The latest on the midterm elections.
Rand Paul, Tim Scott Among Incumbents Projected to Win as First Votes Come In
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are among the incumbents projected to win their races as the first votes came in for the midterm elections on Nov. 8.With about 13 percent of the votes counted, Paul had 57.6 percent to challenger Charles Booker’s 42 percent. Booker is a former Kentucky representative.
Scott, meanwhile, had about 60 percent of the votes in with the first counts coming in. He was being challenged by state Rep. Krystle Matthews.
Decision Desk HQ has projected wins for Paul and Scott. The Associated Press called both races based on the early vote counts.
Both senators would be serving their third terms if they win. Paul, 59, the son of former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) entered the Senate in 2011. Scott, 57, a businessman, was appointed to a Senate seat in 2013 by then-Gov. Nikki Haley.
Hochul Defeats Republican Zeldin in New York Governor’s Race
NEW YORK CITY—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has defeated her Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) in a tighter-than-expected race in the Democrat stronghold.According to a projection by Decision Desk HQ at 11:31 p.m. ET, Hochul has won the race with 54.2 percent, to Zeldin’s 45.8 percent, with 79 percent reporting as of midnight ET.
“I’m not here to make history. I’m here to make a difference,” Hochul said shortly after Fox called her the winner. She recalled how her parents “started out married life in a trailer park” but “rose up through hard work.”
“I’ve had the honor of a lifetime becoming the first woman to lead this state,” she said.
During her victory speech, she said, “I have felt a weight on my shoulders to make sure that every little girl and all the women of the state who’ve had to bang up against glass ceilings everywhere they turn, to know that a woman could be elected in her own right and successfully govern a state as rough and tumble as New York.”
Fetterman Projected Winner of US Senate Race
NEWTOWN, Pa.—About 90 minutes after his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, told supporters that victory was still possible, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate, John Fetterman, had widened his lead, prompting several media outlets to call the race for Fetterman.Then Fetterman proclaimed victory in a tweet just before 1 a.m. Nov. 9: “It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.”
By that time, Oz’s election-night “watch party” had dispersed from the Newtown Athletic Club. Around 11:30 p.m., Oz had told a crowd of 350 guests, ‘When all of the ballots are counted, we believe we will win this race.” Oz stayed on stage for only about two minutes with his family as he also thanked supporters.
As of 2 a.m. ET on Nov. 9, it was unknown how Oz’s campaign would respond to Fetterman’s declaration of victory; Oz last posted to Twitter just before 6 p.m. on Nov. 8. The Epoch Times has sought comment from Oz’s campaign.
Fetterman had a 2.74 percent lead over Oz. Fetterman had secured about 2.5 million votes, 136,698 more than Oz, as of about 3 a.m. ET on Nov. 9, according to Pennsylvania election reports.
Florida’s DeSantis Defeats Democrat Crist to Secure 2nd Term
GAINESVILLE, Fla.—Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis easily defeated his Democrat challenger on Nov. 8, securing a second term as the Sunshine State’s top executive.Decision Desk HQ projected DeSantis as the winner at 8 p.m. EST. DeSantis drew 58 percent of the vote compared to former Congressman Charlie Crist’s 41 percent, with more than 86 percent of the vote counted as of 8:30 p.m. ET, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Crist congratulated DeSantis in a speech to supporters not long after the projected results were announced.
During his reelection campaign, DeSantis practically ignored Crist, often not mentioning him during appearances, and barely taking swipes at him in TV commercials.
“We will never, never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die,” DeSantis said in a victory speech.
‘New Leadership’ Is Needed in the Senate: Blake Masters
Arizona Senate GOP candidate Blake Masters called for “new leadership” in the Senate, a sign that a clash may be coming with the Republican Senate old guard.Historically, the Senate has seen a lower proportion of populist-leaning lawmakers than the House, where lawmakers like Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) have given the populist wing of the GOP a greater voice.
That may change after the new Congress sits, however. Prominent candidates like Masters and J.D. Vance—both of whom received President Donald Trump’s endorsement—have mounted successful campaigns on populist principles. This, in turn, could see new power struggles and generational divides among Republicans in the Senate if the party recaptures the upper chamber.
Republican Ted Budd Maintains Lead in North Carolina
The battle for a vacant Senate seat in North Carolina could help decide which of the two main political parties controls the upper chamber.Most polls have three-term Republican Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) coming into the final showdown with a steady lead over his Democrat opponent, former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. North Carolina hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 2008.
More than 2 million North Carolina voters had already taken advantage of the early voting opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. They account for about 29 percent of the state’s 7.4 million registered voters, the North Carolina State Board of Elections said.
Philadelphia Imposes Change on Day of Election That Could Slow Down Vote Count
Officials in Pennsylvania’s most populous city on Nov. 8 imposed last-minute changes to ballot processing that could delay the vote count.In a 2–1 vote during a special meeting, the Philadelphia City Commissioners decided to amend how ballots are processed.
The change focuses on reconciliation, or reviewing absentee ballots and in-person votes to make sure people don’t cast duplicate votes.
Schumer Faces ‘Free Market’ Challenger in New York
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) faces his opponent, a former host on the conservative TV channel Newsmax.The 71-year-old Brooklyn native is seeking a fifth term in his race against Republican Joe Pinion, who faces long odds in a state where he isn’t well known and where Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans.
Pinion, 39, has served as a spokesperson for a conservative organization that backs “free market” solutions to climate change, and as a political commentator—most recently as the host of “Saturday Agenda” on Newsmax.
Fetterman Warns Ballot Counting in Pennsylvania Could Take ‘Several Days’
The campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman announced on Monday that the counting process in Pennsylvania could take “several days” before the results are made clear.Similar to the 2020 presidential elections, Pennsylvanians are allowed to cast their votes via mail-in ballots, and more than 1.4 million mail ballots have been requested in the state for the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
Winning The House Majority Would Start From Virginia: McCarthy
On Election Day eve, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy zeroed in on Virginia. “This is the number one race I’m going to watch tomorrow night. Because when Jen wins, we win the majority,” he said at a Virginia Beach rally of hundreds for Jen Kiggans, a Navy veteran, state Senator, and the Republican challenger in the state’s 2nd Congressional District (VA-02).He added that he had been to 40 states in the past two months supporting various Congressional candidates, but Jen Kiggans’ district was his “number one place I want to be the night before the election.”
In the district with a heavy military presence covering Virginia Beach and nearby localities, Kiggans is challenging a two-term Democrat incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria, also a Navy veteran. The redrawn Congressional district is more Republican-leaning than two years ago.
Judge Denies Request to Sequester Military Ballots in Wisconsin
A judge on Nov. 7 denied a request to sequester military ballots in Wisconsin after a Milwaukee election official was charged with sending fake military ballots to a state lawmaker.Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Maxwell turned down a request for an order that would have election officials segregate military absentee ballots until they are properly verified.
The Concerned Veterans of Waukesha County and state Rep. Janel Brandtjen, the Republican who received the fake ballots, said the actions of former Milwaukee Elections Commissioner Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata “exposed” the vulnerability of current Wisconsin Elections Commission guidance on military ballots.
Incumbent GOP Gov. Mike Dewine Faces Democrat Nan Whaley
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was seeking a second term in Tuesday’s race for the state’s chief executive slot while challenger Nan Whaley, a Democrat, hoped to regain a seat last won by her party 16 years ago.DeWine prevailed in a surprisingly tight three-way primary in May as conservatives sought to unseat him. Whaley handily defeated former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley in her primary.
GOP Favored to Maintain All 5 US House Seats in Oklahoma
Republicans in Oklahoma are heavily favored to retain all five of the state’s U.S. House seats on Election Day, but the GOP expects to welcome a new face to the delegation after U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe’s plan to retire shook up the political scene.Only one of the five districts—the sprawling 2nd Congressional District in eastern Oklahoma—is an open seat, with five-term GOP incumbent Rep. Markwayne Mullin vacating the post in a bid to replace Inhofe in the Senate.
South Carolina Gov. Mcmaster Seeks Reelection, Bidding to Make History
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is facing voters one last time in his four-decade political career, asking them to help make him the longest-serving governor the state has ever had.McMaster is running against Democrat Joe Cunningham, who has repeatedly highlighted the 35-year age gap with his opponent—and how he might be the only person who can stop any attempts to further restrict abortion in the state.
Recent history is on McMaster’s side. He has won four general elections in a row as attorney general, lieutenant governor and governor—as South Carolina turned consistently red and the state hasn’t elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
Soaring Inflation and Wobbly Economy Top of Mind for Voters as Election Day Dawns
The midterm elections seem to be coming down to how Americans feel about soaring inflation and a wobbly economy, the latest polls show, defying messaging from President Joe Biden and the Democrats, who have sought to drum up voter interest in issues like access to abortions, threats to democracy, and climate change.A whopping 73 percent of Americans said they’re thinking “a lot” about the economy, followed by 68 percent who said the same of inflation.
RI Gov. Mckee Faces GOP Challenger in Bid for 1st Full Term
Rhode Island voters are deciding Tuesday whether Democrat Gov. Dan McKee will get to serve his first full term in office or if they want a change in leadership.Republican challenger Ashley Kalus often says it’s time to change direction, while McKee says he helped the state’s economy recover from COVID-19 and can continue the momentum.
If elected, McKee would help his party maintain its control over the top statewide offices. All of the posts are currently held by Democrats. He’s seeking his first full term in office after taking over in March 2021 when two-term Gov. Gina Raimondo was tapped as U.S. commerce secretary.
North Carolina Swing District May Affect Control of US House
One high-profile swing district has been called a national bellwether for partisan control of Congress by analysts.North Carolina’s lone swing district in the Raleigh suburbs, the closely watched 13th District, shares no common ground with its previous form about 100 miles to the west. Its recent relocation has situated the state’s marquee race between Democrat state Sen. Wiley Nickel and Republican political newcomer Bo Hines in uncharted territory for both parties.
North Carolina Republicans held eight seats heading into this year, and Democrats held five. But several districts in this election cycle bear little resemblance to their previous iterations after a lengthy redistricting battle scrambled the state’s congressional map to account for the new fourteenth seat it was awarded following the 2020 census.
GOP Aiming for Longtime Democratic NW Indiana US House Seat
In Tuesday’s election, Republicans are hoping to take a northwestern Indiana congressional seat that has been a Democrat stronghold since the 1930s in the GOP-dominated state.National Republicans targeted first-term Democrat Rep. Frank Mrvan for defeat as part of their push toward regaining a majority in the closely divided U.S. House, throwing their support behind Jennifer-Ruth Green, a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Democrats Aspire to Flip US Senate Seat in Solid Red Ohio
A coveted open seat in the U.S. Senate has sparked a closer-than-expected faceoff to be decided Tuesday between Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Republican “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance.When GOP Sen. Rob Portman announced he'd be vacating the seat last year, it was considered Republicans’ to lose. After former President Donald Trump won a second, historic victory in the state in 2020, pundits declared the state’s status as a political bellwether state “unrung.” Republicans’ extended lock on every state elective office, the Ohio Supreme Court and both legislative chambers drove Democrats to regroup.
West Virginia GOP House Incumbents Aim to Hold Seats in Red State
Two sitting Republican U.S. representatives are looking to hold on to their seats, representing West Virginia in the red state’s shrinking congressional delegation.U.S. Reps. Alex Mooney and Carol Miller face challenges Tuesday from lesser-known Democrat and Independent candidates with no political experience in a state controlled by Republicans at every level of government. West Virginia hasn’t elected a Democrat to the House since 2012 and was one of only two states where former President Donald Trump won every county in 2016 and in 2020.
Sen. Rand Paul Seeks 3rd Term, Faces Democrat Charles Booker
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a libertarian-leaning former presidential candidate, is bidding for a third term Tuesday against a rival from the opposite end of the political spectrum, progressive Democrat Charles Booker.First elected in the tea party-driven wave of 2010, Paul is seeking to extend a long GOP winning streak in Kentucky Senate races. The Bluegrass State hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since Wendell Ford in 1992.
Kemp and Abrams in Rematch Race for Georgia Governor
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams are facing off in a rematch of the state’s last governor’s race.Kemp, who was a developer before serving as a state senator and secretary of state, could clinch another term.
Abrams lost to Kemp in 2018.
Republican Sen. Young Frontrunner to Hold Indiana Seat
Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young is seeking a second term to his Indiana seat in Tuesday’s election, employing a front-runner strategy throughout his campaign of largely ignoring Democratic challenger Thomas McDermott.Young maintained huge fundraising and organization advantages over McDermott, mayor of the Lake Michigan city of Hammond, who struggled to gain attention while attacking Young on issues spanning access to abortions, federal spending, and marijuana legalization.
GOP Looks to Hold Onto US Senate Seat in Louisiana
As Republicans fight for control of the U.S. Senate, Democrat candidates in the reliably red state of Louisiana are waging a longshot bid to unseat popular GOP incumbent U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, who is seeking a second six-year term.Louisiana has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 14 years, and former President Donald Trump carried it with 58 percent of the vote in 2020.
Kennedy, the former state treasurer has become known on Capitol Hill for his outspoken, folksy responses and quotable sound bites. He has mostly provided a safe Senate vote for Republicans and been a strong supporter of Trump, who endorsed him.
Voters Head to the Polls for 2022 Midterms, Giving GOP a Shot to Retake Congress
Tens of millions of Americans are heading to the polls on Tuesday, to cast ballots that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control either the House or Senate, or both.Tuesday’s outcome will have a powerful impact on the final two years of Joe Biden’s presidency, shaping policy on everything from government spending to military funds being sent to Ukraine.
Pennsylvania Lawsuits Clash Over Counting Undated Ballots
Several election lawsuits in Pennsylvania continue to argue over whether to count undated or wrongly dated mail-in ballots.The disagreement lives on a week after the State Supreme Court ordered county boards of elections to refrain from counting any undated or incorrectly date absentee and mail-in ballots received for the Nov. 8 general election.
In its split decision, the court directed counties to segregate and preserve these ballots.
In Pennsylvania, voters must sign and date the outer envelope of their mail-in ballot for it to count.
GOP Eyes Arizona US House Seats in Bid to Flip Control
The partisan makeup of Arizona’s U.S. House delegation and control of Congress itself are up for grabs Tuesday, with Republicans hoping to shift the state’s 5–4 Democratic tilt by picking up two and possibly three seats.Redistricting after the 2020 U.S. Census gave the GOP candidates a leg up in those three districts. Meanwhile, a district that had strongly favored Republicans for the past decade got only slightly less GOP-friendly. The other five districts are shoo-ins for the incumbents in districts that heavily favor the sitting members of Congress.
Nationally, Republicans need to net just five seats to take control of the U.S. House.
120 Million Midterm Voters Set to Unleash Red Wave or Build Blue Wall
More than 120 million Americans are expected to cast ballots in the 2022 midterm elections before Election Day polls close on Nov. 8.
When the smoke clears Nov. 9—and, in some places with close races, in the days after—what is likely to emerge is a reshaped legislative playing field in Washington and in state capitals across the country heading into 2023.
On the midterm ballot are 34 seats in a U.S. Senate now deadlocked at 50-50, three dozen tossup seats in a U.S. House where Republicans need five seats to gain chamber majority, and 36 governor elections.
Read the full article hereNew Hampshire Senate Race Could Be Key GOP Pickup
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) faces Republican Don Bolduc Tuesday in a closely watched race that could decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.Flipping the seat would be a key pickup for Republicans hoping to win control of the Senate. But though Hassan has been considered vulnerable since her narrow 2016 win, her odds improved after popular Gov. Chris Sununu took a pass at challenging her, and Republicans nominated Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general.
Bolduc, an Army veteran who has previously run for but not won elected office, is hoping to both harness voters’ dissatisfaction over the economy and draw upon the connections he’s forged from the nearly constant grassroots campaigning he’s done since he unsuccessfully sought the nomination for the state’s other senate seat two years ago. Everywhere he goes, Bolduc says, he hears three main complaints: inflation, inflation, inflation.
Tim Scott Seeks Final US Senate Term; Bigger Office May Loom
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is running for what he says is a final six-year term from South Carolina, but the only black Republican in the U.S. Senate may have bigger future political ambitions.Scott is facing Democratic state Rep. Krystle Matthews as he seeks a second full term, which he promised would be his last. Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2013 by then Gov. Nikki Haley when Jim DeMint resigned the seat.
Power Balance in Congress on Ballot for Pennsylvania Voters
Three races among Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation have taken shape as some of the closer contests in the country this year as voters decide whether to shift majority control in the U.S. House from Democrats to Republicans.Pennsylvania’s delegation has been redistricted twice in recent years—first because of a court challenge and again as a result of the 2020 census—and the state has lost one seat in Congress this year because of its anemic population growth.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Matt Cartwright in the Scranton area and Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley both find themselves in rematches with Republican candidates they narrowly beat two years ago.
3 Virginia Democrats in Congress Fighting GOP Challengers
Three Democratic congresswomen in Virginia are looking to survive tough reelection bids Tuesday in a midterm election season where Republicans are looking to regain control of the House of Representatives.Elaine Luria, Abigail Spanberger, and Jennifer Wexton were all elected to Congress in 2018. All three are top targets of the GOP in this election cycle.
Luria’s race against state Sen. Jen Kiggans and Spanberger’s race against Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega, in particular, are among the highest-profile congressional races in the country.
Voters Choosing New Rep in Redrawn Nashville District
Months after GOP state lawmakers carved up Nashville’s congressional district, Tennesseans will determine if right conservative Andy Ogles or Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell will represent the left-leaning city.Republicans are hoping to flip a seat on Tuesday in their push to reclaim control of the U.S. House ever since they split Nashville into three congressional districts. The move led to the retirement of longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, creating an open race in the new 5th Congressional District.
GOP Predicting Wins, Dems Brace for Setbacks
A tumultuous election season that tugged again at America’s searing political divides comes to a close on Tuesday as voters cast ballots in the first national election of Joe Biden’s presidency.Democrats were braced for disappointing results, anxious that their grip on the U.S. House may be slipping and that their hold on the U.S. Senate—once seen as more secure—has loosened. The party’s incumbent governors in places like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Nevada are also staring down serious Republican challengers.
Returning to the White House Monday night after his final campaign event, Biden said he thought Democrats would keep the Senate but acknowledged “the House is tougher.”
Oklahoma’s Mullin Could Be First Native in Senate Since 2005
Oklahoma Republican U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, would become the first Native American in the U.S. Senate in nearly 20 years if he’s elected Tuesday.In an unusual twist this election cycle, both of Oklahoma’s U.S. Senate seats will be on the ballot. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe shook up the state’s political scene by announcing this year that he planned to step down before his term was finished.
Blumenthal Seeks 3rd Term, Faces Trump-backed Levy
Republican Leora Levy, a first-time political candidate, is hoping for an upset victory Tuesday as she tries to oust U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a Democrat who is seeking a third term.A victory for the Republican National Committee member would make her the first GOP U.S. senator from Connecticut since Lowell P. Weicker Jr., who served from 1971 to 1989.
Oz, Fetterman Urge Voters to Turn Out in Key US Senate Race
In one of the nation’s most-watched contests this election season, Pennsylvania’s two candidates for the U.S. Senate held election eve rallies to “get out the vote” at opposite ends of the state—symbolic of how far apart they feel in the current political environment.During his final campaign stop before the Nov. 8 general election, Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and his supporters underscored the contrast between his vision for America’s future and that of his Democratic opponent John Fetterman.
Judge Gives Over 1,000 Georgia Voters Extra Time to Mail in Absentee Ballots
A Georgia judge on Monday agreed to have the ballot return deadline extended for about 1,000 Cobb County absentee voters who didn’t have their requested mail ballots sent out by elections officials.It also means that the absentee ballots have a return deadline of Nov. 14, although the ballots must be postmarked and out in the mail by Election Day, Nov. 8, to be counted.
Trump Keeps Limelight on J.D. Vance at Election Day Eve Save America Rally in Dayton
Speculation was rampant that Donald Trump would announce his intent to run for president again in 2024 during the Save America rally on Election Day eve in suburban Dayton.Instead of formally declaring his candidacy, the former president told an enthusiastic crowd, “Not to detract from tomorrow’s very important, even critical, election … I’m going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday, November 15, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.”
The statement elicited loud cheers.
“We want nothing to detract from the importance of tomorrow, you understand that J.D.?” Trump added while looking at Ohio Republican U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance.
Trump Tells Florida Supporters to Vote for DeSantis
After calling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” on Saturday night, former President Donald Trump called on his Miami supporters to vote for the Florida GOP governor during the 2022 midterms.Trump drew headlines when he made the quip about DeSantis at a rally for Dr. Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano, Republicans who are campaigning for Pennsylvania’s Senate and gubernatorial seats, respectively. DeSantis and his campaign have not responded to Trump’s comment on Saturday.
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