Election Night Recap

In an election that saw unprecedented early voting and mail ballots, President Trump and Joe Biden faced off in a highly competitive race. Though the outcome remains unclear, with all eyes on Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, here are a few highlights:

• The president held a press conference just after 2am ET, in which he falsely claimed victory and called to end legitimate tallying efforts, with millions of ballots yet to be counted. Biden’s campaign manager called the president’s remarks “outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect,” and a longtime Republican election lawyer called Trump’s claim a “distressing moment.”
• An “optimistic” Biden called for “patience” as vote counting continues.
• As of 5am ET, Biden had the lead in Wisconsin.
• The president claimed to be “up Big” on Twitter (the tweet was later flagged by Twitter and Facebook). 
• Biden pulled wins in the Northeast (including Delaware), while also sweeping the West Coast.
• The president held on to the South, including in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.
• Along with Iowa and Montana, Ohio went for the president, delivering him a key battleground state.
• The president won Florida and its highly sought after 29 electoral votes.
• Fox News called Arizona for Biden — twice.
• Texas didn’t turn blue after all. 
• Live updates on the race here.

The Senate Battle

As Republicans fought to maintain control, Democrats looked to take back the Senate for the first time since 2014. Some highlights: 

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won his seventh term in Kentucky. 
• Texas Republican John Cornyn beat Democratic challenger MJ Hegar.  
• Delaware’s Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender state senator in the nation.
• Democratic Sen. Cory Booker won a second term in New Jersey. 
• Ex-Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper won back a seat for the Democrats.
• GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham will keep his seat in South Carolina. 
• Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville unseated Democrat Doug Jones. 
• Virginia Democrat Mark Warner fended off GOP challenger Daniel Gade. 
• More updates, here.

Meanwhile, in the House…

Democrats not only successfully retained control of the House, they also expanded their majority in some Republican strongholds. A few takeaways: 

• Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel defeated far-right activist Laura Loomer.
• Democrat Deborah Ross flipped one of two GOP-held seats in North Carolina. 
• QAnon proponent Marjorie Taylor Greene won her House race in Georgia.
• North Carolina Republican Madison Cawthorn will become the youngest member of Congress.
• New York progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez glided to reelection along with fellow “Squad” members Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley.
• President Trump’s former doctor, Ronny Jackson, won his Texas race.
• For more updates, read on.