight-year tenure in office as Rick Snyder exits the Statehouse.
Whitmer, 47, campaigned on a pledge to nail the basics, like water quality and infrastructure – with a slogan of “Fix the damn roads.”
She fended off a progressive primary competitor.
Republican Mike DeWine will win Ohio governor’s race
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Mike DeWine will keep the Ohio governor’s office in Republican hands, CNN projects, defeating Democrat Richard Cordray in a race that tested whether the rightward drift that helped President Donald Trump win Ohio by 9 percentage points could last.
The two were running to replace outgoing Ohio Gov. John Kasich, one of Trump’s most strident critics within the GOP and a potential 2020 presidential primary challenger.
The 71-year-old DeWine is among the best-known figures in Ohio politics. The former senator, congressman and lieutenant governor is now attorney general.
Alabama passes amendment about the Ten Commandments, CNN projects
Voters in Alabama will vote in favor of an amendment to the state’s Constitution that would authorize the display of the Ten Commandments on state, public and school grounds, prohibiting the spending of public funds to defend the constitutionality of this amendment, and providing for certain religious rights and liberties, CNN projects.
You can read more ballot measure results here.
Republican Ron DeSantis will become Florida's next governor
From CNN's Greg Krieg
Republican Ron DeSantis will win the race to become Florida’s 46th governor, CNN projects, defeating Democrat Andrew Gillum to become the state’s fourth consecutive GOP chief executive.
By outlasting Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor vying to become Florida’s first African American governor, DeSantis also gave a boost to President Donald Trump, who campaigned for the former congressman at two events in the final days before the election – and whose endorsement DeSantis traded on to win the nomination over the establishment favorite, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
Democrats will take control of the House
From CNN's Eric Bradner and Dan Merica
Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years, CNN projects, gaining new power to challenge President Donald Trump for the next two years of his presidency.
Republicans are projected to keep the Senate, setting up a divided Congress until the 2020 elections.
The Democratic path to victory has run straight through the nation’s suburbs, where the party has seized on deep antipathy towards Trump. Early victories in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Miami, Detroit, Denver, Philadelphia and New Jersey have anchored Democratic wins on Tuesday evening.
Watch: CNN’s Jake Tapper calls a Democratic House a big, “annoying” problem for Trump
Empire State Building turns red, white and blue
From CNN's Christina ZdanowiczIn honor of the 2018 midterm elections, the iconic Empire State Building shone red, white and blue over the New York City skyline.
Since 1976, the building has changed colors to recognize various occasions over the years.
“The system is capable of displaying 16 million colors, which can change instantaneously,” according to the Empire State Building’s website.
The Forecast: The House still looks like a wave
Analysis by CNN's Harry EntenFlorida governor’s and Senate races move to likely Republican (from lean Republican).
I don’t really see how Democrats Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson make up this deficit.
But as for the US House? This looks like a wave to me. Democrats will likely have a net gain of 35 to 45 seats.
They need only a net gain of 23.
Watch below: Where things stand for control of the House
Abrams trailing as they count the votes in Georgia governor's race
From CNN's Greg Krieg
Republican Brian Kemp is well ahead in his quest to keep Georgia’s governor’s mansion red.
He has been leading Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams all night and, if he can hold on to a majority of the vote, he could win the race outright tonight.
A two-term secretary of state, Kemp has faced withering criticism from Democrats over his decision to stay in his job as the state’s chief elections official while running for its top office.
Tensions over Kemp’s handling of the race blew up on Sunday morning when his office leveled an accusation, without evidence, that implicated Georgia Democrats in “a failed attempt to hack the state’s voter registration system.” Days later, there is still no proof, but Democrats in Georgia will feel they were unfairly forced to divert their resources to pushing back against the claim.
Abrams’ bid for history – she would be the first female African American governor in US history – has attracted national attention and visits from leading 2020 contenders like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
She campaigned with Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama came to Atlanta for a rally last week.
The highest profile out-of-towners to back Kemp were President Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio – one for the MAGA crowd and one for the more traditionally conservative business crowd.
Watch below: More on Stacey Abrams
CNN projection: Democrats pick up 3 House seats, Republicans pick up one
Democrats have picked up three more House seats, and the Republicans picked up one, CNN projects. They are:
- Democrat Susan Wild will win in Pennsylvania’s 7th District
- Democrat Colin Allred will win in Texas’ 32nd District
- Democrat Elaine Luria will win in Virginia’s 2nd District
- Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican, will win in Pennsylvania’s 14th District
Where things stand: Democrats need to pick up 9 Republican-held seats to win the House.
Watch below: The latest projections for the House in favor of Democrats
Republicans have retained control of the Senate, CNN projects
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Republicans will maintain control of the Senate after ousting Democratic senators in Indiana and North Dakota, CNN projects.
Republicans staved off Democratic challenges in Tennessee and Texas, eliminating the Democrats’ path to the two-seat gain they needed to claim the majority.
Watch below: Republicans hang on to control of the Senate
Sen. Ted Cruz will defeat Beto O’Rourke, CNN projects
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Sen. Ted Cruz will defeat Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke in the race for Senate in Texas, CNN projects, holding off the progressive online fundraising sensation and leaving Democrats who hoped to snap a 24-year statewide losing streak disappointed again.
Watch below: Tapper, Blitzer react to Ted Cruz victory
Heidi Heitkamp ousted from Senate by Republican Kevin Cramer
From CNN's Dan Merica
Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer will win his bid to be the next senator from North Dakota, CNN can project, ousting incumbent Democrat Heidi Heitkamp and dealing a significant blow to Democrats’ prospect at taking control of the Senate.
Heitkamp, in the closing months of the campaign, was widely considered the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the Senate, given Trump won North Dakota by 36 percentage points.
That position was cemented when, weeks before Election Day, her campaign mistakenly identified sexual assault survivors in an ad, forcing the Democrats to emotionally apologize and promise to make up for the mistake.
Sarah Sanders: "It's been a good night for the President"
From CNN's Allie Malloy and Jeremy Diamond
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders offered a cautiously optimistic outlook as midterm results continued to roll in tonight.
Sanders touted several of the early gains, particularly Indiana Senate GOP candidate Mike Braun’s win and Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr’s re-election, arguing that the President’s support made a difference in those races. She also pointed to how close the Florida gubernatorial and Senate races are as a positive.
But Sanders couched all of her positive comments with some key qualifiers: “So far,” “right now” and “up until this point.”
“We feel good about where we are right now. Still a lot of evening to go, maybe some early morning as well,” she said.
Sanders also quoted Democratic strategist James Carville, who earlier tonight said on MSNBC that 2018 was not going to be a wave election for Democrats. Instead, Sanders said there could be “maybe a ripple.”
Asked whether the President would call House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and offer to work with her if Democrats take back control of the House, Sanders suggested he would not.
“I’m not sure why he would call Nancy Pelosi,” Sanders said, pointing out that several Democratic candidates said they wouldn’t back her for speaker if they were elected.
Democrats pick up four more seats in the House, CNN projects
Democrats just picked up four more seats in the House, CNN can project, with wins in Kansas, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New York.
- Sharice Davids will win in Kansas’ Third District
- Chrissy Houlahan will win in Pennsylvania’s 6th District
- Dean Phillips will win in Minnesota’s Third District
- Max Rose will win in New York’s 11th District
Where things stand: Democrats now need to pick up 11 Republican-held seat to win the House majority.
Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar will be the first Muslim women in Congress
From CNN's Eli Watkins
A pair of districts in the Midwest will add Muslim women to the ranks of the US Congress for the first time, CNN has projected.
Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nominee, will secure their respective seats in strongly Democratic districts following primary victories earlier this year that effectively decided their races.
Only two other Muslims have been elected to Congress, and both are men currently in office: Rep. Keith Ellison and Indiana Democratic Rep. Andre Carson.
Read more on their races here.
Watch below: Two women, two historic victories
Colorado elects nation's first openly gay governor, CNN projects
Colorado Democratic US Rep. Jared Polis will be his state’s next governor, becoming the nation’s first openly gay man elected to a governor’s mansion, CNN has projected
Democrat Laura Kelly will defeat Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach
From CNN's Greg Krieg
Democratic Kansas state Sen. Laura Kelly has been elected the state’s next governor, CNN projects, defeating Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
Kobach’s loss is a blow to both Kansas Republicans, who hadn’t lost a statewide race in nearly a decade, and President Donald Trump, who enlisted Kobach as an adviser soon after winning the 2016 election and then made him the leader of a panel on voter fraud after taking office.
4 more Democratic pickups in the House, CNN projects
Democrats just picked up four more House seats, CNN can project. They are:
- Haley Stevens will win in Michigan’s 11th District
- Jason Crow will win in Colorado’s 6th District
- Mikie Sherrill will win in New Jersey’s 11th District
- Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will win in Florida’s 26th District
Where things stand: Democrats must now pick up 15 Republican-held seats to win the majority.
Billionaire projected to win Illinois governor's race
From CNN's Fredreka Schouten
CNN projects Democrat J.B. Pritzker will beat Illinois’ Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in a race that made history even before the polls closed.
Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, had poured more than $170 million of his own money into the race, making him the nation’s biggest political self-funder.
Rauner, a multimillionaire in his own right, also put tens of millions of his fortune into his re-election bid.
But Rauner’s tenure in blue-tinged Illinois was marked by clashes with the Democrats who control the state legislature, and the state failed to pass a budget for more than two years.
Florida voters will pass felon voting rights amendment
Florida voters will approve a measure in the state that restores voting rights to felons not convicted of murder or a sexual offense after completing their sentences, including parole or probation, CNN projects.
CNN previously reported that according to the nonprofit Sentencing Project’s estimate, about 6.1 million people are forbidden to vote around the nation because of a felony conviction. And Florida is home to a quarter of them.
You can read more ballot measure results here.
The Democrats' path to winning Senate control is closing
From CNN's Eric BradnerDemocrats’ path to a Senate majority is rapidly closing after Republicans took a Democratic-held seat in Indiana and easily fended off a Democratic challenge in Tennessee.
With Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson narrowly trailing in Florida, the party’s opportunities to net the two seats they need to take Senate control are evaporating.
Arizona and Nevada are two GOP-held seats Democrats could win – but they might need those just to make up for earlier losses.
Ocasio-Cortez will become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress
From CNN's Eli Watkins
New York Democratic congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will win her general election race easily and become the youngest woman ever in Congress, CNN has projected.
Having turned 29 last month, Ocasio-Cortez will inch out the previous holder of the distinction, New York Democratic Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was elected to Congress at age 30.
Watch Ocasio-Cortez’s path to an historic victory:
Read more about Ocasio-Cortez’s race here.
Jake Tapper: "This is not a blue wave"
From CNN's Josiah RyanWith numbers still flowing in this evening, CNN’s Jake Tapper said that results so far do not indicate the “blue wave” many Democrats had hoped for and predicted.
In particular Tapper pointed to the race in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District as an indicator of how the night is going. In that race, Republican Andy Barr successfully fended Democratic challenger Amy McGrath.
“It does look as though Republicans have been able to build something of a wall in certain parts of the country, especially in these states that President Trump won,” said Tapper, surveying broader swath of races across the country. “That said, Democrats still have a decent chance of winning back the House.”
CNN political commentator Van Jones called some of the losses as “heartbreaking.”
“This is not over. People need to stay out there and continue the fight,” he said.
Watch more:
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin wins re-election in Wisconsin
From CNN's Eric Bradner and Paul LeBlanc
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin bested her Republican challenger Leah Vukmir, CNN projects, overcoming a late push from President Donald Trump to mobilize Republican voters in the state.
Her win came in a state Democrats were determined to move back into their column after Trump toppled the “blue wall” of Midwestern states – Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania – two years earlier.
Watch below: Wisconsin Democrat claims Senate victory
GOP’s Mike Braun defeats Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Republican Mike Braun will defeat Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana, CNN projects, giving Republicans a major pick-up to bolster their Senate majority in a state President Donald Trump won handily two years earlier.
Trump’s 19 percentage point victory in Indiana underscored just how difficult the state would be for a Democrat to hold in 2018.
Watch: GOP picks up a big seat in Senate
Exit polls: Voters didn't support Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court
From CNN's Z. Byron Wolf
Almost half of voters opposed Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, according to preliminary data from CNN’s national exit polls.
A little over 40% supported his appointment. Around half of men supported Kavanaugh’s confirmation compared to fewer than 40% of women who voted in this election, a significant gender divide.
On Roe v. Wade, two-thirds of 2018 voters said they would like to keep the landmark Supreme Court decision in place while only a quarter want it overturned. More than 80% said that sexual harassment is a very or somewhat serious problem in our country today and almost half said it’s very serious.
Watch below: What voters say about Kavanaugh’s confirmation
GOP's Marsha Blackburn withstands challenge from Bredesen to win Tennessee Senate race
From CNN's Dan Merica
Rep. Marsha Blackburn will win the race to represent Tennessee in the US Senate, CNN can project, outlasting a challenge from former Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat who looked to run against his party to win in a state President Donald Trump won by 26 percentage points in 2016.
She will be the first female senator from the state.
Democrats had hoped to pick up Tennessee as part of a narrow path to retaking the Senate.
Watch CNN’s Political Director David Chalian explain why the Tennessee seat was a big loss for Democrats:
There's higher support for Trump in these key states
From CNN's Z. Byron Wolf
In Indiana, around half of voters approve of the job Trump is doing as President around the same as in Missouri, slightly higher than the nationwide average.
Both states feature tight Senate races where Democrats are trying to hold on to seats in states Trump won in 2016.
Voters in Indiana and Missouri are split between whether their vote for Senate was in support of the President, opposition, or whether Trump isn’t a factor in their vote. Around a third in both states said that their Senate vote was in opposition to Trump while around three-in-ten said it was in support of him or Trump wasn’t a factor.
Democrat Joe Manchin wins re-election in West Virginia
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Sen. Joe Manchin will win re-election in West Virginia, CNN projects, defeating Republican challenger Patrick Morrisey and keeping in Democratic hands a seat in a state that voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump.
West Virginia was long seen as a top Republican target for one reason: Trump won there by 42 percentage points in 2016.
The state, once a Democratic stronghold, has become so heavily Republican that the sitting governor, Jim Justice, switched to the GOP last year.
Manchin, though, built a reputation as one of the Senate’s most conservative Democrats. He broke with the rest of the party to vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, though he waited to announce his position until Kavanaugh’s confirmation was already guaranteed.
Republican Andy Barr wins re-election in closely watched Kentucky 6th
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Republican Rep. Andy Barr will hold off a challenge from Democratic former Marine combat pilot Amy McGrath in Kentucky’s Lexington-based 6th District, CNN projects.
Barr’s win comes in a district President Donald Trump carried by 15 percentage points in 2016. It was seen as a must-win for the GOP’s hopes of holding onto control of the House.
McGrath, who defeated Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in a Democratic primary, was part of a surprisingly strong crop of Democratic political newcomers, many of whom had military experience.
Watch analysis below:
The Forecast: Florida's governor and Senate races are leaning Republican
Analysis from CNN's Harry Enten
The Florida governor race and the state’s Senate race have moved to lean Republican, from toss-ups.
Democrats Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson have to hope there are a lot of votes left in Broward County. (But CNN’s Harry Enten is betting against it.)
Watch below: John King breaks down latest Florida results
These 4 Democratic senators will win re-election, CNN projects
Four Democratic senators will win re-election, CNN projects. They are:
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar in Minnesota
- Sen. Martin Heinrich in New Mexico
- Sen. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in New York
Watch below: Latest projections for key Senate seats
The mood at Trump’s watch party is "good," source says
From CNN's Pamela Brown
A White House source described the mood at President Trump’s watch party in the White House as “good,” adding one main reason is because it’s still early in the night.
The source echoed what other White House officials are saying tonight — that if anyone learned anything from 2016, it’s to not make assumptions based on exit polls.
As of 20 to 30 minutes ago, Trump was not there yet.
Sen. Sherrod Brown calls his win the "blueprint for our nation in 2020"
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, in his victory speech, referred to his victory as “the blueprint for our nation in 2020” — a line certain to spark 2020 presidential speculation around the populist lawmaker.
Here’s how he closed his speech (note the last line):
Ted Cruz arrives at his headquarters -- and possible victory rally
From CNN's Jasmine Wright
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has arrived at his headquarters —- and possible victory rally — at the Hilton Post Oak in Houston, a source close to the campaign confirms.
Along with his family, he’ll head straight upstairs to his suite then to their war room in the building to continue to watch the results trickle in.
Watch below: High stakes in Texas Senate race
3 more CNN projections in governor's races
CNN just projected three more governor’s races – in Tennessee, Arkansas and Rhode Island.
- Republican Bill Lee will win his race for Tennessee governor
- Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson will win re-election
- Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo wins re-election in Rhode Island
Donna Shalala will defeat Republican Maria Elvira Salazar, CNN projects
From CNN's Greg Krieg
For the first time in three decades, Florida’s 27th congressional district will be represented by a Democrat, CNN projects, as the longtime University of Miami president Donna Shalala will defeat Republican Maria Elvira Salazar.
Shalala, who served as the secretary of health and human services during the Clinton administration and more recently headed the Clinton Foundation, flipped the seat in a district Hillary Clinton won by 20 percentage points in 2016.
Watch below: The challenges both candidates faced
White House officials are watching the Florida gubernatorial race closely
From CNN's Pam Brown
White House officials are watching the Florida governor’s race closely as early results come rolling in favoring Democrat Andrew Gillum.
An official said the White House is aware that the governor of Florida is one of the important offices going into the re-elect.
Asked what reaction is to early results in Florida, White House officials keep saying it’s too early to tell.
When asked about early results in Kentucky’s 6th congressional district favoring Democrat Amy McGrath, another White House official responded, “Deep breaths.”
Watch below: This man could be Florida’s first black governor
Florida's governor and Senate races are neck and neck
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Florida’s Senate and gubernatorial races are neck and neck after the first hour of results.
Republicans lead in both races by less than a percentage point with 85% of precincts reporting. However, Florida’s panhandle — a rich source of GOP votes — is on Central time and polls just closed there. And many more results are still to come from population centers like Miami, Tampa and Orlando.
Andrew Gillum, who is seeking to become the first black governor of Florida, faces Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, outgoing Gov. Rick Scott is the Republican challenging Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
Watch below: Latest updates from key Florida, Texas races
The Forecast: Florida races for governor and Senate are leaning Democratic
Analysis from CNN's Harry Enten
The Florida governor’s race and the state’s Senate race move from toss-ups to lean Democratic: there’s still a long way to go in both races, but Democrats Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson, respectively, are doing well in early returns. The US Senate – likely Republican. Democrats need a net gain of two seats for control. At this point, that looks unlikely.
The big question for Nelson and Gillum is what happens now that the polls have closed in the Panhandle. That should be good for Republican Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott.
It's 8 p.m. ET. Polls just closed in 16 states as well as parts of Kansas, Michigan and Texas
If you haven’t tuned in yet, this is the time (we’re making that easy – CNN is streaming for free in the video player above).
Control of the Senate on the line: The Senate majority could come down to two key races in states where the last polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
Tennessee is one of Democrats’ best pick-up opportunities on the map. Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen has repeatedly pledged to work with Trump in a bid to court moderate Republicans away from GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
And Missouri, where Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill faces Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley, is one of the GOP’s three or so (along with North Dakota and Indiana) best pick-up opportunities.
It’s also the most crucial hour for House control. This could also be the hour in which the next House begins to take shape. The two major battlegrounds are Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
6 Democratic senators and 2 governors will win re-election, CNN projects
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren will coast to re-election in Massachusetts, defeating Republican challenger Geoff Diehl, CNN projects.
All eyes now turn to Warren’s 2020 plans: She’s been among the most open Democrats about the prospect of a presidential bid, visiting early primary states and saying she’d been motivated by President Donald Trump’s election.
Five more Democratic senators will also win re-election:
- Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware
- Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland
- Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
- Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut
- Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio
Two governors will win re-election as well:
- Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker
- Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf
Watch below: CNN projects 6 Democrats win re-election
The Forecast: Democrats are winning the districts they need to win
Analysis from CNN's Harry EntenSo far, signs are that Democrats are winning the districts they need to win to get a majority at night’s end.
Status remains: Lean Democratic.
Indiana Senate remains a toss-up, as our internal modeling continues to suggest that Democrat Joe Donnelly will make this much closer.
Democrats take their first House seat from Republicans in a key Virginia race, CNN projects
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock will be ousted from her northern Virginia seat by Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Wexton, CNN projects.
Comstock’s district in the Washington suburbs was seen as a must-win by Democrats in their bid to make a net gain of 23 seats and take control of the House. The district was ground zero in Democrats’ surge in Virginia’s 2017 state-level elections. It was also the site where House and Senate Democrats unveiled their policy agenda for the 2018 midterms.
In part because of its position in the DC suburbs, the 10th District race was among the nation’s most expensive. Wexton aggressively linked Comstock to Trump’s policies.
Watch below: CNN projects GOP incumbent unseated
Trump is mad at Paul Ryan about “everything," source says
From CNN's Jim Acosta
President Trump is already blaming House Speaker Paul Ryan for what the President’s team is expecting to be a bad night for the GOP in the House, two sources close to the White House said.
When asked about what, the source said, “everything.”
Trump obviously didn’t like Ryan distancing himself from the President on immigration. But it goes beyond that. Other sources close to the White House say Trump and his team are disappointed in GOP congressional fundraising and are blaming tonight on that as well.
A source close to the speaker pushed back on this:
On the question of whether Paul Ryan retired too early, the source says Wisconsin has one of the latest filing deadlines in the country, and those states with later filing deadlines the source added those members filed for re-election.
The source also noted more than 40 members retired before Ryan announced he would retire.
As for complaints about Ryan’s fundraising efforts, the source said the speaker brought in a record breaking haul…$110 million this cycle. The source also noted that Ryan and the Super PAC raise an additional $153 million, another record.
A separate source close to the White House said aides to Trump held a conference call with surrogates earlier this afternoon and blamed three factors: History, fundraising and retirements.
But the blame game had begun. And the White House is pointing the finger at Ryan. The uneasy marriage between the President and the speaker appears to be falling apart.
Note: This post has been updated.
Candidates are reminding everyone to stay in line — even after polls close
From CNN's Gisela CrespoCandidates on social media are reminding voters that even if a polling location closes, it is legally required to allow voters who are already waiting in line to cast their votes.
Democratic candidate for governor of Florida Andrew Gillum tweeted: “It’s your right to make your voice heard! If you’re in line by 7pm, stay there — you are legally entitled to vote. Let’s #bringithome, Florida!”
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florid also took to Twitter to encourage voters to “#StayInLine until you vote”
Watch below: Why voting in the US is so hard
GOP House campaign chair predicted "slim majority" this afternoon
From CNN's Eric BradnerSteve Stivers, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, predicted that “we hold a slim majority” in a 12:59 p.m. ET email to staff this afternoon.
We know that this rallying-the-troops message is not even close to unanimous at the NRCC or among Republican strategists more broadly.
Watch: All that is at risk if Republicans lose Congress
Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia
It’s 7:30 p.m. ET and polls have now closed in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.
A Midwestern state-level resurgence? Democratic former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head Richard Cordray will try to win the governor’s office in Ohio, a state Trump won by 9 percentage points in 2016. He faces Republican state Attorney General Mike DeWine. It’s the first of several such tests for Democrats, who also hope to reverse GOP gains in Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Mike Pence's brother will win his former congressional seat in Indiana
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Mike Pence’s older brother Greg Pence will win the vice president’s former congressional seat in Indiana, CNN projects.
Greg Pence was elected in the deep-red 6th District to replace former Rep. Luke Messer, who vacated the seat in a failed bid for the Republican Senate nomination.
White House officials are downplaying the polls and expressing skepticism
From CNN's Pam Brown
The sun sets behind the West Wing of the White House on Election Day.
As they await results, White House officials are downplaying the polls and expressing skepticism, pointing to polls in 2016 as being off the mark.
They are hopeful it’s the same situation this time around.
The source also says President Trump is “laying low now and watching TV like the rest of us.”
Polls close in 6 states and most of Florida
From CNN's Eric Bradner and Dan Merica
Polls just closed in six states and most of Florida, which means we might start to see some early signs of where the House is going.
Keep your eyes on Virginia: Virginia might be the most important early sign of where the House is going. The Democrats’ must-win there is in the 10th District, where strategists in both parties say Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock is unlikely to hold onto her seat in the DC suburbs. Republican Rep. Scott Taylor’s race in the Norfolk-area 2nd District, though, is a much better bellwether for the national environment. And if the GOP Rep. Dave Brat loses in the 7th District outside Richmond – or even if he’s in a tight race – it could be an early sign of a building Democratic wave.
Democrats saw one more district in Virginia emerge as competitive late in the cycle: the 5th District, where former journalist Leslie Cockburn takes on Republican Denver Riggleman, an Air Force veteran and distillery owner. A Democratic win here would be a sign of a tidal wave threatening to wipe out Republicans whose races weren’t even on the national radar.
The Atlanta suburbs feature two wave-maker districts – if Democrats win either, it’d mean they’re in for a big night. In Georgia’s 6th District, Republican Rep. Karen Handel – who won a ballyhooed special election against Jon Ossoff last year – faces Lucy McBath, a challenger whose unarmed son was shot and killed over a dispute about loud music. And in the 7th District, Republicans are furious that Rep. Rob Woodall never took his race seriously. “If you don’t think it behooves you to put paid media on air, we’re not going to come help you. We’re not a welfare organization,” a Republican official said.
Also keep your eye on a few wave-makers in Florida. The Tampa-area 15th District is an open seat that emerged as competitive late – so late, in fact, that Republicans couldn’t afford a rescue effort. On the Atlantic coast side, the 6th District’s open-seat contest for former Rep. Ron DeSantis’ old seat is another potential Democratic pick-up that would suggest the party is soaring past the 23 seats it needs for a House majority. If either of Republican Reps. Brian Mast or Vern Buchanan lose, it’s another sign that Democrats are on the path to winning the House.
House battleground: Miami. South Florida is the site of two House battlegrounds. In the 26th District, GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo has run well to his party’s left on issues like climate change and immigration, and Republicans need him to survive. In the 27th District, what should be an easy Democratic pick-up has become daunting, as former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala – the non-Spanish-speaking Democratic candidate in a majority Hispanic district – faces former Spanish-language broadcast journalist Maria Elvira Salazar.
History-makers. In Georgia, the headliner is the governor’s race between Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams, an emerging Democratic star who has combined a progressive platform with an appeal to black voters – all with a chance to become the nation’s first black female governor. If neither candidate tops 50%, the race will head to a runoff.
In Florida, a small portion of the panhandle is in Central time, so we’ll need to wait an extra hour for full results to come in for the governor’s race between Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a progressive favorite, and DeSantis, who has aligned himself so closely with Trump that this is a potential preview of 2020.
Democrats’ Senate must-wins. The Florida Senate contest, with Republican Gov. Rick Scott challenging Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, is one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched – and if Nelson loses, it would severely diminish Democrats’ shot at a majority.
A Midwestern state-level resurgence? Democratic former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head Richard Cordray will try to win the governor’s office in Ohio, a state Trump won by 9 percentage points in 2016. He faces Republican state Attorney General Mike DeWine. It’s the first of several such tests for Democrats, who also hope to reverse GOP gains in Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Watch below: Three-term Democrat tries to hang on in Florida
Tim Kaine wins re-election in Virginia
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine will win re-election, CNN projects, defeating Republican challenger Corey Stewart, a vocal defender of confederate monuments.
The 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee was never seriously challenged in a race that the national GOP stopped taking seriously after watching Democrat Ralph Northam coast to the governorship a year ago.
Stewart, a Minnesota native is the chairman of the Prince William County board of supervisors, campaigned on defending a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville and defending the display of the Confederate flag as part of Virginia’s “heritage.”
National Republicans declined to back Stewart, and strategists working on House races fretted that his presence on the top of the ticket would damage several GOP incumbents in the state.
Watch below: First CNN projections after polls close
Bernie Sanders wins re-election in Vermont
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
Re-enter Sandman.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders will win a third term, CNN projects, setting the state for a possible second presidential run in 2020. Sanders will easily defeat Republican challenger Lawrence Zupan and more than a half-dozen other candidates.
Sanders campaigned vigorously for Democrats up and down the ballot, and across the country, during the midterm season. He visited nine states in nine days last month, a number of them — like Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada and California — 2020 primary battlegrounds.
But as the new Congress comes into shape, a year of relative détente in Democratic politics is expected to come to a swift end. The rumored 2020 contenders, who have quietly begun to position themselves ahead of the presidential primary, will now more openly begin to build out their political operations and jockey for position with potential rivals.
Sanders enters this phase with a national network of supporters and a more developed operation than he had at this time four years ago. But the competition, if he runs, will be different: More and more varied candidates, perhaps dozens of them, are expected to run.
This election night will be more low-key for Sanders, who is watching the returns at home in Burlington with his family before making his way to the Vermont Democratic Party event later to speak and mingle as the results come in from around the country.
For this night, though, he is a clear winner. A back-bencher transformed over a few years into one of the left’s leading figures — and, as of next year, a three-term US Senator.
Watch below: First CNN projections after polls close
Voters have mixed views of Trump's agenda, exit polls show
From CNN's Grace SparksThe election was very much about President Donald Trump, as many voters cast their ballot specifically to oppose or support him. Similarly, reviews of his agenda and his accomplishments were mixed.
About half of voters said that Trump’s immigration policies are too tough, while around a third think they’re just right and few, only about 15%, think he’s not tough enough, according to preliminary results from CNN’s national exit polls.
The tax law passed by Republicans and touted by Trump hasn’t had a lot of impact on American voters’ personal finances, according to the poll.
Close to half say they’ve seen no impact, while around three-in-10 said the law has helped and a quarter report the tax law has hurt them.
For his trade policies, which include new tariffs imposed on foreign countries and an update to NAFTA, about a third say they’ve had no impact on the economy in their area, but about 30% said that his trade policies have hurt them. A quarter indicate that his trade policies have helped their area’s economy.
Extremist violence was a factor in many votes in 2018
From CNN's Grace SparksAround three-quarters of voters said that extremist violence was an important factor in their vote for the US House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to preliminary CNN exit data.
A quarter said it was the most important factor, and half said it was an important factor. Few said that extremist violence is a minor or not a factor to their vote.
Another three-quarters of 2018 voters said that Americans are becoming more divided politically. Fewer than 1 in 10 think the country is becoming more united, and slightly more say the country is staying about the same.
Voters want more women and racial minorities elected to public office
From CNN's Grace SparksAlmost 80% of voters said that it’s very or somewhat important that more women be elected to public office and almost half said it’s very important.
Slightly more women than men placed a priority on electing more women to public office, but not by much.
Slightly fewer but around seven-in-ten said that it’s very or somewhat important for racial and ethnic minorities to be elected to public office. Around two-thirds of white voters said it’s important to elect more minorities while around 80% of African Americans agreed.
Watch below: Congress could get its first Native American woman
Most voters, particularly Democrats, want major changes in health care
From CNN's Tamy LuhbyRoughly four in 10 voters listed health as their top concern, according to preliminary results from CNN’s national exit poll – and this was especially true among Democrats.
More surprising is that roughly seven in 10 voters said they wanted major changes to the nation’s health care system, with more Democrats feeling this way than Republicans. Among voters who felt that health care needs minor or no changes, the majority were Republicans.
This is a huge swing from two years ago, when President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans saw their big wins at the polls as a mandate to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The effort ultimately failed, though the Trump administration continues to undermine the landmark health reform law through regulatory changes.
This election, however, revolved around retaining Obamacare’s key provisions that protect those with pre-existing conditions. Democratic candidates repeatedly attacked their Republican rivals as jeopardizing the health insurance of millions of Americans who are or have been sick. The popularity of these Obamacare protections forced Republican candidates to promise to uphold these measures.
Many voters weren’t convinced. More than half said Democrats would better protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, while only one-third said Republicans would.
Watch below: Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains the debate over Medicaid
A border patrol crowd control exercise was canceled today "out of an abundance of caution," spokesperson says
From CNN's Geneva SandsA “crowd control” exercise was canceled today “out of an abundance of caution and due to inaccurate reporting that caused unneeded confusion in border communities,” according to Corry Schiermeyer, spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection.
Some context: The agency came under fire from the American Civil Liberties Union who criticized the timing of the planned exercise. In an interview with the Washington Post, Executive Director of the ACLU Texas, Terri Burke said “the location, next to a totally Hispanic neighborhood, is suspicious.” Burke also stated that Governor Abbott’s administration “have done quite enough to intimidate voters without staging military rehearsals on the day our nation exercises our most important democratic obligation: voting.”
In a tweet from the ACLU on Tuesday, the organization said that “it shouldn’t have taken outrage from US congressmen, and the community for them to recognize that this would cause serious problems on #Election Day.”
There was a sunset rainbow in Washington on Election Day
As Washington, D.C. voters left polling places on Tuesday evening, they were treated to the unexpected view of a rainbow set against a scarlet sunset.
“Is this an auspicious sign from the heavens on Election Day?” one voter posted on Instagram.
The Forecast: Why we're watching Kentucky's 6th district
Analysis from CNN's Harry EntenThe only notable House race where polls have closed is in Kentucky’s 6th district, where Democrat Amy McGrath is challenging Republican Rep. Andy Barr. Almost all the polls and prognosticators point to a very close race. Republicans almost certainly need to hold it to maintain a House majority. If Democrats win there, it’s a very good early sign for them.
Click here for more from The Forecast.
Exit polls: Most voters feel good or great about the economy
From CNN's Z. Byron WolfPresident Trump has repeatedly highlighted how good the economy is doing under his watch.
Many voters agreed: More than two-thirds said the economy is excellent or good, though Republicans were much more likely to feel that way, according to preliminary results from CNN’s national exit poll.
Just under a third of voters said the economy is not good or poor, and about 85% of them were Democrats.
The economy, however, was not the key issue for many voters this midterm election. It ranked third, behind health care and immigration but well ahead of gun policy. The economy mattered more to Republicans than Democrats.
Nearly half of voters felt their financial situation is the same as it was two years ago. Just over a third said it was better, while a little less than 15% said it was worse.
Republicans were initially running on the tax cut package they passed at the end of 2017, though that fervor faded as the midterms approached. Voters were more muted about the tax cuts’ effect on their lives. Nearly half said it had no impact, while just under a quarter said it hurt them. Just over a quarter said they were helped by the tax cuts.
Meghan McCain remembers her dad on Election Day
Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Sen. John McCain, tweeted a photo of her father on Tuesday afternoon.
In the photo, Sen. McCain cradled Meghan, then 15 days old, while at the polls.
“My first Election Day of my life without you - miss you so much today Dad. Thank you for always involving me in our amazing American political process and bringing me everywhere you went,” McCain wrote.
Here’s the tweet:
Watch below: Why John McCain was a politician unlike any other
Voters decided a long time ago, exit poll shows
From CNN's Jennifer Agiesta, Tami Luhby and Grace SparksA big majority of voters, about two-thirds, made their 2018 election decision before the last month, according to preliminary exit poll results.
Only one-in-five said they decided in the last month and even fewer said they made up their minds in the last few days or last week.
About four-in-five have voted in a midterm election before, but about 15% said that this is the first time they’ve voted in a midterm. About 10% said they were first-time voters in the 2016 election.
He was told he couldn't vote in his Trump shirt, so he voted without it
From CNN's Christina ZdanowiczA man was asked to remove his Trump shirt before voting at the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Department in South Carolina, according to Todd Price, who was in line to vote.
“When this gentleman got up to the poll worker, they told him he couldn’t come in with his shirt on, so he just took it off, tossed it down on the ground there and voted shirtless and then came out and put it back on,” Price told CNN.
But here’s the thing: South Carolina Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire told CNN the man’s shirt did not violate the rules about campaign materials because the T-shirt advertised Donald Trump, who is not on the Midterm election ballot.
“The shirt in question didn’t relate to a candidate in this election,” Whitmire told CNN. “It’s an understandable mistake. Poll managers are volunteers that are working hard out there, trying to do the right thing. If you closely read the handbook on campaign material, that didn’t violate the definition of material.”
JUST IN: Polls are closed in most of Indiana and Kentucky
From CNN's Dan Merica and Eric Bradner
Polls have closed in most of Indiana and Kentucky. Parts of both states are in the Central time zone, so it’ll take time to see whether Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly survives a challenge from Republican businessman Mike Braun.
The one we’ll all be talking about first: Kentucky’s 6th District. Amy McGrath, a former combat pilot, is challenging Republican Rep. Andy Barr.
It might not be a great national bellwether. In an unusual twist – in part due to the brutal ads Barr has aired – the race has largely become about McGrath and whether she is too progressive for the district, rather than a referendum on Trump or the incumbent congressman. But it will be an early indicator of the environment, and a Barr loss would give Republicans reason to panic.
Expect to see McGrath up early as the city of Lexington’s results come in first – but the margin is likely to tighten up quickly.
Parents whose son was killed in Florida school shooting vote for the first time
From CNN's Meridith EdwardsManuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son Joaquin Oliver was killed in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, voted for the first time today in Parkland, Florida.
They are immigrants from Venezuela, and this is their first opportunity to vote as US citizens.
They became citizens 24 days before their son was killed.
The Olivers started a nonprofit organization called “Change the Ref” in their sons honor. The Olivers have crisscrossed the country with powerful art installations and messages to stop violence. They said they cast their vote for their son and the others who were killed in Feb. 14 shooting.
Here’s why they are voting today: “We are leading a fight in my son’s honor,” Manuel Oliver said. “I am sad but needed to make my voice active (and) make these politicians accountable.”
He believes in democracy and wants other Latinos to get out and vote.
“I am mad because my son would’ve been 18 and voted today for the first time too,” he added.
Manuel Oliver said they will not stop their fight.
Beyoncé is for Beto
From CNN's Hunter SchwarzWith four hours before polls will close in Texas, Beyoncé came out in support of Beto O’Rourke in a series of Instagram posts wearing a “Beto For Senate” hat.
“I’m feeling grateful for everyone before me who fought so hard to give us all the right to have a voice,” she wrote in the caption. “We can’t voice our frustrations and complain about what’s wrong without voting and exercising our power to make it right. We need you.”
A Texas native, Beyoncé has backed politicians before, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, but she’s remained mum on her home state’s Senate race until Election Day.
On Monday night, she sent a call to vote with a link to vote.org to her email list.
O’Rourke is running against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in one of the nation’s most anticipated and closely-watched races.
Watch below: Chris Cillizza explains why Texas Senate race is a big deal
Voters visit Susan B. Anthony's grave, leave "I voted" stickers
From CNN's AJ Willingham
On November 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony voted in a presidential election. At the time, it was an illegal act, and two weeks later she was charged with and fined for illegal voting.
It took nearly 50 years for the efforts of the women’s suffrage movement to finally come to fruition with the passing of the 19th Amendment, which enshrined women’s right to vote.
On Tuesday, 146 years later, women are visiting her final resting place in Rochester, New York, to place their “I voted” stickers on her grave.
Susan B. Anthony’s gravesite has long been a hot destination during election season, and was particularly popular during the 2016 presidential election, when hundreds made the pilgrimage and left flowers and tributes.
Watch below: Voters pay tribute to suffragist
Exit poll: More voted opposing Trump than supporting him
From CNN's Z. Byron Wolf
More than 40% of voters in the 2018 election approve of the job Trump is doing as President, according to the preliminary results from CNN’s national exit poll. About three-in-10 said they strongly approve of Trump while almost half said they strongly disapprove of him.
Almost two-thirds said that Trump was a factor in their vote for the House today. About a quarter said their vote was in support of the President — and almost 40% said that their vote was in opposition to him.
A majority, a little more than half, said things in the country are on the wrong track. About 40% say they’re going in the right direction.
Exit polls: This election is about Donald Trump
From CNN's Z. Byron WolfTwo-thirds of voters say their vote in today’s congressional election is about Donald Trump, according to early exit polls, and more say they’re showing up at the polls to express opposition than support for the President.
The President’s approval rating is net negative among the nation’s voters, and more say things in the country are on the wrong track than that they are going in the right direction. Still, nearly 7 in 10 say the economy is in good shape, and those who say their personal finances are in better shape now than two years ago outnumber those who feel their finances have worsened.
About 4 in 10 voters turning out to vote across the country choose health care as the most important problem facing the country, and more, 7 in 10, say the nation’s health care system needs major changes. About 2 in 10 each choose the economy and immigration as their top issue, and 1 in 10 say it’s gun policy.
With a historically diverse slate of candidates on ballots nationwide, about half of voters say it’s very important to them that more women are elected to public office and that more racial and ethnic minorities are elected.
A sizeable 1 in 6 voters say this election is the first time they’re casting a ballot in a midterm contest.
Watch below: CNN’s David Chalian breaks down first exit polls
Facebook removes false posts about ICE at voting locations
From CNN's Donie O'Sullivan
Facebook has set up a "War Room" to fight against misinformation and outside interference in the US elections.
Facebook said that earlier today it removed posts falsely claiming that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were patrolling polling locations looking for undocumented immigrants.
The rumor had previously been confirmed to be false by ICE. The agency tweeted last month and again on Tuesday: “ICE does not patrol or conduct enforcement operations at polling locations. Any flyers or advertisements claiming otherwise are false.”
Facebook says it has also removed posts telling members of both parties the wrong day to vote.
The company did not suggest the posts had come from outside the US. It’s unclear how widespread the activity is.
A Facebook spokesperson told CNN: “The team is closely monitoring the election from our war room and are in regular contact with our partners in government. So far we haven’t seen anything unexpected. We will continue to review activity and act quickly against content that violates our policy.”
Earlier Tuesday, a Department of Homeland Security official told reporters that disinformation relating to the election had “been rapidly addressed” by social media platforms.
Facebook says it is continuing to monitor for misinformation targeting voters.
Take a look inside Facebook’s election war room:
A California state Senate candidate's office was burglarized on election morning
From CNN’s Cheri Mossburg and Tatiana Diaz
The Merced, California, campaign office of Democratic state senate candidate Anna Caballero was burglarized in the early hours of Election Day, according to Merced Police.
Computers and other property worth about $24,000 were stolen in the break-in, along with 9,500 door hangers, according to Lt. Alan Ward. He adds that there are no suspects in the incident.
“I am more determined than ever,” Caballero said in a tweet. “They can steal our door hangers but they can’t steal this election.”
In a video posted on Twitter, California Sen. Bill Monning called the break-in “an act of desperation.”
Caballero’s opponent, Rob Poythress, also addressed the burglary. “There is no place for this kind of behavior in politics or in our community. Campaigns should be run and won on the issues and the hard work of candidates as determined by the voters. I condemn this kind of behavior,” he said in a statement.
This New Jersey poll worker hasn’t missed an election in 79 years
A poll worker from Mercer County will turn 98 years old next month and hasn’t missed an election in nearly 80 years, CNN affiliate News 12 New Jersey reported.
Laura Wooten, of Lawrence Township, still has a job at Princeton University checking student IDs at the dining hall.
She will take the day off on Tuesday to serve as a poll worker for her 79th year. She hasn’t missed an election since Franklin D. Roosevelt was president.
This includes last year, when her brother died a day before Election Day and she was unable to get a ride to the polls. She walked to get there.
“Voting is very important. Because if there was no voting a lot of things would still be the same,” she told News 12 New Jersey.
Wooten grew up in Princeton when it was what she called a “southern-northern town.” Schools, hospitals and movie theaters were still segregated. The ballot box changed this, she said – and that’s why she votes and works at the polls.
Wooten said that she would get up at 4 a.m. Tuesday and work the polls at the firehouse near her home in Lawrence Township. She said she would work until the polls close and be back on the job at Princeton Wednesday morning.
Midterm elections set stage for series of historic firsts
From CNN's Eli Watkins
The word “first” is probably going to come up a lot on Tuesday. Here’s a list of some of the most prominent firsts that could happen this fall:
African-American governors
- If she wins, Democrat Stacey Abrams will be Georgia’s first African-American governor and first female governor and the nation’s first black female governor. She’s already the first African-American woman to hold a major party’s gubernatorial nomination.
- If Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum wins the Florida governor’s race, he will be the state’s first black governor.
- Ben Jealous is mounting a bid to unseat Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan. If Jealous wins, he would become that state’s first African-American governor.
LGBT governors
- Democratic Rep. Jared Polis would become the nation’s first openly gay man to be elected as governor if he wins the Colorado gubernatorial race.
- Vermont Democrat Christine Hallquist has already made history as the first major-party transgender nominee for governor. If she wins, she would be the nation’s first transgender governor.
Senate
- With Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema facing off against GOP Rep. Martha McSally, Arizona is guaranteed to elect its first female senator.
- Tennessee, meanwhile, could name its first female senator if GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn defeats former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen.
House
- Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids and New Mexico’s Deb Haaland would be the first Native American women elected to Congress.
- Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib and Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar would be the nation’s first Muslim women in Congress. Omar also would become the first Somali-American member of Congress.
- Texas Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones would be the first Filipina-American in Congress, and California Republican Young Kim would be the chamber’s first female Korean-American.
- Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is expected to be the youngest woman ever to be a member of Congress, having just turned 29.
Learn more about Gillum in the clip below:
Homeland Security officials say there have been "misinformation campaigns" — but no indication election infrastructure compromised
At a Department of Homeland Security press conference Tuesday afternoon, officials said they have seen some “intentional misinformation campaigns” involving today’s election, but that the national election infrastructure was safe.
DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen called the midterms “the most secure election in the modern era,” and offered a warning for any outside parties wishing to interfere in the elections: “Do not try. Our democracy is not a tool to be used against us and we will not tolerate any attempts to interfere in our elections.”
She added that there was no suggestion at this time that the election infrastructure had been compromised.
Christopher Krebs, under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, said: “We do see information, misinformation issues. Some are accidental - poor timing on text messages for get-out-the-vote efforts. But also, we do see some intentional misinformation campaigns. And we have seen our private sector partners in the social media space actively take down those messages.”
The only voting machine on this island failed. They delivered a replacement by ferry.
From CNN's Greg WallaceWhen the lone voting machine on a remote island failed, Rhode Island officials delivered a replacement machine – by ferry.
The ballot scanning machine at the Prudence Island polling site stopped accepting ballots on Tuesday morning, according to Miguel Nunez, the state’s deputy director of elections.
Voting continued without disruption using a backup procedure, he told CNN. Voters mark paper ballots, which are then counted by a scanner.
A new machine was delivered about an hour later, after the problem was reported.
The island has 176 registered voters, Nunez said, and 218 residents, according to the 2010 census.
The Prudence Island voting site is one of two in the state that is accessible only by ferry. Block Island is another isolated site, but has two voting machines.
Nunez said he does not recall a similar incident in his 20 years with the state elections board.
President Trump has been getting briefings from his political team today
From CNN's Sarah Westwood and Kevin Liptak
President Trump has been getting updates about how midterm voting is going from his political team, a senior White House official said Tuesday.
He has spent time today with his aides monitoring turnout models and projecting possible results in key races.
How Trump will spend Election Night: As CNN has reported, the President’s political team has set up a “war room” in the East Wing of the White House to keep tabs on voting.
The President will have dinner with his children and their significant others in the residence this evening, according to a White House official. Later, Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their guests will watch the election results from the residence of the White House.
Humidity causes tabulator problems in North Carolina
From CNN's Sam Fossum
The North Carolina state board of elections said humidity appears to be causing difficulties in feeding ballots through tabulators in some Wake County precincts.
In a news release, the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement says such ballots will be stored in “emergency bins” and “will be tabulated as soon as possible.”
Officials are working to resolve the issue in eight of the 204 county precincts, Dara Demi, communications director for Wake County, told CNN. The county has sent crews out to affected locations to help bring the humidity under control. She also explained that they are working with the entities that run the various polling center facilities.
“The tabulators are not broken, but extremely sensitive,” Demi said. “This is by design.” Rejected ballots are sorted into an “emergency bin.” Over the course of the day voting officials then feed ballots from the bin back into voting machines until they are accepted.
“One way or another, every single ballot will be counted,” Demi said.
Homeland Security is aware of voting machine issue reports, says they are "typical"
From CNN's Alex Marquardt and Greg WallaceDepartment of Homeland Security officials say they are aware of various reports from the states of voting machine issues but do not believe they are out of the norm.
“They did not share any widespread issues or trends with specific machines,” a Department of Homeland Security official who has been coordinating with election machine vendors told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
There are “typical machine issues,” he said.
CNN has reported that elections officials in New York have deployed technicians to address reports of inoperable voting machines.
In addition, the official said DHS is not “not seeing any uptick” in foreign interference, including from Russia.
DHS is aware of “run of the mill activity like scanning,” which happens every day, the official said. The official likened it to a burglar looking at homes on Google Maps, versus performing actual burglaries.
DHS is also monitoring how weather has impacted the voting process in some localities, including by causing power outages.
Why young voters could shape the 2018 midterms
From CNN's Maeve RestonTypical midterm elections tend to draw out an older, whiter electorate and fewer single women than presidential years.
But because of the deep disdain for Trump among the younger generation, this midterm cycle appears supercharged by younger voters who were stung by the outcome in 2016, and cognizant that their generation could have made the difference for Hillary Clinton.
The bottom line? Strong turnout within that age group could tip some of the closer House races into the Democratic column.
A new poll from Harvard Institute of Politics this week found that 18-to-29-year-olds are far more likely to vote in Tuesday’s midterm election than they were in 2010 and 2014. Forty percent of those polled said they would “definitely vote” in the midterms.
Watch more:
Biden casts his vote, says he'll decide early next year on a 2020 run
From CNN's Arlette SaenzAfter voting in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden told reporters he still doesn’t know if he’ll run for president in 2020, but that he’ll be making a decision early next year.
Biden said he would make a decision with his family after the first of the year, but he won’t necessarily make a formal announcement by then. He would not say when he would eye an announcement, noting it would “depend on the circumstances and a whole lot of things.”
Biden campaigned in 13 cities, including a dozen rallies, over the last week.
“I wouldn’t announce even if I were going to run that early. It would be too early to get started,” he said.
Over the past few months, Biden has endorsed more than 130 candidates and traveled to roughly two dozen states for rallies, fundraisers and other stops to support 65 candidates. As of last week, Biden’s PAC, American Possibilities, had disbursed nearly $600,000 directly to candidates’ campaigns, an aide to Biden said.
Here’s video of Biden at a campaign stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:
Why America's voting today, a Tuesday in November
From CNN's Holly Yan
Voters in Chestertown, Maryland, cast ballots in Maryland's early voting on Oct. 25.
Why are federal elections always in November, and always on Tuesdays? It all comes down to weather, harvests and worship.
Back when voters traveled to the polls by horse, Tuesday was an ideal day because it allows people to worship on Sunday, ride to their county seat on Monday and vote on Tuesday — all before market day, Wednesday.
And the month of November fit nicely between harvest time and brutal winter weather (which can be especially bad when you’re trudging along by horse and buggy).
The tradition stuck, even though many voters now travel by horsepower instead of live horses.
Chicago will petition to extend voting in some precincts
From CNN's Paul MurphyIn Chicago’s 19th Ward, some voters said that their precincts received the wrong ballots and they were unable to vote.
Jim Allen, Chicago Board of Elections spokesman, refused to comment to CNN on the allegations that a precinct did not have the correct ballots. He said they would hold a conference call later in the day to discuss the allegations.
So what happens now? Although he did not address the specific allegations, Allen did say they would go to court later today to extend voting in some precincts.
Meanwhile, in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, there are allegations on social media that partial ballots were being handed out.
Allen did confirm that some precincts — “not many” — only handed out the standard ballot, which included the candidates running for office. The precincts did not hand out the second ballot, the judicial retention section.
This Democratic senator went to the polls — and then the grocery store
Tim Kaine is going about his day – even though he is on the ballot for another six-year term in the Senate.
Kaine, whose race against Republican Corey Stewart is considered a safe Democratic win, was seen shopping at a local grocery store in Virginia and buying bread and some potato chips.
According to Ian Sams, Kaine’s spokesman, the senator stopped by the store on his way home from visiting polling places to buy supplies to make his parents sandwiches for lunch.
So, today is just another day for the Virginia senator.
A step-by-step guide on what to do if you're told you can't vote
From CNN's Christina Maxouris and AJ Willingham
A man prepares ballots on Oct. 25 during early voting in Potomac, Maryland.
Here’s something scary: Even if you have the legal right to vote and have done everything to prepare yourself for Election Day, you could still be turned away at the polls.
In recent years, almost two dozen US states have implemented laws that impose new restrictions on voting, which critics say disproportionally affect minority voters.
So, what if you are told your registration didn’t go through, or you don’t have the required documents? Even if your registration is pending or your voter application has been wrongly purged, you are still allowed to vote.
Or, if you did forget your ID at home or have been removed from the registration system, you can cast a provisional ballot – a right all voters are entitled to by federal law.
Here’s a handy tip sheet on steps to take if you’re turned away from the polls:
Read more on what to do if you’re told you can’t vote here.
On her way to vote, she saw a memorial for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims: "Wish they were here to participate in our democracy"
From CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore
Fiza Pirani was heading to the polling station, a synagogue in Marietta, Georgia, early this morning when she saw the chairs.
Each one, featuring a name of a victim of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and a collection of flowers, was placed in a circle outside the entrance.
Pirani told CNN: “Got to the polls around 6:45 a.m. before the morning rains drenched the flowers. The chairs were situated right outside the entrance of the East Cobb synagogue.”
“I wasn’t the only one who stopped to snap a photo, and I was wondering what was on everyone’s minds, whether and how seeing something so powerful might influence their decisions.”
Pirani, a Shi’a Muslim who remembers “rampant discrimination” in Saudi Arabia, where she’s from, said the memorial also reminded her of the United States’ “dedication to religious freedom – one of the primary reasons my family and I immigrated here.”
Pirani said she has voted in every election since becoming a U.S. citizen in 2012. “I just feel like it’s my duty as an American,” she said.
“It took me nearly two hours of waiting in line, despite getting to the polls 10 minutes before they opened, but I did the thing,” she tweeted after casting the ballot.
At least 33.1 million early votes have been cast in major increase over 2014
From CNN's Aaron Kessler and Annie Grayer
At least 33,166,611 votes have been cast early or by mail nationwide as of early Tuesday morning, according to data collected by Catalist.
In the 2014 midterm election, by comparison, at least 20.6 million early votes were cast by the same point.
In the entire 2014 election when all was said and done, about 22.2 million early votes were ultimately cast that cycle, according to Catalist.
Georgia voters report long lines and malfunctioning machines
From CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore and Paul P. Murphy
Voters wait amid delays at Annistown Elementary in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
James Herndon in Decatur, Georgia, tells CNN: “Lines are long. So that’s great! But, they are extremely delayed. Up front they are having trouble verifying lots of people. People who live here and vote here whenever possible.”
Herndon said his wife “put the card in the machine and it shot it out and said ‘error’ when she turned it in and asked what was up.”
A polling worker there told her that it showed she had “already voted” and said “that has been happening this morning” – but didn’t explain why that machine was still being used or why her card went back in the stack to be used again.
They gave her a provisional ballot and told her it would be counted, asking her to write what happened on the back.
Elsewhere, Ontaria Woods of Gwinnett County tells CNN she has been waiting in line to vote at Annistown Elementary since 7 a.m.
She told CNN:
She posted on Twitter videos and pictures of long lines of people waiting to cast their ballots. “People who are here to vote have gone to Walmart using their money to provide water, juice and crackers,” she added.
“Voters are highly upset and they feel like this has not been handled properly. We’ve been offered paper and provisional ballots and nobody feels safe using them. Most people refuse to leave and are determined to vote.”
Beto O'Rourke says he thinks he'll win Texas Senate race
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
Texas Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke cast his ballot in El Paso Tuesday morning, telling reporters he expects to snag Republican opponent Ted Cruz’s seat, even though he doesn’t have a poll or a pollster suggesting he’ll win.
Asked if he thinks he’ll win, he said, “Yeah.”
“I just – don’t have a poll, don’t have a pollster, just have traveled to every single county in Texas, listened to everybody, have so many amazing volunteers who we are working with, knocking on millions of doors, making human (to) human connection(s) that we are in such desperate need of in this moment of division in the country, bringing people together,” O’Rourke added. “I feel it and so, yeah, it feels good.”
James Comey voted, and now he's knocking on doors to get others to vote too
From CNN's Adam LevineFormer FBI Director James Comey tweets that he voted and now he is going to “knock on doors to urge everyone to vote. Should be fun.” He tweeted a picture of he and his wife – you can see his voting sticker.
These places are offering free or discounted rides to voters today
From CNN's AJ WillinghamMillions of people across the country are heading out to vote today, and some major transportation providers are helping them get there.
Here are some of the ways ride-share services and public transportation lines are helping voters exercise their rights:
- Lyft is offering 50% off codes through Vote.org and other voting nonprofits. They’re also partnering with other nonprofits to give free rides to voters in underserved communities.
- Uber is offering $10 discounts for voters and is helping people find their precincts with in-app directions. They’re also partnering with voting nonprofits for other Election Day transportation options.
- And a number of cities, from Dallas to Tampa, are offering free or discounted rides on public transportation, too. Click here to see the full list.
Andrew Gillum says a victory in Florida will "send a message" to Trump
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum spoke with reporters after casting his ballot in Tallahassee Tuesday morning.
Gillum said that if he wins the governor’s race, it will “send a message” to President Donald Trump and his Republican opponent, Ron DeSantis.
“That the politics of hatred and of division, and of separation, that they come to an end,” he said. “At least in this election, that’s what we’re going to show – that people, they’re going out and they’re voting for something, and not against.”
President Trump expected to stop by "war room" today
From CNN's Sarah Westwood
President Trump is expected today to stop by the “war room” his political team has set up for Election Day, according to a source familiar with the President’s plans.
The war room is in the East Wing, a senior White House official said. Aides will spend the day there keeping tabs on voting.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said late last night that the President will be “making phone calls, monitoring Congressional, Senate and Gubernatorial races across the country and meeting with his political team for real-time updates” throughout the day.
Sanders also said the President and first lady invited “family and friends” to watch the election results tonight in the residence.
This Knoxville polling place doesn't have electricity, so they're voting on paper outside
From CNN's Paul Murphy
The voter line outside Cedar Bluff Middle School.
A polling place at Cedar Bluff Middle School in Knoxville, Tennessee, does not have power this morning and the site’s backup generator has also failed, CNN has learned.
Cliff Rodgers, administrator for elections for Knox County, told CNN that people on-site are urgently working to get the power on, and voting is still ongoing.
The line outside of the Cedar Bluff Middle School polling place.
“We’re voting with paper ballots,” he told CNN by phone.
Because there’s no ambient light in the building, they’re voting outside.
Out of an abundance of caution, Rodgers says, he’s ordered more paper ballots to the polling place.
DHS official: A lot of "noise out there" is "garbage" information
From CNN's Greg Wallace
Federal officials are monitoring for potential misinformation campaigns, including from foreign actors such as Russia, but have no “significant” incidents to report.
“The day is early,” a senior DHS official said.
The official said “there’s a lot of noise out there,” and called it “garbage” information but referred specific questions about any influence from foreign actors to the FBI.
DHS has a national operations center and an online forum to communicate with state officials.
In the case it does receive information on an incident, the official said DHS will work to identify the proper local authorities to verify the report, and issue public statements confirming or debunking the incident.
"Dónde votar" ("where to vote" in Spanish) is the top trending Google search today
From CNN's Brian Ries
The Google Trends Twitter account tweeted this morning that the search phrase “Dónde votar” (“where to vote” in Spanish) is the top trending search on Google in the US today – spiking 3,350%.
In addition, three of the top five trending Google search topics in the US right now are midterms-related, with the ‘polling place’ topic spiking +350%, ‘voting’ increasing +300%, and ‘election day’ increasing +300%.
Voters locked out of Brooklyn polling place for 90 minutes
From CNN's Greg WallaceVoters were locked out of a polling place in Brooklyn, New York, for about 90 minutes on Tuesday morning, according to a city elections official.
Voting at the Breukelen Community Center began around 7:30 a.m., said Valerie Vazquez, the communications director for the New York City Board of Elections.
The site had been scheduled to open at 6 a.m.
The polling site is a New York City Housing Authority property and poll workers could not open an electronic lock on the building, Vazquez said.
She did not have immediate information on how many voters were affected.
Bob Menendez gives two thumbs up as he casts his vote in New Jersey
From CNN's David WilliamsNew Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez voted on Tuesday morning at 7:14 a.m. at the Harrison Community Center in Harrison, New Jersey.
He gave two thumbs up as he walked out of the voting booth.
There was some applause as he walked away.
The embattled Democrat is in a close race with Republican Bob Hugin, but Republicans have not won a Senate race in New Jersey since 1972.
Every state east of the Mississippi River will likely see some rain today
From CNN's Brandon Miller
As polls are opening there is a line of showers and storms that extends from Western New York down the Appalachians and extends into Alabama and Mississippi – with the strongest storms to the south.
The storms have diminished in severity this morning and the only Tornado Watch still in effect as polls open is for a few counties in Northern Georgia until 10 a.m. ET.
The rain will travel eastward through the day and will move through the metro areas of Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Charlotte, North Carolina in the early afternoon hours. In fact, every state east of the Mississippi River is likely to see rain at some point, though some states will undoubtedly see more storms and potentially disruptive weather than others.
Several of CNN’s top ten races to watch will be impacted by the weather, including Virginia’s 7th District, New Jersey’s 7th District, Georgia’s 6th District and Florida’s governor’s race.
Weather can play a significant role in voting behavior, with lousy conditions possibly suppressing turnout.
The Forecast: A Democratic House and a Republican Senate, but still some uncertainty
Analysis by Harry Enten
The 2018 campaign (mostly) comes to an end today. If the polls and our forecasts are right, the Democrats and Republicans will each have something to be happy about.
Democrats are favored to take back the House, while Republicans are favored to maintain control of the Senate.
Our final House forecast has Democrats earning 227 seats to the Republicans 208. That’s a net gain of 32 seats from the 195 they hold right now. Democrats only need a net gain of 23 to win the 218 seats necessary for a majority.
But as we have noted all along, our forecasts come with a margin of error. Specifically, our 95% confidence interval finds that Democrats could win as few as 207 seats (11 short of a majority) to as many 255.
Our final Senate forecast is something else altogether. It has Republicans controlling 52 seats and Democrats (and Independents who caucus with them) holding 48 seats in the next Congress. If this forecast were exactly right, it would mean that Republicans would have a net gain of a seat since the last Congress.
Note: These aren’t our official projections – we’ll get to those later tonight. These are forecasts and they’re not going to be perfect. Anything within the stated range could reasonably happen, though we expect the result to be close to our best estimate.
7 quick reads to start your Election Day
Polls in a number of states open shortly, so while you’re getting up and out the door, here are six quick reads to start your Election Day.
- Once again, Donald Trump is betting he knows best about how to win an election, in a new swipe at conventional political wisdom that will make for an especially tense and unpredictable night once midterm results start rolling in.
- Two Americas could render diametrically opposed verdicts on President Donald Trump’s tumultuous first two years in today’s election.
- Republicans are hoping to keep control of the Senate, which would put the GOP in position to continue driving forward Trump’s agenda in at least one chamber of Congress.
- Democrats, meanwhile, are looking to stave off losses and flip as many seats as possible as voters head to the polls in Tuesday’s 2018 midterm elections.
- Thirty-six. That’s how many governors’ races are on the ballot Tuesday. Here are five themes to watch for.
- The word “first” is probably going to come up a lot on Tuesday. Here are a few we’ll be sure to say if or when they happen.
- And finally, for those watching at home, here’s an in-depth, hour-by-hour look at what to watch, and where, as the results start coming in.
It's Election Day in America! Find out where to vote.
From CNN's Christina Maxouris and Saeed Ahmed
Good morning! Unless you’re one of the millions who’ve already voted, today is your last chance to cast a ballot for the 2018 midterm elections.
Before you head out the door, here are the key things you need to know:
- Where do I vote? Go to the National Association of Secretaries of State site, pick your state from the drop-down menu and it’ll take you to a page where you can find your polling site.
- What time do the polls open and close? It all depends on the state. Click here to find out.
- Do I need an ID to vote? Only 34 states require you to bring some form of ID to vote. You can check out your state’s requirements before heading to the polls. Here’s a tip: It never hurts to over-prepare.
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