As of early Wednesday morning, the House still hangs in the balance.
The midterm results are still being counted, and the House still hangs in the balance. There’s still a lot to unpack from the night so far, so without further ado…
A major flip in the Senate
Democrat John Fetterman has defeated Mehmet Oz, winning Pennsylvania’s Senate seat after a contentious campaign that put Fetterman’s recovery from a near-fatal stroke under the spotlight.
Neither Democrats nor Republicans have been shy to admit the importance of the Pennsylvania race, with Steven Law, president of the preeminent Republican Senate super PAC telling CNN: “This is a must-win race. We believe if we win Pennsylvania, we win the majority.”
The race is still razor-thin elsewhere, with Republican Herschel Walker and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock neck and neck in Georgia’s too-early-to-call Senate race as of early Wednesday. If neither candidate gains more than 50% of the vote, they’ll face each other again in a December 6 run-off.
All to play for
Control of both the Senate and the House is still open, and it’s too soon to call key races in Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona. Voters in the suburbs appear to have been critical to helping Democrats dodge a much-feared red wave, but as of 6 am Wednesday, it looks as though Republicans are creeping toward control of the House.
Governor races
Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican Tudor Dixon to win re-election, and Democrat Kathy Hochul became New York’s first female governor. In Pennsylvania, Democratic AG Josh Shapiro beat out GOP election denier Doug Mastriano, and GOP Gov. Brian Kemp won re-election in Georgia, topping Democrat Stacey Abrams.
In Texas, GOP Gov. Greg Abbott saw off his Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, a particularly significant victory in light of recent events. Per reporter Tony Plohetski: “Voters in Uvalde County, where the state’s deadliest mass school shooting happened five months ago and sparked calls for change in Texas government and gun reform, voted 22 percent in favor of Gov. Greg Abbott over Beto O’Rourke, 60 to 38 percent in final votes.”
An ideal setup
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis prevailed over Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, delivering historic margins in Democratic territory in a race that will prove very persuasive if he chases the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as the White House communications director under former President Donald Trump, told CNN that the results demonstrate that Republicans will have to cut Trump off, if they’re to thrive in 2024. “This is the time that the Republican Party needs to ask themselves, are they going to continue to nominate poor quality candidates to appease Donald Trump,” she asked. “He’s right now over on his Truth Social site, celebrating the demise of Republicans who lost.”
Abortion at the fore
Voters in Michigan, California, and Vermont amended their constitutions to include reproductive rights, demonstrating that, given the choice, a significant cross-section of Americans would rather protect access to abortion.
Abortion proved a major talking point during campaigning, with many Democratic candidates emphasizing their intent to protect access, while Republicans often steered the conversation elsewhere.
Per the NYT, California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who won re-election, said it was “a point of pride” that abortion is now protected by the State Constitution.
“It’s a point of principle and it’s a point of contrast,” he said, “at a time of such mixed results all across this country.”
A historic night for some
It was a barrier-breaking evening for candidates across the U.S., with both Republicans and Democrats diversifying their ranks. Maura Healey, Massachusetts’ newly elected Democratic governor, is also the first openly lesbian woman to achieve that office in the U.S.
New Hampshire became the first state in U.S. history to elect a transgender man to a state legislature, with 26-year-old James Roesener’s victory in the race for New Hampshire’s 22nd state House District, Ward 8.
“I believe that it is imperative that all individuals have the ability to thrive in New Hampshire,” he writes in his biography per NPR. “We need a leadership that is invested in defending the freedom all people by taking away barriers to shelter, education, healthcare, voting, and other basic necessities for a quality life.”
Elsewhere, Gen Z made it to the House, as 25-year-old community organizer Maxwell Frost won his Florida race for Congress against Republican Calvin Wimbish, a retired 72-year-old Army Green Beret. Frost will now take the Orlando-based 10th Congressional District seat held by Democrat Val Demings.
“Central Florida my name is Maxwell Alejandro Frost and I’m going to be the first Generation Z member of the United States Congress!” Frost told his crowd of supporters in Orlando on Tuesday.
