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Here’s where things stand on Wednesday. For the news as it happened on Election Day, read here.
The red wave that pollsters and analysts projected in the 2022 midterms had not yet come to shore by the time observers went to sleep on Tuesday night, with several of the most-watched midterm elections remaining too close to call.
As day started to break on the East Coast, neither side could decisively claim control of Congress. House seats in New York and California didn’t yet have a winner, nor did Senate seats in Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada.
In the Georgia Senate race between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and former professional football player Herschel Walker, neither candidate had yet reached the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. That contest would take place next month.
In other marquee races, Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman beat Republican television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s Senate nail-biter. Republican J.D. Vance claimed victory over Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan in Ohio. And in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis cruised to victory over Charlie Crist, while Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida bested Democratic Rep. Val Demings.
One thing about the House is certain: It will have its first Gen Z member, as 25-year-old Maxwell Frost won election in Florida, taking Demings’ seat.
And voters in several states weighed in on abortion, voting rights and marijuana.
Election officials in multiple states expected vote counting and certification to continue throughout the week. USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network is on the ground, monitoring what’s happening across the country the day after the polls closed.
Here’s what else to know about Election Day 2022:
Election 2022 recap: Fetterman flip Pennsylvania Senate seat for Dems; Nevada results still pending
Governor elections: Arizona, Oregon too close to call; Whitmer, Kemp win reelection
Senate elections: Senate races recap: John Fetterman defeats Oz in Pennsylvania; Maggie Hassan wins New Hampshire
House of Representatives elections: Democrats run stronger than expected but may yet lose majority
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While Democrats have managed to run better so far than many dire predictions would have it, the head of their campaign arm in the House is facing uncertain re-election chances this morning.
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is trailing Republican challenger Michael Lawler 49.4% to 50.6%. That was with roughly 95% of the votes counted in their New York district. The race is still too close to call.
Maloney, a former senior adviser to former President Bill Clinton, was first elected to Congress in 2012 and leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That group – and others trying to elect Democrats – took some heat for spending money during primary races to boost hard-right Trump-backed Republican candidates, ostensibly helping to boost weaker opponents for Democrats.
“My job is to win elections for the Democrats,” Maloney said on “Meet the Press” in August. “I understand that there are difficult moral questions, philosophical questions about tactics. That’s always true in politics.”
– Donovan Slack
Arizona’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly was maintaining a lead early Wednesday over Republican Blake Masters, with a sizable edge among early votes cast in Maricopa and Pima counties.
Unofficial ballot returns earlier Tuesday reflected those cast during the state’s early voting period and were Democratic-leaning as many expected. Republicans are expected to dominate ballots counted later, suggesting Kelly’s hold on the race is tenuous.
Kelly now faces the challenge of trying to hold onto that advantage as counting shifts to Election Day votes and those dropped off in recent days. That process is expected to continue for days.
– Arizona Republic
Election Day roundup:Texas GOP Gov.
