(UVALDE, Texas) — Some Uvalde families spent their days and nights over the past several months rallying, marching, tweeting, camping out and protesting in the hope that their fellow Texans would hear their cries for gun reform and vote for Democrat Beto O’Rourke for Texas governor.
But Tuesday’s election showed their actions in their community weren’t loud enough: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott garnered more than 60% of the vote in Uvalde County and is projected to win the race and be reelected as governor.
While some families told ABC News they were disappointed in local results, they weren’t necessarily surprised. While every American had something important to them on the ballot this midterm election, Uvalde families had something very personal.
On May 24, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, a devastating tragedy that unraveled the tight-knit community. From a botched police response to a prolonged investigation, to the suspensions and firings of personnel in their school district, the town went from a dot on the map most Texans couldn’t identify to a household name in the United States.
Some of the victims’ families turned to advocacy as they were fueled by a passion to never let another family go through what they did. They spent night after night demanding answers from their community leaders, tweeting about their grief and rage, and flying to Washington, D.C., to march on Capitol Hill for gun reform.
Some families campaigned for O’Rourke, accompanying him to rallies and participating in a campaign ad where they tearfully pleaded for their fellow Texans to vote for him on behalf of their lost loved ones.
But first, he rallied for them. In the wake of the shooting, O’Rourke established himself as a stalwart supporter of the victims’ families and their cries for gun reform.
While O’Rourke scrambled to make it on a plane to get to Uvalde from New York on May 24, some later scrutinized Abbott and accused him of ulterior motives in quietly engaging with family members of the victims in August, more than two-and-a-half months after the massacre. Like many Uvalde families — and unlike Abbott — O’Rourke called for universal background checks, “red flag” laws and raising the gun purchasing age from 18 to 21.
But, as Tuesday’s projected results showed, that wasn’t the case for the majority of Texas. As Uvaldeans stood outside the Uvalde Leader-News’ office in their picturesque town square on a beautiful autumn evening, they watched a white dry-erase board fill up with handwritten data favoring a Republican victory.
Veronica Mata, the mother to Tess Mata, a Robb Elementary School victim, said she didn’t expect Abbott to win.
“It was real sadness and disappointment. I really thought that everything they saw our kids go through, that Texas was gonna want to make a change,” she told ABC News on a call Wednesday afternoon.
Kimberly Rubio, mother to Lexi Rubio, another young victim of the massacre, said she saw an Abbott win coming.
“I am disappointed but not surprised that Texas reelected Abbott; however, I am appalled that Uvalde turned out for Abbott,” she wrote in a message to ABC News. “This is our community. Friends, neighbors, watched as the tragedy of May 24 unfolded. Uvaldeans stopped to watch 21 funeral processions. They’ve witnessed Abbott stand by and do nothing for the victims’ families. I thought this community would stand with us as we fought for change, accountability. I thought they’d help us pick up the pieces. Instead, this community is adding to our hurt.”
An upside-down “#UvaldeStrong” photo circulated among some of the families’ Twitter profiles, symbolizing their anger toward their own community for their choice of governor.
Faith Mata, Veronica’s eldest daughter and Tess’ older sister, tweeted the day after Election Day, saying: “I hate Texas and especially Uvalde. Can’t believe all these people claimed to be ‘Uvalde Strong.’ Disgusting is what it is. Can’t believe the death of children in your own hometown wasn’t enough for you. Tess & the 20 other lives don’t deserve this. Our fight isn’t over!”
“It makes you think, why wasn’t it enough? Did we not do enough?” Faith told ABC News on a call Wednesday.
But Faith’s hope is not lost, as she plans to continue to push Abbott to raise the gun purchasing age.
“You can’t really go into the next fight, or the next rally, or the next march if you’re not having hope,” she said.
Where Faith finds hope, she said, is in her sister Tess, and making sure what happened to her never happens to another little girl.
Her mom agreed.
“We’re gonna continue fighting for those kids that are still in school and for those teachers, and, hopefully, we can get some kind of change,” Veronica Mata said.
(NEW YORK) — Nebraska is projected to approve a $15 minimum wage for workers amid a nationwide push for wage hikes that has predominantly taken hold in liberal states like New York, California and Illinois.
The referendum, called Initiative Measure 433, garnered support from 59% of voters in Nebraska, while ballots opposing the measure stood at 41%, according to results reported by ABC News on Wednesday.
The measure will incrementally raise the state’s minimum wage from its current level of $9 per hour to $15 per hour by 2026. Over ensuing years, the minimum wage will move in accordance with inflation.
Nebraska joins at least nine states that have raised their wage floor to $15 per hour, representing a combined 40% of the U.S. workforce, data from the left-leaning National Employment Law Project showed. The majority of those states are liberal.
Battleground or conservative-leaning states have used ballot measures to impose more modest wage hikes in previous years. Voters in Arkansas, Missouri and Arizona brought the wage in their states as high as $12 per hour, according to the nonprofit research firm Ballotpedia.
The nationwide push for minimum wage hikes intensified in 2012, when fast food workers launched a campaign called Fight for $15, aiming to raise wages and unionize the fast food sector. The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, one of the nation’s largest labor organizations, spent tens of millions of dollars in support of the effort.
The last federal minimum wage hike took place in 2009, when Congress raised the pay floor to its current level of $7.25. As of August, 30 states have raised their minimum wage above the federal level, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The ballot measure in Nebraska was not the only wage-related referendum put in front of voters on Tuesday. In Washington, D.C., voters are projected to approve a measure that will gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped workers from its current level of $5.05 until it matches the wage floor for non-tipped workers by 2027, according to The New York Times.
In July, the minimum wage in Washington, D.C., for non-tipped workers increased from $15.20 per hour to $16.10 per hour.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast early Thursday as a Category 1 storm.
At least 45 of Florida’s 67 counties are under a state of emergency due to Nicole.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 10, 5:35 AM EST
100,000 without power in Florida after Nicole’s landfall
More than 100,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday, shortly after Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 10, 4:17 AM EST
Nicole weakens back into a tropical storm
Nicole weakened back into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along Florida’s east coast early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, as it moves inland across the Sunshine State. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
Nevertheless, the National Weather Service warned that “strong winds, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.”
A hurricane warning from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line in eastern Florida has been changed to a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm warning south of Boca Raton to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued, along with a hurricane watch for Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.
A storm surge warning from North Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet in eastern Florida has been discontinued. A storm surge watch south of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued.
All warnings have been discontinued for the northwestern Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.
Nov 10, 3:22 AM EST
Nicole makes landfall as Category 1 hurricane in Florida
Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast on North Hutchinson Island, just south of Vero Beach, at 3 a.m. local time on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s the second-latest hurricane landfall on record in the United States.
Nov 10, 1:58 AM EST
38,000 without power in Florida ahead of Nicole’s landfall
More than 38,000 customers in Florida were without power early Thursday, ahead of Hurricane Nicole’s landfall, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 08, 10:11 PM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole approaches Florida
Hurricane Nicole is approaching Florida as a large Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest forecast shows Nicole touching down along Florida’s east coast after midnight but before sunrise, with one model estimating landfall between Cocoa Beach and Fort Pierce at 4 a.m. local time, although projections can change.
Hurricane warnings have been issued from West Palm Beach north to Daytona Beach, with tropical storm warnings extending inland from Miami through Tallahassee, and even extending into parts of southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.
Nov 09, 6:15 PM EST
Nicole strengthens into hurricane
Nicole has strengthened into a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm has estimated maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
Nov 09, 1:21 PM EST
Latest forecast
Nicole may strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight near Fort Pierce. Over the next 24 hours, the biggest threats for Florida will be damaging beach erosion, storm surge up to 5 feet, isolated tornadoes and wind gusts around 70 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of Florida and extend up to coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
After landfall, Nicole will quickly weaken as it moves across central Florida and the Panhandle, but it’ll bring rain, powerful winds and storm surge.
Three feet to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville while Florida’s Big Bend area could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.
The heaviest rain — 8 inches — will hit central Florida. Flash flooding is also possible.
As Nicole moves north, the heavy rain will stretch into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Pennsylvania to Vermont could see 2 to 4 inches of rain. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2 inches of rain and gusty winds.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Nov 09, 12:01 PM EST
Nicole makes landfall in Bahamas
Tropical Storm Nicole has made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
Nov 09, 11:47 AM EST
Disney World parks to close
Disney World parks will close early Wednesday evening and will remain closed through Thursday morning due to the storm.
Nov 09, 11:18 AM EST
Nicole could make landfall twice
Once Nicole makes landfall early Thursday in Martin County as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm is expected to cross the state of Florida, hit the Gulf of Mexico and possibly make landfall again along Florida’s Big Bend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned.
The major concerns for Nicole are winds, flooding, beach erosion and possible tornadoes, DeSantis said.
He said 15 shelters are open for those urged to evacuate.
The governor said 16,000 linemen have been staged to immediately work on restoring power as soon as the storm passes.
Nov 09, 10:52 AM EST
Florida counties announce evacuation orders
Several of Florida’s 67 counties have announced evacuation orders in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival.
Flagler County: Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. local time for residents and visitors in Zone A, the barrier island from Flagler Beach to Marineland, as well as mobile homes and RVs countywide, according to the Flagler County Emergency Management.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time for residents and visitors east of the Intercostal Waterway, all mobile homes east of Interstate 95, all low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding as well as all campsites and RV recreational parks, according to the Volusia County Emergency Management.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday at 7 a.m. local time for Zones A and B, including mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas, according to Palm Beach Mayor Robert Weinroth.
Nov 09, 9:55 AM EST
Nicole close to hurricane strength as it heads for Florida
Tropical Storm Nicole barrelled toward the northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour — almost as a strong as a hurricane, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The center of Nicole is forecast to approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by midday, then approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday night. The storm’s center is expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, then across the Carolinas on Friday.
“Some strengthening is expected today, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane near the northwestern Bahamas and remain a hurricane when it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Wednesday morning. “Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the Mid-Atlantic states.”
As of early Wednesday, Nicole was already spreading gusty winds and rain showers into Florida, where it is later expected to make landfall between the southeastern cities of West Palm Beach and Melbourne as either a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. Its tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward up to 460 miles, especially to the north of the center. In the early morning hours, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier, just south of West Palm Beach, reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Because Nicole is so close to hurricane strength, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings along Florida’s east coast from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Miami is under a tropical storm watch and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Florida’s west coast as well as from Jacksonville up through Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Storm surge will be the highest on the eastern coastlines of Florida and Georgia, from the border down to West Palm Beach, where water could rise as much as 5 feet above normal tide levels. Some storm surge is also possible on Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to Tampa, where water could rise as much as 3 feet and up to 4 feet in the Big Bend area and Apalachicola. Storm surge will be felt all the way to Charleston, South Carolina, where water could rise up to 4 feet.
The areas that will see the heaviest rainfall will be right where the storm touches down on Florida’s east coast, with the potential for up to 8 inches of localized rain. Heavy rain will track north and inland, into Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee and North Carolina to Pennsylvania and into western New York where more than 4 inches of rain is possible.
Nov 09, 5:04 AM EST
Biden approves Florida emergency declaration
President Joe Biden on Tuesday night approved an emergency declaration for Florida due to conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Nicole, according to the White House.
In anticipation of the storm’s arrival, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, the White House said.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, according to the White House.
(MEXICO CITY, Mexico) — Three American tourists died from carbon monoxide poisoning while staying at an Airbnb rental in Mexico City last month, officials said.
The three were staying at a rental in a residential complex in the La Rosita neighborhood when they were found dead on Oct. 30, according to the Attorney General’s Office of Mexico City, which investigated the deaths.
Security guards at the complex detected an intense gas smell in the apartment and poisoning by gas inhalation was initially suspected, the attorney general’s office said in a statement this week. Blood tests determined that the three Americans — two men and a woman — died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the office said.
Investigators discovered a failure in the apartment’s gas boiler, which released a gas smell as well as carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office told ABC News.
One of the victims was found dead in the bathroom and is believed to have been attempting to take a shower, which could have activated the boiler, the spokesperson said.
An Airbnb spokesperson confirmed that the three Americans were staying at a space listed on its platform.
“This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones as they face this heavy loss,” an Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News. “Our priority now is to provide support to those affected while the authorities investigate what happened and we are available to cooperate with the investigation in any way we can.”
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said it was “closely monitoring” the investigation into the deaths of three U.S. citizens in the country.
“We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” it said in a statement earlier this week. “Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time.”
The victims have not been publicly identified by local authorities or the U.S. Embassy.
The three deaths come after another American died from carbon monoxide poisoning while staying in a vacation rental in Mexico City late last month, the victim’s family told ABC San Diego station KGTV. The woman’s two siblings were also hospitalized due to carbon monoxide poisoning, their family told the station.
Three American tourists who were found dead at a Bahamas resort in May also died of carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said.
(NEW YORK) — A New York appellate court has declined, at least for now, to stay a judge’s order appointing an independent monitor to oversee former President Donald Trump’s family real estate firm.
Trump and the New York Attorney General’s office were supposed to begin submitting candidates for the monitor job this week.
The decision, issued Wednesday, said the Appellate Division’s First Department would reconsider the matter at a later time.
“The application for an interim stay is denied pending determination of the motion by a full bench,” the decision said.
Judge Arthur Engoron of State Supreme Court in Manhattan said the attorney general’s investigators had made a “comprehensive demonstration of persistent fraud” within the Trump Organization in a $250 million civil lawsuit.
Trump’s attorneys said the monitor was the state’s attempt to “seize control” of his business but the judge said the monitor’s job is to be narrow, overseeing the production of Trump’s statements of financial condition and their dissemination to third parties.
As part of the lawsuit, the attorney general’s office said past statements were misleading, inflated Trump’s net worth and duped lenders and insurance companies into giving Trump better terms than he deserved.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and has called the lawsuit politically motivated.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, was reelected Tuesday for a second term.
(WASHINGTON) — Despite expectations that inflation and crime would be the foremost issues during the midterms, voters signaled support for protecting abortion rights in several states.
In California, Michigan and Vermont, voters overwhelmingly chose to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions, according to ABC News projections.
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have stated there is no right to an abortion.
Results are still incoming for a proposal by the Montana legislature to change the state constitution to define all fetuses “born alive” as legal persons, including those born prematurely or who survive an abortion.
The results come more than four months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, giving states full power to regulate abortion.
Abortion rights advocates told ABC News the outcomes of the ballot initiatives show that when the question of abortion access is posed to voters, they are in favor of protecting rights.
In Kentucky, voters said “no” to an amendment to the state’s constitution that would have specified the right to abortion does not exist, nor is the government required to allocate funding for abortion.
Even though a trigger ban went into effect in the state immediately following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe, the amendment was defeated 51% to 49%, according to ABC News projections.
The result is similar to what happened in Kansas, where voters in a right-leaning state rejected removing the right to abortion from the state constitution in August despite polling suggesting the opposite would occur.
“I’m ecstatic, but I’m also not surprised,” Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, told ABC News. “I mean, this campaign has been working for 18 months, and we’ve been on the ground talking to voters, and we knew that Kentuckians did not support this ban.”
Abortion proponents said the amendment’s rejection was evidence that it’s not just Democratic voters who support protecting abortion access but Republican voters as well.
“This transcended political ideologies or religious identities,” Wieder said. “Most people knew somebody in Kentucky that this was directly impacting, and they showed up because they know that abortion is health care and Kentuckians deserve better.”
Samuel Crankshaw, communications associate of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky agreed and said voters may vote for a conservative candidate while still holding abortion rights views.
“Even in a state like Kentucky, the majority of people still support access to abortion care and the majority of the people here still believe that every person should be able to determine their own future and make their own decisions about their body,” he told ABC News. “That’s across party lines. We saw people who don’t support abortion access getting elected last night at the same time that Kentuckians still were voting ‘no’ on permanent abortion bans placed in the state constitution.”
Legal challenges continue against the trigger ban and oral arguments and begin next week in Kentucky’s Supreme Court, something the amendment would have prevented.
There is a pathway in our constitution that we believe allows abortion access through with strong privacy protections,” Wieder said. “And so, with our legal pathway, we’re able to move forward with the two cases next week.”
In Michigan, voters voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that would add protections for reproductive rights, ABC News projects.
The amendment defines reproductive freedom as “the right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management and infertility care.”
The amendment’s passing represented success for Gretchen Whitmer, who won a second term as governor, according to ABC News projections. Whitmer campaigned on abortion rights and said the proposal restored protections that Roe provided when it was the law of the land.
“I think we are so overwhelmed and so grateful for the voters of Michigan,” Merissa Kovach, the legislative director of the ACLU of Michigan, told ABC News. “They did the work to get [the amendment] qualified for the ballot, they showed up and passed it and it’s such a historic victory that’s going to protect reproductive health care for generations in Michigan, and that our constitution is now going to clearly include the right to reproductive freedom for everyone.”
The recently passed amendment also prevents a 1931 abortion ban — which was declared unconstitutional by a judge — from being enforced. The law, which remained on the books even after it was invalidated by Roe in 1973, prohibited abortion except if the mother’s life is in danger.
According to the ACLU, a petition to get the proposed amendment qualified for the ballot received more than 750,000 signatures.
“It goes to show [voters care about] issues of bodily autonomy and the right of people to be able to make those personal and private health care decisions without political interference,” Kovach said. “It’s so personal and touches every facet of our life, that I think it would be foolish now for anyone to discount the importance of it.”
(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Nicole is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Florida’s east coast.
The storm is expected to make landfall in the Sunshine State between the southeastern cities of Fort Pierce and Melbourne late Wednesday or early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 09, 6:15 PM EST
Nicole strengthens into hurricane
Nicole has strengthened into a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm has estimated maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
Nov 09, 1:21 PM EST
Latest forecast
Nicole may strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight near Fort Pierce. Over the next 24 hours, the biggest threats for Florida will be damaging beach erosion, storm surge up to 5 feet, isolated tornadoes and wind gusts around 70 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of Florida and extend up to coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
After landfall, Nicole will quickly weaken as it moves across central Florida and the Panhandle, but it’ll bring rain, powerful winds and storm surge.
Three feet to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville while Florida’s Big Bend area could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.
The heaviest rain — 8 inches — will hit central Florida. Flash flooding is also possible.
As Nicole moves north, the heavy rain will stretch into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Pennsylvania to Vermont could see 2 to 4 inches of rain. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2 inches of rain and gusty winds.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Nov 09, 12:01 PM EST
Nicole makes landfall in Bahamas
Tropical Storm Nicole has made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
Nov 09, 11:47 AM EST
Disney World parks to close
Disney World parks will close early Wednesday evening and will remain closed through Thursday morning due to the storm.
Nov 09, 11:18 AM EST
Nicole could make landfall twice
Once Nicole makes landfall early Thursday in Martin County as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm is expected to cross the state of Florida, hit the Gulf of Mexico and possibly make landfall again along Florida’s Big Bend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned.
The major concerns for Nicole are winds, flooding, beach erosion and possible tornadoes, DeSantis said.
He said 15 shelters are open for those urged to evacuate.
The governor said 16,000 linemen have been staged to immediately work on restoring power as soon as the storm passes.
Nov 09, 10:52 AM EST
Florida counties announce evacuation orders
Several of Florida’s 67 counties have announced evacuation orders in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival.
Flagler County: Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. local time for residents and visitors in Zone A, the barrier island from Flagler Beach to Marineland, as well as mobile homes and RVs countywide, according to the Flagler County Emergency Management.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time for residents and visitors east of the Intercostal Waterway, all mobile homes east of Interstate 95, all low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding as well as all campsites and RV recreational parks, according to the Volusia County Emergency Management.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday at 7 a.m. local time for Zones A and B, including mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas, according to Palm Beach Mayor Robert Weinroth.
Nov 09, 9:55 AM EST
Nicole close to hurricane strength as it heads for Florida
Tropical Storm Nicole barrelled toward the northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour — almost as a strong as a hurricane, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The center of Nicole is forecast to approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by midday, then approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday night. The storm’s center is expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, then across the Carolinas on Friday.
“Some strengthening is expected today, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane near the northwestern Bahamas and remain a hurricane when it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Wednesday morning. “Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the Mid-Atlantic states.”
As of early Wednesday, Nicole was already spreading gusty winds and rain showers into Florida, where it is later expected to make landfall between the southeastern cities of West Palm Beach and Melbourne as either a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. Its tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward up to 460 miles, especially to the north of the center. In the early morning hours, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier, just south of West Palm Beach, reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Because Nicole is so close to hurricane strength, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings along Florida’s east coast from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Miami is under a tropical storm watch and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Florida’s west coast as well as from Jacksonville up through Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Storm surge will be the highest on the eastern coastlines of Florida and Georgia, from the border down to West Palm Beach, where water could rise as much as 5 feet above normal tide levels. Some storm surge is also possible on Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to Tampa, where water could rise as much as 3 feet and up to 4 feet in the Big Bend area and Apalachicola. Storm surge will be felt all the way to Charleston, South Carolina, where water could rise up to 4 feet.
The areas that will see the heaviest rainfall will be right where the storm touches down on Florida’s east coast, with the potential for up to 8 inches of localized rain. Heavy rain will track north and inland, into Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee and North Carolina to Pennsylvania and into western New York where more than 4 inches of rain is possible.
Nov 09, 5:04 AM EST
Biden approves Florida emergency declaration
President Joe Biden on Tuesday night approved an emergency declaration for Florida due to conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Nicole, according to the White House.
In anticipation of the storm’s arrival, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, the White House said.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, according to the White House.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson will win reelection in Wisconsin, fending off a serious challenge from Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, ABC News projects.
Johnson was viewed by race observers and assessments like FiveThirtyEight as one of the most vulnerable GOP lawmakers on the ballot this cycle after the battleground state flipped for Joe Biden in 2020.
“Truth has prevailed over lies and the politics of personal destruction,” he said in a statement on Wednesday morning. “I want to thank my family and everyone who supported me and worked so hard to save this U.S. Senate seat. I will do everything I can to help make things better for Wisconsinites and to heal and unify our country.”
Johnson, like others in his party, focused heavily on crime and the economy while on the campaign trail, pushing to label Barnes as a far-left politician who was soft on public safety and wanted to “abolish” some federal law enforcement, charges which Barnes denied.
“Are you better off or worse off since Democrats took control?” Johnson asked during the last debate.
“The dispiriting nature of attempting to cut or use the code words of ‘reallocate,’ ‘over bloated budgets’ — my opponent says that it pains him to see a fully funded police budget. I mean, that type of rhetoric,” Johnson said. “Those types of policies are very dispiriting for police.”
Barnes, while supportive of redirecting police funding, has insisted that he doesn’t support defunding the police.
The Democrat also argued Johnson’s statements were hypocritical given Johnson’s reaction to the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Johnson claimed he strongly denounced the violence, despite once saying “it didn’t seem like an insurrection to me.”
Also under scrutiny in the race were Johnson’s comments about Social Security. The senator’s proposed making funding for Social Security and Medicare discretionary, rather than mandatory.
Johnson said wanted to financially rescue the entitlement programs, while Democrats have argued that could lead to their elimination entirely. Biden repeatedly lambasted Johnson’s plan on the campaign trail as he pitched the election as a choice between Democrats and extremist “MAGA Republicans.”
“I never said I wanted to cut or put Social Security on the chopping block,” Johnson said during the final debate with Barnes.
The Senate is currently split 50-50, with Democrats in control because Vice President Kamala Harris cannot break ties. ABC News has not yet projected control of the upper chamber after Tuesday’s midterm elections.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden addressed election results for the first time Wednesday, saying it was a “strong night” for Democrats as the party defied expectations and avoided a Republican blowout.
“It was a good day, I think, for democracy. And I think it was a good day for America,” Biden said as he delivered remarks from the State Dining Room at the White House. He added, “Our democracy has been tested in recent years but with their votes the American people have spoken and proven once again that democracy is who we are.”
“While the press and the pundits were predicting a giant red wave, it didn’t happen,” Biden said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the battle for control of the House and Senate was still up in the air as several key races remained too close to call.
But as the dust begins to settle from Tuesday’s races, one apparent takeaway is that the expected Republican blowout didn’t quite materialize despite concerns about Biden’s low approval rating and high inflation.
Biden spoke about inflation, crime and other issues that were top of mind for voters in Tuesday’s contests. “There’s still a lot of people hurting, they’re very concerned,” he said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 15 flips overall in the House, 11 for Republicans and four for Democrats, according to ABC News projections. The Senate was locked in a dead heat at 48 seats each.
While Republicans could still win both chambers, Democratic strategists told ABC News the lack of a GOP wipeout is a victory in itself and a buck to historical trends.
“The party in the White House has gained seats in a midterm only three of 40 times since the Civil War,” Jim Kessler, the executive director at the center-left think tank Third Way, told ABC News. “Since the direct election of senators in 1914, it’s happened in seven of 27 midterms. Gaining seats in the House is not going to happen, but losses will be small. A draw or one seat pickup in the Senate is within grasp.”
For comparison, in Barack Obama’s first term, Democrats lost 63 seats in the House during the midterms. Republicans lost 40 seats in the House during the 2018 cycle when Donald Trump was president. Former President Bill Clinton lost 53 seats in the House in his first midterm elections.
“While any seat lost is painful — some good Democrats didn’t win last night — Democrats had a strong night. We lost fewer seats in the House of Representatives than any Democratic president’s first midterm elections in the last 40 years,” the president said.
Biden said Wednesday he’s prepared to work with Republicans, and that the American people want bipartisanship regardless of which party is in the majority.
“This election season, the American people made it clear: they want every day going forward not to be a constant political battle. There’s too much of that going on,” Biden said.
Did Biden’s message resonate?
Biden in the final campaign stretch cast the elections not as a referendum on his party, as has long been the historical trend, but a choice between the Democratic Party’s agenda and that of “extreme MAGA Republicans.”
Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist, said Tuesday’s elections indicate the message stuck.
“This election, in so many ways, was a choice between the future and the past,” she told ABC News, “between moving America forward and putting us backward.”
Others were more cautious, saying Democrats still have more work to do before the next cycle.
“I think it resonated with enough swing voters to avoid a complete disaster,” Craig Varoga, a Democratic strategist working on races around the country, told ABC News of Biden’s message. “And I think that in this environment that should be seen as a significant accomplishment but it’s probably not going to be an outright victory.
“We had a near death experience and we should look at a near death experience and say, ‘What are we going to do to avoid that in the future and what are we going to do to unify our message in order to save America?'” Varoga added.
What the midterms mean for 2024
Several Democratic candidates, especially those in tough races, distanced themselves from Biden and the administration in the general election. Some, such as Rep. Tim Ryan in Ohio, went so far as to say Biden shouldn’t run again in 2024.
Biden has said he intends to run for reelection but made it clear he wouldn’t make a formal decision until after the midterms.
Pressed on the timing of any announcement and what the election results would have on his decision, Biden told reporters Wednesday he and his family are going to have “discussions” about it over the next few weeks.
“I don’t feel any hurry one way or the other to make that judgment,” Biden said. “Today, tomorrow or whenever. No matter what my predecessor does,” referring to Donald Trump, but not by name.
Some polling before the midterms showed Democrats were looking elsewhere for a 2024 nominee, but will the midterms boost Biden’s chances?
“Look at the record of accomplishments, look at the fact that his administration broke historical trends,” Finney said. “He has earned the right to take his time.”
Trump’s been teasing another presidential run for months. At a rally in Ohio this week, Trump said he’s going to make “very big” announcement on Nov. 15 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
But the former president was left fuming by Tuesday’s results, and political strategists agreed it was a bad night for him and his brand. Trump’s hand-picked candidates, many election deniers, lost their races in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and other states.
“I also expect there will be a dash of reckoning within the Republican Party,” Kessler said. “Never have I seen such a huge gap in candidate quality between the two parties as this midterm. The gap is because Trump extremists won competitive primaries and then failed to close the deal in the general election in swing states and districts.”
(WASHINGTON) — The 2022 midterm elections are shaping up to be some of the most consequential in the nation’s history, with control of Congress at stake.
All 435 seats in the House and 35 of 100 seats in the Senate are on the ballot, as well as several influential gubernatorial elections in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Democrats are defending their narrow majorities in both chambers. Republican control of either the House or Senate would be enough to curtail most of President Joe Biden’s agenda, and would likely result in investigations against his administration and even his family.
Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 09, 4:31 PM EST
Biden: ‘It was a good day for democracy’
Even as some key races are still outstanding, President Joe Biden addressed Democrats’ stronger-than-expected midterms results.
“It was a good day, I think, for democracy. And I think it was a good day for America,” Biden told reporters during an address from the White House on Wednesday.
Biden said that “any seat lost is painful” while acknowledging that some Democrats didn’t win their elections. But overall he said the party “had a strong night.”
“We lost fewer seats in the House of Representatives than any Democratic president’s first midterm election in the last 40 years,” he said.
Nov 09, 3:28 PM EST
Georgia Senate race heading to a runoff
In the Georgia Senate race, ABC News reports no candidate will receive more than 50% of the vote.
There will be a runoff election between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker on Dec. 6.
Warnock and Walker were tied Wednesday morning at 49% with 96% of the expected vote reported.
The Georgia Senate race is one of the most competitive in the country and will likely determine which party will control the Senate. Read more about the race here.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said voters can request absentee ballots now through Nov. 28. Early voting must begin no later than Nov. 28.
“I’ll ask the voters to come out and vote one last time,” he said. “We hope that the voters don’t have fatigue because this is where you get to exercise your priceless franchise: the right to vote.”
Nov 09, 3:23 PM EST
Where the outstanding Senate races stand
Alaska: With 71% of the expected vote reporting, Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka leads the Senate race with 44% of the vote, followed by Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski with 43%. A third woman, Democrat Patricia Chesbro, has 10% of the vote.
Arizona: With 69% of the expected vote reporting, Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly leads the Senate race with 51% of the vote. Republican challenger Blake Masters has 46%.
Nevada: With 80% of the expected vote reporting, Republican Adam Laxalt leads the Senate race with 50% of the vote, followed by incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with 47%.
Georgia: With 99% of the expected vote reporting, incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger Republican Herschel Walker are tied at 49% of the vote. There will be a runoff election on Dec. 6.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Nov 09, 3:12 PM EST
McCarthy formally launches bid for House speaker despite incomplete results
Despite the number of House races that remain outstanding, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has formally launched a bid for House speaker in a letter to his colleagues, pledging to be “a listener every bit as much as a Speaker.” He says Republicans will “achieve our goal of taking back the House.”
McCarthy promised to “reopen the Capitol” and end proxy voting in addition to remote work for Congress.
He said Republicans will “devote the resources necessary for this House to go toe-to-toe with the executive branch, especially as it pertains to oversight and holding the Biden administration accountable for its mismanagement of our country.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Nov 09, 3:08 PM EST
Pelosi to Dems: House results so far ‘a remarkable achievement’
On a caucus call with House Democrats after a surprising showing on election night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised her party’s efforts to defend their majority.
“It is a remarkable achievement what all of us did working together,” Pelosi said, according to a source on the call.
“We said we would make our own environment and we did,” Pelosi added.
She praised Democratic Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney — who narrowly lost his reelection race in New York — after Republicans spent millions of dollars to unseat him. Republicans won a “pyrrhic victory” against Maloney, she told Democrats, and used up resources “which could have been better spent in some other races.”
-ABC News’ Ben Siegel
Nov 09, 1:56 PM EST
Van Orden, who was in DC on Jan. 6, projected to win House race
ABC News can project that Republican Derrick Van Orden will win Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district, picking up a seat formerly held by Democrat Ronald Kind. With 89% of the expected vote reporting, Van Orden has 52.8% of the vote to Democrat Brad Pfaff’s 47.1%.
Van Orden was present at former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021. Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL, has said he was in the nation’s capital that day for meetings.
Some Capitol Police officers are angry that Orden and others who were in Washington, D.C., that day have run for office. Four officers told ABC News they’re planning to retire early, adding to the already huge problem of worker retention on the force.
Nov 09, 12:55 PM EST
McConnell: ‘I don’t deal in feelings’
Asked Wednesday how he feels about the Republicans’ chances of taking back the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell replied, “I don’t deal in feelings.”
“They’ve got to count the votes and then we’ll figure out where we are,” he told reporters at the Capitol.
McConnell did not respond to ABC News’ questions if he’s still supporting Georgia Republican Senatorial candidate Herschel Walker.
-ABC News’ Trish Turner
Nov 09, 12:09 PM EST
Biden to give remarks, hold press conference at 4 p.m.
President Joe Biden will give remarks and hold a press conference at 4 p.m.
In a brief preview of his speech shared on Twitter, Biden thanked election officials for upholding democracy.
“Democracy doesn’t happen by accident. We have to defend, strengthen and renew it,” Biden tweeted.
“I’ll have more to say this afternoon, but thanks to the poll workers and officials that worked into the night to safeguard our sacred right to vote. And the millions who made their voices heard,” he continued.
Nov 09, 11:32 AM EST
Republican incumbent projected to win Wisconsin Senate race
Republican incumbent Ron Johnson is projected to win the Wisconsin Senate race over Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
Johnson was the subject of part of the Jan. 6 committee’s findings earlier this year which revealed, according to text messages from a senior Johnson aide, that he apparently wanted to deliver fake electoral votes for Donald Trump from Wisconsin and Michigan to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021.
Nov 09, 11:07 AM EST
DCCC chair concedes
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York on Wednesday called his Republican challenger Mike Lawler to concede. Political insiders say this was a big loss for Democrats.
Maloney is the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm for the House. He directed millions to save his own campaign and insisted he wasn’t in real trouble, potentially costing his colleagues votes.
Nov 09, 10:13 AM EST
Democrat projected to win Kansas gubernatorial race
Democrat Laura Kelly, the incumbent, is projected to win the Kansas gubernatorial race.
Her opponent, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, was backed by former President Donald Trump.
Nov 09, 9:58 AM EST
Trump fuming as results came in: Sources
While former President Donald Trump still has a hold over Republicans and prepares to announce his candidacy for president in 2024, election night was not a “red wave” as Trump had expected.
Sources close to the former president described him as fuming, especially as candidates Trump backed performed poorly with voters.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ successful night in Florida also served as a wakeup call for Trump and his advisers.
“This is a sinking ship,” one top Trump adviser told ABC News. “We’re not going to beat that.”
“This was the end of the Trump era and the dawn of the DeSantis era. Like every other Trump catastrophe, he did this to himself with stupid and reckless decisions,” a Republican operative close to the Trump orbit told ABC News.
Trump suffered losses across the country and was particularly unhappy as he watched two candidates he endorsed in Pennsylvania lose their elections: Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.
Trump told advisers he was also shocked the Georgia Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger Republican Herschel Walker was so close. (On Wednesday morning, with 96% of the expected vote reporting, Warnock and Walker were tied at 49%.)
Trump announced on Monday that he planned to make a big announcement next week. Some of those close to Trump are privately hoping that he decides not to run. But others who have spoken with him say he’s unlikely to renege on his plans because he’s spent the last two years teasing a run.
Nov 09, 9:46 AM EST
Oz concedes to Fetterman
Pennsylvania’s Dr. Mehmet Oz called Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to concede, according to a tweet from Fetterman’s communications director.
Fetterman was projected to win Pennsylvania’s Senate race, one of the most closely watched races in the nation.
Nov 09, 9:18 AM EST
Dixon concedes Michigan gubernatorial race
Tudor Dixon, the Republican nominee for governor in Michigan, called Democrat incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday morning to “concede and wish her well.”
“Michigan’s future success rests not in elected officials or government, but all of us. It is incumbent upon all of us to help our children read, support law enforcement, and grow our economy,” Dixon said in a statement. “Thank you to our volunteers and supporters for working so hard to forge a better Michigan. We came up short, but we will never stop fighting for our families.”
Whitmer, elected in the blue wave in 2018, cast herself as a crucial backstop for abortion access while Dixon said she opposes abortion access.
Nov 09, 7:07 AM EST
Where outstanding Senate races stand
Alaska: With 67% of the expected vote reporting, Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka leads with 44% of the vote, followed by Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski with 43%.
Arizona: With 67% of the expected vote reporting, Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly leads with 52% of the vote, followed by Republican challenger Blake Masters with 46%.
Georgia: With 96% of the expected vote reporting, incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger Republican Herschel Walker are tied at 49% of the vote, meaning a runoff election is likely.
Wisconsin: With 94% of the expected vote reporting, Republican incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson leads with 51% of the vote, followed by Democratic challenger Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes with 49%.
Nevada: With 80% of the expected vote reporting, Republican challenger Adam Laxalt leads with 50% of the vote, followed by incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with 47%.
Nov 09, 6:20 AM EST
Tony Evers projected to win reelection as Wisconsin governor
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will win his campaign for reelection over Republican Tim Michels, ABC News projects.
Evers took to Twitter to react to the news: “Holy Mackerel, folks! I want to thank everyone who made this possible. Because of you, we have another four years to keep doing the right thing for Wisconsin.”
Evers, Wisconsin’s governor since 2018, had been in a tight race against Michels, a construction executive and former GOP candidate, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average.
Those surveys showed the two candidates neck-and-neck heading into Election Day with Michels holding a slim 1-point advantage over Evers in the campaign’s final stretch, though the two traded leads a few times since the late summer.
Nov 09, 6:17 AM EST
Katie Hobbs’ lead over Kari Lake narrows in Arizona’s gubernatorial race
As of early Wednesday, Katie Hobb’s lead over Kari Lake in Arizona’s gubernatorial race has narrowed to about three points, or roughly 40,000 votes, following the last big Election Day drop from Maricopa County for the night.
We won’t see more votes from Maricopa County until Wednesday evening. As expected, more early votes are going to Hobbs, a Democrat who currently serves as Arizona’s secretary of state, while more Election Day votes — many of which still need to be counted — are going to Lake, a Republican who previously worked as a television news anchor in Phoenix for 22 years.
The vibe at the Republican Watch Party in Scottsdale drastically changed over the course of Tuesday night. What started as a celebration packed with people ended with worried faces scattered around an empty ballroom. One attendee was overheard calling the night “so sad.”
Only Lake and Abe Hamadeh, Republican candidate for Arizona’s attorney general, briefly spoke to supporters at the event. Blake Masters, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and Arizona Rep. Mark Finchem, the Republican candidate for Arizona’s secretary of state, never took the stage, even though some attendees paid $1,000 to be there with them. Hundreds of red, white and blue balloons in a net above the stage were also never released.
Lake’s team asked members of the press to hang around until 2 a.m. local time, when the ballroom reservation ended. But with the room largely cleared out by 12:30 a.m., it was clear Lake would not take the stage again. This was a stark contrast from primary night on Aug. 2, when Lake declared victory before any projection, took to the stage three times and had her team extend the ballroom reservation until 4 a.m.
“God did not put us in this fight because it was going to be easy,” Lake told a crowd of hundreds in her single on-stage appearance on Tuesday night. “When corruption has risen to the level that it’s at right now, it takes tough, strong people. Are you tough and strong. Are you willing to continue this fight?”
“I think it will be within hours. We will declare victory, and we will get to work turning this around,” she added.
“As they continue to come in and our numbers go up, up, up — like they did last time — when we win, the first line of action is to restore honesty to Arizona elections,” she continued, firing up the crowd. “We will not stop fighting until we have every legal vote counted, so we’re going to be patient. We’re going to be patient guys. We’re going to wait right now.”
Nov 09, 4:27 AM EST
With votes outstanding, Cortez Masto says she’s ‘confident’
With the Senate race in Nevada yet to be called and some counties still counting votes, Democratic incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto told reporters early Wednesday that she’s feeling “confident.”
“The votes are still being counted,” she said. “We know this will take time and we won’’ have more election results for several days. I am confident in this team. I’m confident in the campaign that we’ve built to win.”
Currently, Nevada’s Senate and governor races are extremely close; however, both show the Democratic incumbent in a slight lead over their opponent.
“We’re not done yet,” Cortez Masto told reporters. “Let’s keep the positive energy flowing.”
Nov 09, 3:32 AM EST
House, Senate majorities still up in the air
There are currently five Senate races, including Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, as well as a number of House races that have yet to be called.
Most are separated by razor thin margins and all will come down to counting the vote.
ABC News has not projected which party will control either the House or the Senate, and Republicans still could flip both chambers, which would be in line with past outcomes for the minority party in a midterm year.
Nov 09, 2:19 AM EST
McCarthy predicts Republicans will ‘take the House back’
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., took the stage just after 2 a.m. ET on Wednesday to discuss the Republican Party’s performance in the midterms so far.
“If you believe in freedom, hard work and the American dream, these results proved that there is a place for you in the Republican Party,” he said.
While the balance of power in Congress has yet to be determined, McCarthy told supporters that “it is clear that we are going to take the House back.”
As of early Wednesday, according to ABC News’ projections, Republicans were estimated to have won 207 House seats to Democrats 188, with 40 more remaining unprojected.
“When you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority and Nancy Pelosi will be in the minority,” McCarthy said to cheers from the crowd.
Nov 09, 1:46 AM EST
Pelosi says House Democrats are ‘outperforming expectations’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said early Wednesday her party had defied pre-election predictions that they were slated to lose the majority while noting that the ultimate outcome was still unclear.
“While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“As states continue to tabulate the final results, every vote must be counted as cast,” she continued. “Many thanks to our grassroots volunteers for enabling every voter to have their say in our Democracy.”
Heading into the midterms, Democrats maintained only a small majority hold on the House with Republicans needing to flip five seats for control.
The GOP had for months campaigned heavily on concerns about high inflation, the economy and public safety — often highlighting President Joe Biden’s low approval rating — while Democrats had focused on abortion access, extremism and, in some races, messages on social issues and inequality.
As of early Wednesday, according to ABC News’ projections, Republicans were estimated to have won 207 House seats to Democrats 188, with 40 more remaining unprojected.
Nov 09, 1:45 AM EST
Gretchen Whitmer projected to win reelection in Michigan
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is the projected winner of Michigan’s gubernatorial race, fending off a challenge from Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.
Whitmer, elected in the blue wave in 2018, cast herself as a crucial backstop for abortion access while Dixon said she opposes abortion access. Preliminary exit poll results in Michigan showed abortion was a top issue for voters, unlike in other states where inflation topped voters’ concerns, and 60% of Michigan voters said abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
Nov 09, 1:40 AM EST
Which Trump-backed candidates are projected to have lost?
With Dr. Mehmet Oz’s projected loss in Pennsylvania, at least six candidates backed by former President Donald Trump have now been defeated so far.
New Hampshire’s Don Bolduc: Bolduc was projected to be defeated tonight by Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan. Bolduc had reversed course on his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Trump has weighed in specifically on this loss on his platform Truth Social, claiming that had Bolduc “stayed strong and true” to those false claims he “would have won easily.”
Pennsylvania’s Doug Mastriano: Mastriano was projected to be defeated in his bid for governor tonight by Democrat Josh Shapiro. Mastriano is an election denier who helped spearhead Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania and attended the rally before the Jan. 6 riot and appeared in video walking through police lines.
Pennsylvania’s Dr. Mehmet Oz: Oz was projected to lose to Fetterman tonight for Senate in one of the most closely watched races in the nation. Oz had “raised questions” about the election, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Maryland’s Dan Cox: Democrat Wes Moore was projected to beat Trump-backed Dan Cox, who FiveThirtyEight rates as an election denier. He posted in an Facebook post that “I was there in Philadelphia in 2020 on President Trump’s team and I witnessed the fraud. We must never let them rig and steal our elections again.”
Massachusetts’ Geoff Diehl: Geoff Diehl was projected to lose tonight to Democrat Maura Healey in the race for governor. Diehl is an election denier, according to FiveThirtyEight. He said in an October 2021 statement “that the 2020 election was rigged,” according to a local report.
New York’s Lee Zeldin: Lee Zeldin was projected to be defeated tonight by Governor Kathy Hochul. The race had become tighter than expected in the last few weeks.
Nov 09, 1:26 AM EST
Mike Lee projected to win Utah Senate race
ABC News can project that Republican Mike Lee will win Utah, clinching his third term in the U.S. Senate. Lee is projected to defeat his Democratic challenger Evan McMullin. McMullin said he called Lee to acknowledge the defeat.
“While tonight’s results weren’t what we hoped for, I can say with absolute confidence that we did something special here in Utah. To all the Utahns who put party politics aside to join our cross-partisan coalition: I am so proud of what we built here,” McMullin tweeted.
Nov 09, 1:17 AM EST
John Fetterman projected to win Pennsylvania’s marquee Senate race
ABC News can project that Democrat John Fetterman will win Pennsylvania’s Senate race, defeating celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz in one of the most closely watched races in the nation.
Pennsylvania is one of a handful of battleground states that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
“It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania,” Fetterman tweeted early Wednesday. “We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down and I won’t let you down. Thank you.”
Nov 09, 12:53 AM EST
Kari Lake tells supporters to wait for ‘victory to come at us’
Kari Lake took the stage early Wednesday at the Republican Watch Party in Scottsdale, where she told hundreds of her supporters that she will win — but cautioned patience.
Lake, an outspoken election denier, began her brief remarks by telling the crowd: “We had a big day today and don’t let those cheaters and crooks think anything different. Don’t let them doubt in you.”
Lake’s been trying to sow doubt about the integrity of the election results in the lead up to Election Day. On Wednesday morning, she appeared to take a jab at her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs, who currently serves as Arizona’s secretary of state. Hobbs has called Lake’s comments unacceptable.
“Are you willing for incompetency to play itself out and a victory to come at us?” Lake asked the crowd. “I am willing to wait for that and when we win and I think you will be within hours. I think it will be within hours. We will declare victory and we will get to work turning this around. Mo more incompetency, no more corruption in Arizona elections.”
Nov 09, 12:17 AM EST
McCarthy has yet to take the stage at election watch party
So far, the Kevin McCarthy watch party is notable for missing one guest … Kevin McCarthy.
Hotel staff initially prepared for the House Minority Leader to arrive around 9 p.m. Then, there was guidance he would speak around 11 p.m. It’s now past midnight and the congressman has yet to make an appearance.
Guests at the event — largely young GOP staffers — are settling in for a long night. Some are expressing concern the calls are taking a lot longer than they expected — and some key races aren’t going their way. A select few guests are even finishing their drinks and leaving.
Hotel staff are scrambling. They tell ABC News they did not expect the event to go this long and the room will stay open past midnight, if McCarthy wants to speak. Meantime, the stage is set for a victory speech. But, the room where the speech would take place is largely empty.
McCarthy’s team has not responded to questions on timing.
Nov 09, 12:15 AM EST
Lujan Grisham projected to win reelection in New Mexico
ABC News can project that Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan will win reelection against former meteorologist Mark Ronchetti, the Republican nominee.
Nov 09, 12:14 AM EST
Abortion rights ballot measure projected to pass in Michigan
Michigan voters have responded to the ballot question: Should the right to abortion be protected in the state constitution?
ABC News can project that Proposition 3 will pass, enshrining the right to abortion in the Michigan constitution up until fetal viability (about 23-24 weeks). This measure will overturn the pre-Roe ban that’s currently being fought in the courts and protect against any future bans brought by Republicans.
Nov 09, 12:07 AM EST
Polls close in Hawaii
Polls only remain open in Alaska now for the next hour.
Nov 08, 11:42 PM EST
Abortion rights ballot measures projected to pass in California, Vermont
ABC News can project that California’s Proposition 1 — a ballot measure to enshrine the right to abortion within the California state constitution — will pass. That means the state constitution will be changed so that no future laws can deny or interfere with a person’s choice to have an abortion or use contraceptives.
Abortion rights will also be enshrined in Vermont’s state constitution, ABC News can project. The ballot measure, Proposal 5, will create a constitutional right to personal reproductive autonomy.
Nov 08, 11:25 PM EST
Budd projected to win NC Senate seat
ABC News can project that Republican Ted Budd will win the North Carolina Senate seat against Democrat Cheri Beasley.
Nov 08, 11:19 PM EST
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp projected to defeat Stacey Abrams
ABC News can project Gov. Brian Kemp will win reelection, the second time he would defeat Democrat Stacey Abrams for the state’s top position.
“Brian Kemp signed Joe Biden’s election victory in the state of Georgia and then he defied Donald Trump and told him flat no when Trump tried tried to put pressure on him to call a special session of the Georgia Legislature to overturn those results,” ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jon Karl said on ABC News Live.
“Donald Trump was so angry about that that he actually recruited a former Senator, David Perdue, to run against Brian Kemp in the Republican primary and Kemp just destroyed him, he beat him decisively, and Trump actually went to Georgia earlier this year during the primary and he said that Georgia would be better off if Stacey Abrams won,” Karl added.
Nov 08, 11:15 PM EST
Hochul projected to win reelection as New York governor
ABC News can project that Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will win against GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, becoming the first woman elected to the role in New York..
Nov 08, 11:05 PM EST
Polls close in 4 more states
Polls have now closed in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Nov 08, 11:02 PM EST
Josh Shapiro projected to win Pennsylvania governor race
ABC News can project that Democrat Josh Shapiro will win against Republican challenger Doug Mastriano for Pennsylvania governor.
Nov 08, 11:24 PM EST
Vance projected to win Ohio Senate
ABC News can project that Republican J.D. Vance will win the Ohio Senate seat against Democratic challenger Tim Ryan.
Nov 08, 10:53 PM EST
Hassan projected to keep seat in New Hampshire Senate
ABC News can project that Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan will win against Republican challenger Don Bolduc.
“If you take a look at the exit polls, this was significant to moderate voters,” ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis said. “[Hassan] actually outperformed herself from the election in 2016. … This is obviously somebody who prides herself on being one of the most moderate senators that there is.”
Nov 08, 10:50 PM EST
Herschel Walker addresses supporters: ‘Just hang in there’
Coming out to “Bad to the Bone” Herschel Walker took the stage at his election night party as votes continue to be counted in Georgia.
“If you can hang in, hang in there a little bit longer, just hang in there a little bit longer. Because something good it takes a while for it get better. And it’s gonna get better. So I wanted to thank you guys for hanging in . If some of you have to go home. You can wake up tomorrow morning and see that the new senator from the great State of Georgia is Herschel Walker,” Walker said to cheers.
Walker acknowledged he was in a tight battle with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Walker told supporters “we’re here to win this election.”
“I’m telling you right now. I’m like Ricky Bobby. I don’t come to lose,” Walker said, referring to a fictional race car driver. “And I told you he’s gonna be tough to beat. He’s gonna be tough to beat but let me tell you what. He got the wrong Georgian here don’t he.”
Nov 08, 10:55 PM EST
Grassley projected to win reelection to Senate
ABC News can project that Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, R, will win against Democratic challenger Michael Franken in his reelection bid, clinching an eighth term.
Nov 08, 10:33 PM EST
Gov. Abbott projected to keep seat against O’Rourke
ABC News can project that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will win against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in the race for governor.
Nov 08, 11:05 PM EST
Maura Healey’s message for LGBTQ community after historic win
Democrat Maura Healey, projected to win the gubernatorial race in Massachusetts, addressed the LGBTQ community in her acceptance speech.
“Tonight, I want to say something to every little girl and every young LGBTQ person out there,” Healey said. “I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever you want to be.”
Healey, currently Massachusetts attorney general, will make history as the nation’s first openly lesbian governor.
“Nothing and no one can ever get in your way except your own imagination, and that’s not going to happen,” she said.
Nov 08, 10:26 PM EST
Biden starts making congratulatory calls
President Joe Biden has started calling some projected Democratic winners while watching results coming in, according to a White House official.
According to the White House, the president has made congratulatory calls to Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Vermont Senate candidate Peter Welch, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, New York Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Virginia Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton, all of whom ABC News has projected to win their respective races.
Nov 08, 10:15 PM EST
Sen. John Kennedy projected to win reelection in Louisiana
ABC News can project that Republican John Kennedy will win a third term to the U.S. Senate. Kennedy faced a number of challengers, including Democrats Luke Mixon and Gary Chambers Jr.
In Louisiana, all candidates regardless of party affiliation compete in a first-round election, in which a candidate can win by receiving more than 50% of the vote.
Nov 08, 10:01 PM EST
Polls close in 4 more states
Polls have now closed in Montana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Utah. Polls typically close at 8 p.m. statewide in Pennsylvania, though polling location hours were extended to 10 p.m. in Luzerne County after the county reported delays with voting due to paper shortages.
Nov 08, 9:59 PM EST
Gov. Noem projected to win again in South Dakota
ABC News can project that Republican Gov. Kristi Noem will win her bid for reelection in South Dakota against Democratic challenger Jamie Smith.
Nov 08, 9:48 PM EST
Bennet projected to win Colorado Senate race
ABC News can project that Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet will win Colorado’s Senate race against Republican nominee Joe O’Dea.
“This was a moderate Republican trying to win in a state that has become increasingly more Democratic,” ABC chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl said of O’Dea on ABC News Live.
O’Dea was “very critical” of former President Donald Trump, “and Donald Trump right back at him,” Karl said. “In fact, [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis endorsed Joe O’Dea just a few days ago and Trump criticized [DeSantis], saying it was a big mistake.”
Nov 08, 9:42 PM EST
Wes Moore projected to become Maryland’s first Black governor
ABC News can project that Democratic nominee Wes Moore will win Maryland’s gubernatorial race, which would make him the first Black person elected governor of Maryland.
Moore, an author and former nonprofit leader, is projected to defeat Republican Dan Cox, an election denier who was backed by former President Trump.
Nov 08, 9:41 PM EST
Incumbents projected to win in Colorado, Vermont governor races
ABC News can project that Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will win against Republican challenger Heidi Ganahl, and Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott will win against Democratic challenger Brenda Siegel, in their respective bids for reelection.
Nov 08, 9:41 PM EST
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver says early results suggest good night for polling
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver notes that early results are largely in line with what surveys had indicated, suggesting the polling industry may be in for a desperately needed reprieve after three consecutive cycles of results that were far off the mark.
Polls significantly underestimated Republicans’ support by varying degrees in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Yet early results Tuesday line up well with what polls had forecasted.
“We aren’t seeing too many crazy, out-of-bounds outcomes so far. There are a lot of uncertain races, and there’s a fair bit of regional variation, and Democrats clearly have a Florida problem. But nothing too wild yet,” Silver wrote in FiveThirtyEight’s blog.
Nov 08, 9:22 PM EST
DeSantis celebrates projected victory: ‘I have fought the good fight’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to supporters on Tuesday night after he was projected to win reelection.
“Florida was a refuge of sanity when the world went mad,” DeSantis said. “We stood as a citadel of freedom for people across this country and indeed the world.”
DeSantis touted Florida’s policies on COVID-19, gender ideology and education as he made the case for himself as a Republican leader championing the party’s values.
DeSantis is widely seen as a potential contender for the GOP nomination in 2024, and he spent much of his victory speech Tuesday discussing national politics.
“While our country flounders due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track,” he said, adding: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race in this first term and I have kept the faith.”
“We’ve accomplished more than anybody thought possible four years ago but we’ve got so much more to do and I have only begun to fight,” he concluded.
Nov 08, 9:15 PM EST
Female firsts projected in Arkansas, Massachusetts governor races
ABC News can project that Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders will win against Democratic challenger Chris Jones, electing her as the first female governor of Arkansas.
ABC News can also project that Democrat Maura Healey will win against Republican challenger Geoff Diehl to become the first woman and openly gay politician elected governor of Massachusetts.
Nov 08, 9:03 PM EST
Projections for Senate races in Kansas, New York, South Dakota
ABC News can project that in three Senate races, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., will win against Democratic challenger Mark Holland; Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will win against Republican challenger Joseph Pinion; and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., will win against Democratic challenger Brian Bengs. All three projected winners are seeking reelection.
Nov 08, 9:01 PM EST
Sen. John Boozman projected to win reelection in Arkansas
ABC News can project Republican incumbent John Boozman will win reelection to a third term in Arkansas. Boozman is projected to defeat Democrat Natalie James, a small business owner and community organizer. James was the first Black woman to win a major party nomination for Senate in Arkansas.
Nov 08, 9:00 PM EST
Polls close in 15 more states
Polls have now closed in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Nov 08, 8:48 PM EST
Welch projected to win in Vermont
ABC News can project that Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch will win against Republican challenger Gerald Malloy for Senate in Vermont.
Nov 08, 9:00 PM EST
Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost projected to become first Gen Z member of Congress
Democratic activist Maxwell Frost will win his bid in Florida’s 10th Congressional District and become the first Gen Z member of Congress, ABC News projects.
Frost, a progressive who defeated an establishment favored candidate in the primary, will defeat Republican Calvin Wimbish in the open seat vacated by Rep. Val Demings, the Democratic Senate nominee in Florida. Demings is projected to lose her challenge to Sen. Marco Rubio, R.
Frost turned 25 just this year and ran on policies like stricter gun legislation, “Medicare for All” and stronger action to combat climate change.
Karoline Leavitt, a Republican running in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, would join Frost as another Gen Z lawmaker if she wins her challenge to incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas, D.
Nov 08, 8:51 PM EST
Republicans flip three House seats in Florida alone
ABC News projects that Republicans will flip three Democratic House seats in Florida alone, a big step toward netting the five seats needed to win the chamber.
Republican Anna Paulina Luna is projected to defeat Democrat Eric Lynn in the House seat that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist vacated. Crist is also projected to lose his challenge to Gov. Ron DeSantis, R.
Republican state Sen. Aaron Bean is projected to win over LaShonda Holloway in Florida’s 4th Congressional District. Incumbent Rep. Al Lawson, D, moved districts after redistricting.
Republican Army veteran Cory Mills is also projected to emerge victorious in Florida’s 7th Congressional District over Democrat Karen Green. The seat is currently held by retiring Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D.
“Florida has always been in our lifetimes the decisive swing state or at least one of a handful of decisive swing states, and now it’s Florida, Florida, Florida, Republican, Republican, Republican,” ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl said on ABC News Live.
Nov 08, 8:37 PM EST
Gov. McKee projected to keep seat in Rhode Island
ABC News can project that Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee will win against Republican challenger Ashley Kalus.
Nov 08, 8:33 PM EST
McMaster projected to keep South Carolina governor seat
ABC News can project that Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will win against Democratic challenger Joe Cunningham.
Nov 08, 8:32 PM EST
Polls now closed in 25 states
Arkansas is the latest state to close its polls, with polls now closed in 25 states plus D.C.
Nov 08, 8:31 PM EST
Katie Britt projected to be 1st woman elected to Senate from Alabama
ABC News can project that Republican Katie Britt will win the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Britt will become Alabama’s first woman elected to the Senate.
The state’s previous female senators, Democrats Dixie Bibb Graves and Maryon Pittman Allen, had been appointed by the governors to fill a vacancy. Britt is projected to defeat Democrat Will Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus to fill the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby.
Nov 08, 8:28 PM EST
Lee projected to keep Tennessee governor seat
ABC News can project that Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will win against Democratic challenger Jason Martin.
Nov 08, 8:28 PM EST
These three races will determine balance of power in the Senate: Klein
Senate races in Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania will determine which party controls the chamber next year, according to ABC News Political Director Rick Klein.
Whoever wins the two of those three are probably going to win the whole Senate,” Klein said as the first race projections started to come in from across the country.
The best chance for Democrats to pick up a seat is in Pennsylvania, Klein said, where Democrat John Fetterman faces celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz.
“In Nevada, that’s probably going to be Republicans’ best chance,” Klein said. “They see Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto as the most vulnerable Democrat anywhere on the map.”
Nov 08, 8:18 PM EST
Beasley sees early lead in North Carolina Senate race
Considered the sleeper Senate race of the election cycle, Democratic candidate Cheri Beasley in North Carolina leads Republican candidate Ted Budd 58%-41%, with 36% of the expected vote reporting as of 7:45 p.m. ET.
In the heavily blue areas of the state, Mecklenburg County, which encompasses Charlotte, Beasley leads Budd 69.3%-29.1% with 50% of the expected vote reporting. For Wake County, which encompasses Raleigh, Beasley leads 68.2-30% with 54% of the expected vote reporting.
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Nov 08, 8:13 PM EST
Chris Sununu projected to win reelection in New Hampshire
ABC News can project that Republican Gov. Chris Sununu will win reelection in New Hampshire, defeating his Democratic challenger Tom Sherman.
