Key takeaways:
Democrat Takes Senate, Republican likely to take slim House majority
Democrats won elections for governor in the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin
Catherine Cortez Masto’s Nevada win gives senate control to democrats
Republicans appear to be slowly inching closer to the 218 seats that would deliver them a House majority
Democrats exceeds expectations, Republicans ‘red wave’ missing in action
Trump endorsed candidates projected to lose ‘big’
Republican Mehmet Oz’s 3.4-point loss to Democrat John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, which flipped that Senate seat blue
Trump’s political brand is increasingly under assault
Will likely be launching his presidential campaign on Nov. 15
Ron DeSantis led a red tsunami in Florida, re-elected with 59.4% of the vote
A potential candidate for GOP’s 2024 nomination
Florida no longer a swing state
Georgia: GOP Herschel Walker’s race against incumbent Dem Raphael Warnock is close, and with neither candidate cracking 50%, Georgia will advance to a runoff on Dec. 6
Top Voters Concerns, Biden Unpopularity
Traditionally in U.S. politics, the party that occupies the White House almost always loses seats in midterm elections. Overall, exit polls showed that high inflation and abortion rights were voters’ top concerns, with about three in ten voters picking one or the other as their top concern. On the other hand, ‘crime’, a major campaign focus by republicans, was the top issue for just about one in ten voters. With record high inflation (8.2%), However, two-thirds of voters for House candidates don’t want Joe Biden to run for reelection in 2024.
Trump’s Expected Resurgence, Curbed
The infighting between Donald Trump and Republican leadership likely contributed to the GOP’s midterm underperformance. Trump endorsed candidates projected to lose ‘big’. Trump-backed candidates, including New Hampshire Senate candidate Don Bolduc and Pennsylvania gubernatorial contender Doug Mastriano, lost their races. Biggest indicator was Republican Mehmet Oz’s 3.4-point loss to Democrat John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, which flipped that Senate seat blue. Subsequently, some conservatives lashed out at Trump, and, in response, he launched a string of social media salvos against his critics.
Moreover, Trump belittled GOP rising star Ron DeSantis, who led a republican victory in Florida (59.4%) — a probable GOP candidate for the party’ 2024 presidential nomination. Trump’s political brand is increasingly under assault; he will be making an announcement on Nov 15 to launching his presidential campaign for 2024.
Democrat Steady at Swing States and Stronghold
Democrats won the "blue wall" states of Michigan (Gretchen Whitmer), and Wisconsin (Tony Evers). Josh Shapiro succeeds an outgoing Democratic governor in Pennsylvania. Democratic governors in Minnesota and New Mexico will also hold their seat.
The Deciding Factor: Georgia
GOP Herschel Walker’s race against incumbent Dem Raphael Warnock is close, and with neither candidate cracking 50%, Georgia will advance to a runoff on Dec. 6. However, with Dem Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada helped Democrats keep control of the Senate. The Georgia Seat is key because it determines whether the Democrat will have 51 or 50 seats in the Senate. In last two years, the Democrats with 50 seats have had to rely on tiebreaking votes by Vice President Kamala Harris and compromising with West Virginia senator Joe Manchin.
Elected Senators
Legend:
(S) - Previously elected by a Senate special election
Bolded names indicate re-election
Media key takeaways:
No red wave yet
House Republicans have trouble ahead
Trump v DeSantis
Democracy defenders fared well – but threat remains
Florida no longer a swing state
Trump’s weak candidates
Questions over control remain
Key states are still counting ballots
Democrats go a long way to protecting their Senate majority
Trump’s no good, very bad night
Democrats hold their own in the suburbs
Another January 6 committee member loses
DeSantis’ big win could be a 2024 launchpad
GOP makes gains with Latinos in Florida
Democrats had a good night in governor’s races
Abortion rights, and its defenders, triumph
Fetterman has the upper hand
Abortion on the ballot
A wave or a ripple
DeSantis’ Next Move?
The Senate is undecided, and is going to go on a while
Republicans underperformed in the House, and there's going to be a lot of finger-pointing
There's also going to be blame directed at Trump
Florida might be the new Ohio
Democrats appear to slip again with Latino voters
The cross currents of this election between abortion rights and inflation were real
Big night for abortion rights advocates
GOP's worse-than-average midterm performance
Democrats limit damage
Trump's election denialism takes a beating
Strong showing for DeSantis
Revival of "normal Republicans" on the horizon?
Latinos and Republicans
Big wins for abortion rights
A record number of women governors
Fewer women in congress (as of now)
Biden backlash fails to materialize
Red-to-blue suburbs stay blue after Trump
Inflation helped the GOP, but modestly
The Roe v. Wade fallout is real
Gun control is now a winning issue for Democrats
The Democratic base showed up
Abortion put Democrats in the fight
Trump saddled Republicans with weak candidates
Inflation dominated, as Democrats grasped for a response
The country is as closely divided as ever
The ‘red wave’ is off
DeSantis’s landslide — and what it portends for 2024
Trump’s bad night got worse
The latest on abortion rights
How Democrats did it
Voters shun election-denier secretary of state candidates
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