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(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, 4:27 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.

 

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — ABC News can project that Georgia’s incumbent governor, Republican Brian Kemp, will win his rematch election against his Democratic opponent, Stacey Abrams.

Kemp, a conservative stalwart who broke with Donald Trump when the former president called for him to help in overturning the 2020 election in the state, faced off against Abrams, a staunch voting rights activist, in a lengthy 2018 contest that ended in a recall.

During their 2022 faceoff — one of the Peach State’s marquee contests — Kemp has remained about five points above Abrams since March, with a New York Times/Marist poll published on Nov. 1 finding that voters still narrowly preferred the incumbent to his Democratic challenger.

Abrams, a lawyer who was propelled into Democratic stardom following her failed 2018 gubernatorial attempt, made her last pitch to voters on Saturday during a campaign event, criticizing Kemp for refusing to expand health care, loosening gun restrictions and enacting an abortion restriction in the state.

“But here’s the thing, he gave me a perfect understanding of who he is. He doesn’t care about other people losing their houses, so it’s time for us to evict him from his mansion. It’s time for us to take back the governor’s mansion. That’s what we’re gonna do,” she said.

Kemp spent his last few days on the campaign trail squeaking out an 11th-hour endorsement from Trump. During a rally in Ohio on Monday, the former president listed a number of GOP hopefuls that voters should cast their ballots for, during which he added, “Brian Kemp for governor in Georgia.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Republican J.D. Vance will win the race for Senate in Ohio, ABC News has projected.

Vance, a venture capitalist known for authoring the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” was up against Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan for retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman’s seat.

FiveThirtyEight’s polling average showed a tight race, with Vance pulling ahead of Ryan slightly in the final days of the campaign.

Vance had the backing of former President Donald Trump, who won Ohio by 8 percentage points in 2020. Trump’s endorsement was key in Vance getting through a crowded GOP field in the primary.

In their spirited debates, Vance and Ryan candidates clashed over abortion, the border and Jan. 6.

Vance said he’s “pro-life” and would support some “some minimum national standard” for abortion restrictions, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham’s proposed national abortion ban at 15 weeks.

Ryan said he would vote to codify the abortion rights previously protected under Roe v. Wade, and criticized “political extremists” for enacting near-total abortion bans that’s forced Ohioans, including a 10-year-old rape victim, to travel across state lines for care.

On Jan. 6, Vance slammed the House select committee investigating the riot as a “political hit job.” Ryan, meanwhile, accused Vance of “running around with the election deniers, the extremists” supporting some of the rioters.

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the House Jan. 6 committee, crossed party lines to back Ryan in the race. Cheney said she wouldn’t vote for Vance, but would cast her ballot for Ryan if she lived in Ohio.

Ryan, in an effort to court conservative voters, at times distanced himself from President Joe Biden and Democrats on the campaign trail. When asked whether Biden should run for reelection in 2024, Ryan said no.

“I like to see a generational change. With Mitch McConnell. Donald Trump. The president. Everybody,” he said.

On the border, Ryan said there’s “a lot of work to do” and disagreed with statements from Vice President Kamala Harris that the border is secure. “I’m not here to just get in a fight or just tiptoe the Democratic Party in line,” he said.

But it ultimately wasn’t enough to overcome Vance in Ohio, a once perennial swing state that’s shown signs of becoming more red in these past few election cycles.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Voters headed to the polls Tuesday for the midterm elections that will determine which party holds the Senate and House of Representatives and could significantly impact President Joe Biden’s agenda for the final two years of his first term in the White House.

According to a recent ABC/Post poll, 80% of likely voters said the economy was their top issue in their vote for Congress and 77% said the same about inflation.

Even after the polls close and votes are counted Tuesday night, it could be days or even a week before final midterm election results are known in every state, according to election experts and officials.

Latest headlines:
-Nearly half of voters say they are worse off financially, more than double what it was 2 years ago
-More than two thirds of voters say Democracy in US is threatened, preliminary exit poll results show
-Majority of voters say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, preliminary exit poll results show
-Voters trust the Republican Party over Democrats to handle inflation, preliminary exit poll results show
-Broad economic discontent among voters, preliminary exit poll results say

Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Nov 08, 8:07 PM EST
New Hampshire swing voters favor Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan

Voters among two potential swing voter groups, moderates and independents, leaned toward New Hampshire incumbent Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan, according to preliminary exit poll results. The lead is wider among moderates over independents.

Hassan also leads among voters who say abortion was their most important issue, but her challenger Republican candidate Donald Bolduc leads with over two-thirds among voters who said inflation was the most important issue in their vote for Senate.

Nov 08, 7:55 PM EST
Trust to handle inflation widens in favor of Republicans

Republicans have widened their lead when it comes to trust to handle inflation with more than half of voters saying they favor the GOP over Democrats, according to preliminary exit poll results.

Nov 08, 7:31 PM EST
Just about a 3rd of Georgia voters say Walker has good judgment, preliminary exit poll results show

Republican Herschel Walker, who’s been embroiled in a personal scandal, is seen as showing good judgment by just about a third of Georgia voters in preliminary results.

By contrast, just over half of voters say incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock shows good judgment.

But, nearly half said Warnock has views that are too extreme, with less than half saying the same of Walker.

Nov 08, 7:19 PM EST
Georgia suburban women favor Warnock, Abrams in preliminary exit poll results

Georgia Independents leaned toward incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock over Republican candidate Herschel Walker, according to preliminary exit poll results. The group favored Warnock in 2021 by 4 points.

Statewide suburban voters favored Walker, but Warnock leads in Atlanta suburbs, according to preliminary exit poll results.

However, suburban women voters favored Warnock over Walker.

Suburban women voters favored Democratic candidate Stacy Abrams over Republican incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp, according to preliminary exit poll results.

Kemp, however, has a wide lead over Abrams among voters who cite inflation as the most important issue when it comes to their vote.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(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.

Key updates:
-These three races will determine balance of power in the Senate: Klein
-DeSantis, Rubio projected to win again in Florida
-Potential ‘firsts’ this Election Day
-Two poll workers fired due to ‘threatening’ social posts
-Maricopa County sees issues with tabulators

Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

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.

 

 

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(ORLANDO) — Republican Marco Rubio is expected to keep his seat as the senior senator of Florida as polls project him to defeat his Democrat opponent, Val Demings.

During the Senate debate on Oct. 18, Demings challenged Rubio on his stance on abortion rights, accusing the two-term senator of supporting “no exceptions” to abortion bans and often changing his stance.

“He can make his mouth say anything today,” Demings said. “He is good at that, by the way. What day is it and what is Marco Rubio saying?”

Demings also accused Rubio of not doing enough to support legislation that would prevent shootings, including those at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016 and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018.

Rubio argued that some proposals for gun restrictions would not have stopped many of the mass shootings, evoking the Second Amendment and Americans’ right to protect themselves.

“Every one of these shooters would have passed the background check that she keeps insisting on,” Rubio said of Demings. “No one here is in favor of mass shootings and violence.”

During the debate, Rubio criticized federal spending, partly blaming pandemic relief funds and said that the country needs to boost domestic oil production. He also accused Demings of accomplishing little in terms of passing legislation during her time in Washington and criticized her for supporting President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“In the two terms I’ve been there, no U.S. senator has gotten more done than I have,” Rubio said. “The only thing she does is vote 100% with Pelosi.”

Rubio began serving in the Senate in 2011 after defeating Charlie Crist, then governor of Florida. He has served as the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee since 2021 and previously served as chair of the Senate Small Business Committee from January 2019 to February 2021.

Demings, who has served as the U.S. representative from Florida’s 10th Congressional District in Orlando since 2017, announced last year that she would run against Rubio for his Senate seat. The three-term congresswoman was also the chief of the Orlando Police Department for 18 years.

Demings was one of about a dozen women Biden considered as his pick for vice president. She also served as one of seven House managers at former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.

The Senate has had no Black women serving as senators since the departure of Vice President Kamala Harris.

ABC News’ Meg Cunningham contributed to this report.

 

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(ORLANDO) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is projected to defeat his Democratic rival, former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, to serve a second term as the Sunshine State’s governor.

The race for Florida governor was heated in the lead-up to the midterm election season as the incumbent governor, one of the favorites to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, sought to remain in the governor’s mansion over an opponent who had lived there before him.

Crist served as Florida’s 44th governor from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican. He did not seek reelection for governor in 2010, instead running for a seat in the Senate. Crist lost to Marco Rubio in the 2010 Senate race.

DeSantis, an aspiring GOP presidential candidate described by President Joe Biden last week as a “Donald Trump incarnate,” would not commit at the pair’s gubernatorial debate that he would serve out a full four-year term if reelected.

“I know that Charlie is interested in talking about 2024 and Joe Biden, but I just want to make things very, very clear,” DeSantis replied after Crist demanded that make plain his future career plans. “The only worn-out old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist.”

Apart from DeSantis’ political aspirations, the sitting and former governors riffed over the state’s abortion laws, COVID-19 mandates and DeSantis’ decision to use tax funds to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, a move the governor argued shed light to the “immigration problem” at the southern border.

Crist accused DeSantis of signing a bill that would restrict that abortion rights, even in cases of rape or incest, while DeSantis stated that Crist would have weakened businesses during COVID-19 and allowed for more abortions had he served as governor in the past several years.

Crist also evoked his time as governor during the debate, describing himself as a uniter of people and vowing not to take away Floridian’s ability to access abortion.

The state’s current law bans the procedure after 15 weeks, even in cases of rape and incest, though there are exceptions for the health of the mother and fetal abnormalities. The ban is being reviewed by the courts.

Recent voter registration trends show an uptick of Republican voters in Miami-Dade County, previously considered a Democratic stronghold, The Associated Press reported. Losing Miami-Dade County could eliminate a Democratic path to victory in future statewide elections, according to the AP.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(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.

Key updates:
-Potential ‘firsts’ this Election Day
-Two poll workers fired due to ‘threatening’ social posts
-Maricopa County sees issues with tabulators
-DOJ monitors will stay outside of polling places in Florida

Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Nov 08, 7:04 PM EST
Polls start to close in some states

Polls have now closed in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.

Nov 08, 7:00 PM EST
Senate races: Young projected to win in Indiana, Scott in South Carolina

ABC News can project that Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., have held on to their Senate seats.

Their Democratic challengers are Thomas McDermott Jr. and state Rep. Krystle Matthews, respectively.

Nov 08, 6:41 PM EST
Harris talks up Dem candidates in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania

Vice President Kamala Harris spent part of her day on radio shows expressing support for Democratic candidates in key races in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

In a brief appearance on The Earl Ingram Show Tuesday morning, Harris pushed Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ reelection bid.

“He has cut taxes for working families. He’s lowered costs for small businesses in Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and he must be reelected because he really does stand for our democracy and for freedom and equality,” she said.

Harris also said electing Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to the Senate would play a crucial role in the president’s ability to sign the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act into law.

“It would be so important to put back teeth in the Voting Rights Act that folks marched and died for, and these are the things that are at stake,” she said.

In another radio interview later in the day on Philadelphia’s Evening WURDs, Harris urged voters in Pennsylvania to vote for Lt. Gov. John Fetterman for Senate, particularly as the Senate attempts to pass an assault weapons ban.

“Democrats understand the need to extend and to renew the assault weapons ban, and we need John Fetterman in the United States Senate to have the votes toward doing that,” she said.

Harris also called on voters to elect state Attorney General Josh Shapiro as the governor of Pennsylvania “because people have a right to live in safe communities” and not be threatened by gun violence, she said.

ABC News’ Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García

Nov 08, 5:43 PM EST
What preliminary exit poll results show so far

What’s the single most important issue among voters? Who do they trust to handle inflation? For ABC News’ analysis of preliminary exit poll results, head here throughout the night.

 

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