Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate, continuing Dems' domination: Election Day recap

GOP Trump ally ousted from NYC suburb House seat

Emily R. Condon

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-New York, conceded to his challenger, Democrat Army combat veteran Cait Conley, ending his bid for reelection in a swing district in the Hudson Valley region, where ballot issues plagued some voters on Election Day.

The upset for Lawler to Conley, a moderate Democrat who held national security posts in the Biden administration, comes after the Republican, in one of the least-red GOP-held districts branded himself as a one of "the most bipartisan" members but also brought the president to campaign in the district in May.

This seat was one of a handful of House seats across the nation that both parties were vying for. Conley's win joins dozens of others as Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives.

Lawler had flipped the seat in Westchester and Rockland counties, which are comprised of mostly affluent suburbs north of New York City, in 2022.

Contributing: Chris McKenna

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Blue Dog Coalition leader, wins reelection in Washington

Zachary Schermele

Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, one of the most independent Democrats in the House of Representatives, won reelection in her swing district, according to projections made Wednesday by NBC and AP.

Gluesenkamp Perez fended off a challenge from state lawmaker John Braun in what became the Evergreen State's most competitive congressional race this cycle for the state's 3rd Congressional District. The district includes Vancouver and much of southwest Washington.

Gluesenkamp Perez is a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and fiscally conservative Democrats. She has garnered criticism from some of her colleagues for taking key votes in recent months that salvaged the GOP's legislative agenda at critical moments.

Iran's supreme leader weighs in

Reuters

Washington's hostility towards Tehran will not change through partisan shifts or any concessions to the U.S., and those who believe otherwise are “greatly mistaken,” Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Wednesday, following the Republican Party's defeats in the U.S. midterm elections.

Khamenei warned that Iran's response to any renewed U.S. aggression would be on a much greater scale, adding that Tehran's destruction of U.S. bases in the region and its management of the Strait of Hormuz had been part of a campaign against U.S. hegemony.

“The U.S. sees the end of its hegemony as distant; we see it as near,” he said.

Three Democratic doctors won big seats

Erin Mansfield

Trained doctors running as Democrats won at least three major seats on Tuesday, according to race calls from major news outlets.

Dr. Abdul El Sayed, an epidemiologist who ran a county health department, won the Senate seat in Michigan. Dr. Amy Acton, who was Ohio's health director at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, will be governor of Ohio. And Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won a Senate seat in South Carolina.

Meanwhile, Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican obstetrician-gynecologist, lost re-election in Kansas. But Republican John Cowan, a neurosurgeon, is the projected winner in Georgia's 11th Congressional District.

US stock futures rise as investors weigh Democrats' midterm sweep

Reuters

U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday, reversing sharp early losses, as investors weighed the Democrats' sweeping midterm victories and what they could mean for AI spending and regulation.

Democrats took control of both the Senate and House, scoring wins in Republican strongholds for the first time in generations and ushering in a new era of divided government in Washington.

Global stocks swung between gains and losses as investors weighed the prospects of tougher regulation, higher taxes and oversight of areas such as AI and cryptocurrencies. Read more.

Democrat holds House seat in Nevada

Erin Mansfield

Rep. Susie Lee, a Democrat, will hold onto her seat in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, which includes part of Las Vegas and the southernmost tip of the state, according to calls by the Associated Press, the New York Times, and NBC News.

With Lee's victory over Republican Marty O'Donnell, three of Nevada's four House seats have been called for Democrats, while the fourth has not been called.

Aaron Ford flips governor's seat in Nevada

Erin Mansfield

Democrat Aaron Ford has won the governor's seat in Nevada from incumbent Republican Joe Lombardo, according to race calls from NBC News and the New York Times.

Ford, currently the Nevada attorney general, will be the state's first Black governor.

Republican victories in Vermont, New Hampshire

Erin Mansfield

Republicans won governor seats in Vermont and New Hampshire, according to calls from the New York Times and Decision Desk HQ, going against the national trend that gave Democrats stunning victories nationwide.

Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont won his sixth two-year term to represent one of the most liberal states in the nation, fending off a challenge from Democratic newcomer Amanda Janoo, who was showing strength in polls shortly before Election Day.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte won a second two-year term in New Hampshire, beating Democrat Cinde Warmington, even as the key battleground state's voters chose Democrats for hotly contested U.S. Senate and both U.S. House seats.

GOP Sen. Ricketts holds onto Nebraska seat

Miles J. Herszenhorn

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, fended off Independent challenger Dan Osborn to win reelection for a full term in Congress, Decision Desk HQ and NBC News projected.

Ricketts' victory is an important hold for Republicans on a night when the GOP lost Senate seats in the deep-red states of South Carolina, Kansas, and Texas.

Ricketts has represented Nebraska in the Senate since 2023, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy created by Ben Sasse's resignation. He defeated Osborn, a military veteran, with roughly 50% of the vote.

Mark Teixeira on deck for Republicans in Texas

Miles J. Herszenhorn

Mark Teixeira, the former All-Star first baseman, will trade the baseball field for the House floor after he cruised to election in Texas's 21st Congressional District, the Associated Press and NBC News projected.

The slugger started his professional baseball career with the Texas Rangers, making his MLB debut in 2003. He won the World Series in 2009 as a member of the New York Yankees.

Teixeira defeated his Democratic opponent Kristin Hook with nearly 55% of the vote, according to AP. He will succeed retiring Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who staged an unsuccessful bid for Texas Attorney General.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur holds off Republican challenger

Miles J. Herszenhorn

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, held off GOP challenger Derek Merrin in a race Republicans viewed as one of their best chances to flip a Democratic-held seat, NBC News and CNN projected.

The race was a rematch of the 2024 election, which Kaptur narrowly won in one of the most fiercely contested races of her political career. Kaptur, 80, was first elected to Congress in 1982 and is the longest-serving woman in congressional history.

Rep. Kevin Kiley ousted after California redistricting

James Powel

Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley was ousted by Democrat Richard Pan in California's redrawn 6th Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ and the Associated Press project.

Kiley left the Republican Party in the wake of the redistricting approved by California voters in 2025. He said before the election that he would not caucus with the Republicans if reelected.

El-Sayed swipes at Rogers, Trump in victory speech

James Powel

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed declared victory in a speech to supporters on Election Night.

"We showed that in a battle between the money and the many, that the many really can win," El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed prevailed in the contentious campaign, according to projections from Fox News and Decision Desk HQ. He will become the first Muslim member of the Senate.

"Up until right about now, you might have noticed I always say 'Inshallah' or 'God willing' whenever the outcome of this race was mentioned," El-Sayed said. "Tonight we can turn that 'Inshallah' into an 'Alhamdulillah.' For the right wing opps, that just means praise be to God."

The senator-elect took a swipe at his Republican opponent Mike Rogers, telling him to "enjoy retirement."

"You chose hate and Michigan chose hope. May we never have to see the likes of you in this state again," El-Sayed said.

He also called out President Donald Trump, saying: "Donald, look, I know you struggle with my name, so after JD swears me in, you can just go on and call me Senator."

El-Sayed will win Michigan Senate seat

Arit John

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed will win the Michigan U.S. Senate race, making him the first Muslim elected to the chamber, according to projections from Fox News and Decision Desk HQ. 

El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, defeated former seven-term Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in one of the most closely watched races in the country. The Democrat hammered Rogers on affordability issues, including his past support for President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, Michigan’s biggest export partner, and the war in Iran. Rogers sought to distance himself from the president’s policies in the final weeks of the campaign by urging the administration to swiftly end both conflicts. 

El-Sayed’s victory suggests he was able to reunite the Democratic Party after a contentious August primary against moderate Rep. Haley Stevens. Pro-Israel groups spent more than $30 million to block El-Sayed, a staunch critic of Israel. His win will likely embolden progressives, who have argued his campaign in a swing state could prove progressive policies can win beyond solidly Democratic races. 

GOP's Tommy Tuberville will be next Alabama governor

Phillip M. Bailey

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville has been elected as the next governor of Alabama, according to Fox News and NBC News, giving President Donald Trump a close ally in the South.

The former Auburn University football coach defeated Democrat Doug Jones, a former senator and longtime rival, in a race to succeed Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who is term limited.

Tuberville entered politics in 2020 as a well-known sports figure and outspoken conservative firebrand, beating former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the GOP Senate primary.

In 2023, he blocked hundreds of military promotions in the Senate to protest a Biden-era Department of Defense policy – issued in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – that gave service members time off and paid for necessary travel to receive abortions.

Democratic socialists expand presence in Congress

Phillip M. Bailey

Five democratic socialists are set to enter Congress for the first time after many in safe blue districts coasted to victory coming out of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Buoyed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's win last year, a handful of left-leaning candidates defeated more establishment House Democrats during the 2026 primary season.

The projected winners include Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez of New York; Melat Kiros in Colorado; Donavan McKinney in Michigan; and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania. They will join Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, in the House.

Others affiliated with the ideology or the Democratic Socialists of America also won races to lead major U.S. cities, including in Washington, DC, where Janeese Lewis George is the mayor-elect.

Many came out of districts that were rated safe Democratic seats for Congress, but failed to rack up wins in high-profile contests such as the Florida Senate race where Republican Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon.

Tight Mississippi Senate race down to a handful of votes

Sarah D. Wire

The race for a Senate seat in Mississippi is at a near tie with most votes counted.

Mississippi does not have automatic recounts or candidate requested recounts. A recount is only possible if ordered by a judge.

Democrat Scott Colom, a district attorney, leads Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by less than 50 votes in a race no election prognosticator expected to be so close.

Hyde-Smith is seeking her second full term in Congress.

Republican House campaign arm leader loses own seat

Emily R. Condon

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina, the chair of the House Republicans' campaign arm, has lost his own reelection bid, according to projections by NBC News and CNN.

Hudson, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, will lost his seat in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District to Democrat Richard N. Ojeda II. He first won in 2022, and the seat has not been held by a Democrat since 1963.

Republicans lose Tony Gonzales' Texas seat amid Democratic gains in the Lone Star State

Emily R. Condon and Brandi D. Addison

Democrat Katy Padilla Stout will beat Republican candidate Brandon Herrera and independent Ben Mendoza to represent Texas's border district on the southwestern handle, according to NBC News and AP.

The race was open after then-Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican, announcedin March he would not seek reelection and in April that he was stepping down from Congress after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later committed suicide, following a House Ethics probe earlier this year.

A congressional race in a district carried by President Donald Trump by 15 points in 2024 wouldn't usually be considered very competitive, but Herrera drew scrutiny after a CNN review of hundreds of videos, podcast appearances and social media posts found years of derogatory and sexually explicit comments about women, including feminists and gun-safety activist Shannon Watts.

The district on the U.S.-Mexico border was redrawn ahead of the midterms, in maps upheld by the Supreme Court, to favor a Republican victor, and Padilla Stout's win adds to the Democratic flip count thus far, as the party hopes to continue the trend and take control of the House of Representatives.

In Michigan, Rogers says race not over, but GOP watch party is

Jenna Prestininzi and Adrienne Roberts

The Michigan Republican election party in Detroit ended at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a speech from Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

“It’s going to be a long night,” he said. “There is a path for us to win this thing. We’re very excited for what’s to come in. Thank you very, very much. We do have this. This is going to happen. Thanks for being here so late.”

He added that Michigan has a “voting problem,” and if he’s elected to the Senate, he plans to fix that so voting results come in sooner.

“We’re very confident in the votes that are out,” he said. “We have made an incredible impact and brought people together like I’ve never seen before.”

Other marquee races, including the race to be Michigan's next governor, also remain unresolved as of 1 a.m.

Polls close in Alaska

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 1 a.m. ET in Alaska, where incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and former Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, are squaring off in a competitive race. Another Dan Sullivan is also on the ballot for that race.

Peltola has faced scrutiny in the final days of the race after the New York Times reported that people tied to her campaign may have been involved in recruiting another man by the name of Dan Sullivan to also get his name on the ballot. Peltola has denied the claim.

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying the election results if Sullivan, the incumbent, loses by fewer votes than were cast for the other Sullivan. A federal judge threw out the case and the Department of Justice filed an appeal.

Where things stand in Michigan Senate race

Arit John

Democrats are already projected to win control of the U.S. Senate, but one closely watched race is still too close to call.

Votes are still being counted in Michigan, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers in one of the most contested races in the country. With 65% of the vote in, El-Sayed is leading Rogers by about 5 percentage points, 51.5% to 46.5%.

It's not clear when enough of the vote will be in to project the race. In Wayne County, where Detroit is located, votes tend to be counted slowly. As of now, only 51 of the country's 770 precincts have reported their vote totals.

Tennessee elects first woman governor

Vivian Jones

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, is projected to become Tennessee's first woman governor, according to NBC News and Decision Desk HQ.

“My promise is pretty simple: Tennessee is going to be a state where hard work pays off, where families can put down roots, and where everyone has the opportunity to build a better future,” Blackburn told supporters in her victory speech shortly after 10 p.m.

Democratic candidate Jerri Green conceded in the race just after 10:30 p.m. CT.

As governor, Blackburn has pledged to lead Tennessee through a "conservative reset" to make the state "America’s conservative leader." She also pledged to fight communism, crack down on China, and protect Tennesseans from Sharia law and Islamization.

At 74, Blackburn is the oldest person Tennessee has ever elected governor.

Early returns showed Blackburn ahead of Green, and that remained the case for much of the night.

Green, who surpassed the statewide vote count won by former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean the last time Tennesseans elected a first-term governor in 2018, remained fairly close through much of the evening but was never able to get within striking distance. Independent candidate David Hatley lagged far behind both Blackburn and Green.

The race determined who succeeds Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who is term-limited after eight years in office.

Maine Sen.-elect Jackson says he'll 'fight for people that don't have a voice'

Margie Cullen

Democrat Troy Jackson declared victory in Maine’s U.S. Senate race just after midnight on Nov. 3 in front of a crowd of supporters in Portland, Maine.

“A little more than 100 days ago, I stood in front of the convention and asked you to put your faith in a logger from Allagash,” Jackson said to cheers and chants. “Well tonight, or early this morning, the people of Maine have elected that logger to the United States Senate.”

Jackson was visibly emotional as he thanked his supporters, campaign and family, especially his granddaughter.

He reiterated his commitment to working-class people.

“I'm in this position to fight for people that don't have a voice," Jackson said. "I can promise you this too: You won't have to wonder whether I'm going to show up for you. That's one thing I know."

Trump turned on two GOP senators. Now, those seats have flipped blue

Phillip M. Bailey and Emily R. Condon

North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis chose to retire under pressure from President Donald Trump. Texas Sen. John Cornyn lost in the Republican primary to a Trump-backed candidate.

On Nov. 3, Democrats are projected to capture both of those Senate seats.

Along with South Carolina's Sen. Darline Graham, Trump's chosen candidates in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina fared poor leading up to the election, and now all three of the seats flipped blue.

In the North Carolina race, Trump backed former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley after Tillis retired. During the primaries, Trump tipped the scale in Texas, despite pleas from Senate Republican Leader John Thune, and he endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against Cornyn. Cornyn lost his primary bid as Republicans voted in line with Trump's choice.

Tillis congratulated Democratic victor Roy Cooper, saying in a post that he looks "forward to working with him during the transition." Similarly, Cornyn congratulated Texas Democrat James Talarico, saying in a post, "I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition."

Democrat Bob Harvie ousts Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick

Zachary Schermele

Democrat Bob Harvie will win his race against Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, NBC News and CNN projected, ousting a prominent moderate Republican who had represented a swing-state district for more than a decade in the U.S. House.

Harvie, a county commissioner and former teacher, was elected to succeed Fitzpatrick, who had a notable cash advantage. Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, which includes Bucks County in the suburbs of Philadelphia, voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 and has a record of electing both Republicans and Democrats to statewide and federal offices.

Fitzpatrick has been the co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and voted against President Donald Trump on multiple issues, including to end the Iran war and release the Epstein files.

Michigan, Mississippi: The big Senate races that haven't been called

Karissa Waddick

Democrats have won control of the Senate, and have swept nearly every battleground state so far. One much-watch race and one surprisingly competitive Senate race are among those still up in the air. 

The competitive Michigan race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers remains too close to call as of 12:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the state GOP said he expected it to be a “long night.”  

In deep-red Mississippi, the race between incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom also remains close. Last week, the Cook Political report rated the race as “likely Republican.” But with 93% of the vote counted, the race is within a few percentage points. 

Ohio Republican Max Miller to lose House race after facing domestic abuse allegations

Zachary Schermele

Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller, a former White House aide during President Donald Trump's first term, will lose his reelection bid, Decision Desk HQ and NBC News projected. His defeat, by Democrat Brian Poindexter in the state's 7th Congressional District, came after he faced domestic abuse allegations from his former wife, which he has denied.

The accusations set off intense infighting among Republicans in the Buckeye State. Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, is the daughter of Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno.

GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine concedes to Democrat Troy Jackson

Kinsey Crowley

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called her Democratic opponent Troy Jackson to concede, Jackson campaign spokesperson Maggie Amjad confirmed to USA TODAY.

It will mark the end of Collins' 30-year run in the Senate representing the Pine Tree State. Jackson's campaign was run in about 100 days after he replaced former Democratic nominee Graham Platner.

Earlier this evening, Collins addressed an excited crowd in Bangor, Maine, at her election party. Her spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Amid federal probes, Ilhan Omar reelected

Zachary Schermele

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar won reelection to her seat in the House of Representatives, earning her a fifth consecutive term representing Minnesota's 5th Congressional District.

Her victory comes as she faces a potentially high-stakes federal investigation regarding allegations of immigration fraud, which she denies. Her Washington-area home was raided by Homeland Security agents on Oct. 12 as part of what she has characterized as a political campaign by President Donald Trump against her. (Trump has denied any prior knowledge of the search, and the Justice Department has characterized it as part of a long-running probe).

The investigation, which USA TODAY previously reported is aimed at potentially deporting her, is an extraordinary action against a sitting member of Congress, particularly one that has been so publicly politically divergent from the president. The Justice Department has also subpoenaed some of her relatives and questioned her sister.

An Election Day of historic firsts

Terry Collins

In a day of historic firsts, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia will become the nation's first Black woman governor, and Hakeem Jeffries is in line to be the first Black speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, due to Democrats' dramatic wave of victories on Nov. 3.

Texas Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinajosa is projected to become the first Hispanic governor of the Lone Star state, as well as its first Democratic governor in more than three decades.

Fellow Democrat Deb Haaland of New Mexico is also projected to win that state's governor's race, which will make her the first Native American woman to serve as a governor of any state. She previously made history as the first Native American woman in Congress and the first Native American woman in the Biden administration Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won his historic run to become Florida's first Black governor. And Democrat David Crowley will become Wisconsin's first Black governor, too.

Also, popular New Hampshire's Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas will become the first openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate after defeating former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu for that state's open Senate seat.

Peggy Flanagan to be first Native American woman elected to Senate

Emily R. Condon

Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota will be the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, according to Decision Desk HQ and NBC News.

Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, could be joined in the Senate by former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, a Yup’ik Alaska Native, if Peltola defeats incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

In 2019, Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, and former Rep. Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico, made history as the first Native American women to serve in Congress. But no Native American woman has served in the Senate.

Four Native American men have served as senators, but when former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, left his seat earlier this year to serve as Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration, the Senate was left with no Native American members.

Schumer applauds 'generational remake' of the Senate

Zachary Schermele

In a victory speech after Democrats took back the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said the party had beat the odds by listening to voters on the issues that mattered most to them.

He called the unlikely flipping of the chamber a “generational remake” of the Senate.

“We have five words for the American people,” he said. “Relief is on the way.”

Polls close in Hawaii

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 12 a.m. ET in Hawaii.

David Crowley holds Wisconsin governor's mansion for Democrats

Jay Stahl

Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Wisconsin gubernatorial contest over Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, an ultraconservative member of the House Freedom Caucus, in a state President Donald Trump carried last cycle, according to projections by DDHQ and NBC.

After besting progressive state Rep. Francesca Hong in a primary that drew national attention, Crowley turned his attention to Tiffany and the congressman's ties to Trump. Crowley will be Wisconsin's first Black governor.

A former state representative, Crowley, 40, said he'd work to lower costs for families, and the race became a back-and-forth over both candidates' stances on data centers. Crowley's win keeps the Wisconsin governor's mansion blue, and he will replace his mentor, Gov. Tony Evers, in a purple state that helps decide presidential elections.

Rob Sand flips Iowa governor's mansion in huge win for Democrats

Jay Stahl

In a state Trump won by over 13 points in 2024, Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand has flipped the governorship from red to blue, according to DDHQ and NBC News. He will be Iowa's first Democratic governor since 2007.

The contest between Sand and Republican Zach Lahn centered around the economy, Trump's tariffs, and health care amid Iowa's high cancer rates. Sand, a two-term statewide official, used a moderate playbook to court independents and Republicans (his conservative supporters are nicknamed "Rob-publicans").

Sand, 44, is a bowhunter and opens each campaign event by singing "America the Beautiful."

Sand led in polls in the waning months of the race, but his victory still amounts to an upset in a state that has shifted to the right over the past decade, particularly since Sen. Tom Harkin left Congress in 2015. Democrats have long hoped to regain ground in Iowa. Sand, who expressed frustration with both parties during the campaign, ran to succeed Gov. Kim Reynolds, who did not seek a third term.

The Sand campaign cast the auditor as a centrist while taking aim at newcomer Lahn, a Republican closely aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement.

Lahn was criticized by Sand and his allies over his ties to Kansas, where he has a second home and frequently visits in his private plane. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly even referred to Lahn as a constituent in a video. Lahn said he travels to Kansas to visit some of the children he and his wife have from previous marriages.

Top Oversight Democrat issues warning to Trump admin officials: ‘Lawyer up’

Miles J. Herszenhorn

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, warned President Donald Trump and Republicans in a post on X on Nov. 3 to “lawyer up,” pledging to open investigations into allegations of corruption among Trump family members, abuses by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, and the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Democrats, who are projected to regain control of the House, intend to use their majority to investigate the Trump administration. In the majority, Democrats will have the power of contempt and power of subpoena to seek answers from Trump, his family members and allies.

Speaker Johnson says House loss means 'history will be kept'

Sarah D. Wire

In a speech after Democrats won enough seats to take control of the House, Speaker Mike Johnson thanked President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for their work toward keeping a Republican majority, but said it wasn’t enough to defy history. The president’s party historically loses seats in the midterm election.

"From the first day of this election, we knew that to keep the House and sustain our majority, we would have to defy more than a century of midterm history," said the Louisiana Republican. “It looks like history will be kept.”

Democrat Josh Turek wins Iowa Senate race in upset

Jay Stahl

Democratic State Rep. Josh Turek prevailed over Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in a contentious Senate race, Decision Desk and NBC reported, that tested the incumbent three-term congresswoman's ties to President Donald Trump in a state the president won by 13 points two years ago.

Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, won a heated primary against state Sen. Zach Wahls, and quickly pivoted to a general election against Hinson, taking aim at the House member over her husband's stock portfolio and the Epstein files.

Turek will be the state's first Democrat to serve in a decade. Sen. Tom Harkin departed the upper chamber in 2015.

Hamilton makes history, wins Kansas Senate seat

Terry Collins

Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton will defeat Kansas' Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, Decision Desk HQ and CNN projected, winning the high-stakes battle to snap a 94-year Democratic Senate losing streak, the longest in U.S. history.

With his upset victory, Hamilton will become ruby-red Kansas' first Democratic senator since 1932. The first-time political candidate defeated the embattled Marshall, who had the "complete and total endorsement" of President Donald Trump, who won Kansas by double digits three times.

However, concerns over the struggling economy, high gas and grocery prices, and Hamilton's name recognition as senior pastor at Resurrection, the country's largest Methodist parish, boosted his chances.

A self-described moderate and former registered Republican, Hamilton infused faith and calls for "new and fresh leadership" in both political parties during his drive to unseat Marshall.

Shomari Figures, vulnerable House Democrat, keeps redrawn Alabama seat blue

Jay Stahl

Alabama Rep. Shomari C. Figures has won re-election over state Rep. Rhett Marques, according to projections by DDHQ and AP, despite Republicans making his seat more rural and conservative.

The vulnerable first-term House Democrat, whose district includes Mobile and Montgomery, had his seat redrawn earlier this year after a Supreme Court ruling axed a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

The father of four hails from a prominent Black political family in the state and retained his seat in a state President Donald Trump carried by over 30 points in 2024.

Political observers are watching Nov. 3 to see if a surge in Black voter turnout could affect a number of races in the Deep South.

Trump says he will accept midterm election results

James Powel

President Donald Trump told the New York Times that he will accept the results of the midterm elections.

"I am absolutely willing to accept those results," Trump told the newspaper shortly before 10:30 p.m. ET. "We'll work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, look forward to working with them. We’ll probably work something out."

Trump blamed the GOP’s large losses on his not being on the ballot, according to the Times. He added that he did not regret endorsing losing Republicans such as Sen. Darline Graham and Ken Paxton.

Talarico supporters 'feeling good'

Mateo Rosiles

Democrat James Talarico's supporters were feeling good as election results continue to pour in for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas. DDHQ and NBC are projecting Talarico will defeat Republican Ken Paxton and flip the seat for the Democrats.

Katie Graham, watching results come in at Talarico's watch party in Austin, said she feels positive about what she is seeing so far.

"I'm feeling good, but I'd love a proper call," she said.

Brown wins Ohio Senate

Terry Collins

Two years after being beaten by GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno, Democrat Sherrod Brown has defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted to recapture a seat in the U.S. Senate, CNN and NBC News projected.

Brown held narrow leads in polls leading up to Election Day, but his criticism of Husted, including calling him "the face of data centers in Ohio" in ads, appeared to resonate with voters, despite 11th-hour campaign visits by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Husted was appointed to the Senate by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine after Vance became vice president. Brown will serve the remaining two years of Vance's term and would face voters again in 2028 if he seeks a full six-year term.

Brown lost his 32-year Senate seat in 2024 by less than four percentage points to Moreno, while Ohio went for Trump by 11 percentage points.

Gina Hinojosa flips Texas governor's race from red to blue

Jay Stahl

Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa has prevailed over Gov. Greg Abbott, flipping the office from red to blue, according to NBC News and CNN.

The win for Hinojosa, who represents central Austin, marks the first time a Democrat will retake the governor's mansion since Ann Richards left office in 1995.

Hinojosa framed her campaign against Abbott around affordability, and said a win would be a check on Abbott as well as the state's Republican-led legislature.

Hinojosa will be the first Latina governor in Texas history. Abbott has held office since 2015.

Andrews celebrates major upset over Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina

Christopher Cann

Speaking to a crowd of supporters, Dr. Annie Andrews said her projected surprise victory over Republican Sen. Darline Graham sends a message that the South Carolina office "does not belong to one family, one party, or to Washington, DC."

"You have shown the nation what is possible," said Andrews, the first Democrat to win in the state in decades and the first woman to win a Senate election in South Carolina.

Andrews, a pediatrician, is projected to defeat Graham, who was appointed to the office in July after her brother, Lindsey Graham, died. He had held the seat for more than 23 years.

Andrews thanked Darline Graham for her public service and wished her well, adding that the Republican had called to congratulate her on the victory.

New Mexico elects the country's first female Native American governor

Emily R. Condon

Former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, D-New Mexico, is expected to become the first Native American female governor elected in U.S. history, according to projections by NBC News and the Associated Press.

Haaland, who was also the first Native American to serve as a U.S. Cabinet member under former President Joe Biden's administration, is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and from Navajo County, Arizona. Haaland also made history in 2019 as one of the first two native American women ever elected to Congress, along with Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas.

Oklahoma has had two Native American governors, but they were both men: Johnston Murray (1951-1955) and Kevin Stitt (2019-present).

Mississippi Senate race close

James Powel

The Mississippi Senate race between Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom remains close, despite once being considered a safe seat for Republicans.

The Associated Press results dashboard shows Hyde-Smith leading Colom by four points as of just before 11 p.m. ET.

Cook Political Report moved the Mississippi Senate race rating from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican" last week but the race was not considered competitive.

Polls close in California and Washington

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 11 p.m. ET in California and Washington.

A number of must-watch House races in California could shape the next Congress, including an intraparty contest to replace Nancy Pelosi whose handpicked successor Connie Chan, a San Francisco supervisor, is running a tight race against state Sen. Scott Wiener.

In Washington, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, considered one of Democrats' most moderate members, is defending her seat from John Braun, the state senate minority leader.

Trump responds to Democratic rout: 'I wasn't on the ballot'

Joey Garrison

As Tuesday's midterm election started to turn into a rout for Democrats, President Donald Trump responded by saying he's not on the ballot.

"I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

But many political observers said the midterms were a referendum on Trump's last two years in office. The president himself told his supporters to "pretend" he's on the ballot in a push to energize his base to go to the polls. Trump, despite his low approval ratings, crisscrossed the county over the past three weeks to try to get Republican midterm candidates elected.

Democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George will be next DC mayor

Arit John

Janeese Lewis George, a District of Columbia council member and democratic socialist, will be the next mayor of Washington, D.C., according to projections from NBC and AP.

Lewis George defeated Rhonda Hamilton, a nonprofit founder who ran as an independent. In June, Lewis George won the Democratic nomination after defeating former District of Columbia council member Kenyan McDuffie, a moderate. 

Lewis George will be one of a growing number of democratic socialist mayors in heavily Democratic cities around the country, including in Seattle and New York. Another democratic socialist, Los Angeles city council member Nithya Raman, is challenging the city’s incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. 

Lewis George will now lead the district during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s administration. She has vowed to push back on the Trump administration and work to protect Home Rule, the law that allows the district to have its own government, in the face of federal takeover threats from Trump. 

Talarico pulls off stunning Texas flip

Phillip M. Bailey

Democrat James Talarico shook the national political landscape Nov. 3, defeating Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate in deeply red Texas, Decision Desk HQ and NBC News projected.

The 37-year-old state legislator will be the first Democrat that the Lone Star State has sent to the Senate since 1988. It is a victory that is likely to realign the electoral map heading into the 2028 presidential election and marks one of the most significant flips in modern history.

Talarico framed much of his campaign around a more populist-aligned economic message that urged Texans to stop looking at traditional liberal and conservative labels. Instead, he focused his message on fighting the super wealthy, including Elon Musk, the world's richest person, who spent millions in support of Paxton, the state's attorney general.

"Elon Musk wants our land. He wants our water. He wants our tax dollars. He wants his very own personal United States senator," Talarico said during an October rally in San Antonio.

Democrat Amy Acton defeats GOP's Ramaswamy to win Ohio governor’s race

Arit John

Democrat Amy Acton, who led the Ohio Department of Health during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be the state's next governor, according to Decision Desk HQ and NBC.

Acton is the first Democrat to win an Ohio governor's race since 2006, when voters elected Ted Strickland. She defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in one of the most heated elections of the year.

In the final days of the race, Ramaswamy's campaign released an ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, in which she said the Democrat has lied about her difficult upbringing. The ad was widely rebuked, including by members of Ramaswamy's own party, such as outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine. Acton and her brother were removed from Arthur's care in 1978, after Arthur's husband was charged with raping Acton, who was 12 at the time. 

Acton campaigned on lowering costs, including through tax credits and property tax relief, protecting Medicaid access and funding public schools.

Michigan results not expected until Wednesday, state says

Eric D. Lawrence

Michigan clerks continued counting a large number of mail-in ballots on election night, and unofficial results from the voting were not expected to be fully reported until sometime on Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's office.

Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, during a news conference late Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Detroit's Cadillac Place, said results would take time because the state's clerks and election workers always prioritize accuracy over speed.

"Tonight all eyes were on us, and we’re proud to have run another secure and successful election," Edevbie said. "While votes are still being counted, local election workers reported strong Election Day turnout and fast-moving lines across our state."

He said clerks received more than 1.8 million mail ballots. In addition, more than 750,000 people voted in person at an early vote site and more than 15,000 eligible state residents were able to register to vote on Election Day, he said.

Read more here.

Two GOP Pennsylvania districts flip blue

Emily R. Condon

Republican Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, PA-07, and Rob Bresnahan, PA-08, will lose their reelection bids, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ, CNN and NBC News.

Democrat Bob Brooks will win the 7th District, and Democrat Paige Cognetti will win the 8th district, according to the projections. The districts are two of four Eastern Pennsylvania districts held by Republicans that were closely watched toss-up races. The 10th District with Rep. Scott Perry and 1st District with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick are yet to be called.

In 2024, Mackenzie defeated Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, flipping the seat red in a one-percentage-point win, but after one term, it is returning blue. In the 8th District, it's a similar story. Bresnahan defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright in 2024 by just over one percentage point.

Ossoff celebrates projected Senate reelection, slams Trump

Irene Wright and Christopher Cann

Speaking at a hotel in downtown Atlanta, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff said the American people have "rebuked the depravity, corruption, and incompetence of the failed President Donald Trump."

Ossoff, who is projected to fend off a challenge from Republican Rep. Mike Collins, pointed to other victories around the country, including that of Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is expected to become Georgia’s first Black governor and first woman governor.

Ossoff called the current administration corrupt and said he would continue to take on corporations and "titans" who take advantage of Americans.

"Never doubt that unity is possible," Ossoff said, thanking the Republican leaders and voters across the state who reached across the ballot for him on Election Day. He added: "Our most vital work lies ahead."

Cheers erupt at Jeffries HQ as Dems retake House

Zachary Schermele

WASHINGTON — At Rep. Hakeem Jeffries' headquarters in Washington, DC, Democrats erupted in cheers as networks projected the party would retake the House.

The mood was jubilant, with drinks flowing, laughter, and chants of "We did it!"

Jeffries, poised to become the next House speaker, was expected to address reporters again later Tuesday night.

Youth voters break hard for Dems in House races, reversing 2024 trend

Karissa Waddick

More than two thirds of young people (71%) voted for a Democratic House candidate, the highest youth preference recorded in a national election, according to the Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. 

Initial data suggests youth aged 18-29 voted for Democrats by a higher margin than any other age group. 

The most notable swing was in young men, 56% of whom supported Trump in 2024. This election, more than 60% voted for a Democratic House candidate. 

Political strategists have cautioned that young people’s swing toward Democrats doesn’t necessarily represent a longterm trend. 

“Gen Z is definitely not a voting block you can take for granted for either party,” said Layla Zaidane, president and CEO of Future Caucus, a bipartisan group for Gen Z and millennial lawmakers.

Slotkin says Michigan is at tipping point as Democrats await results

Dana Afana

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who narrowly defeated Republican nominee Mike Rogers in 2024, said elections are a chance to send a message to the country and world about values.

“It is an opportunity to put a marker down on what we think about the man in the White House and who we believe reflects our values,” Slotkin said, speaking at the Michigan Democratic watch party inside the Hudson's Detroit building downtown.

Slotkin said the state is at a “tipping point on whether we believe this country should have a middle class and whether it’s OK for a president of the United States to use this country as a piggy bank for himself and his family, that is what’s on the line.”

“We do not accept that vision of America. We do have a different vision of America,” she added.

The senator described Michigan as an “independently minded state” of people who “take orders from no one.” She emphasized that it’s about “whether you are on team fight, or team flight.”

Slotkin also pointed to the uniqueness of Michigan sending a Jewish senator – herself – and potentially a Muslim, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, to lead the Michigan Senate.

“That’s what this state is about. That is who we are,” Slotkin said.

Democrats will win back control of the House

Arit John

Democrats will win back control of the U.S. House, CNN and Decision Desk HQ projected, setting the stage for a showdown with the White House next year as the party increases its oversight of President Donald Trump’s administration.

The results are a blow to Trump and his allies, who have said they fear Democrats will spend the next two years convening hearings on the actions of the president's Cabinet. Democrats pitched the midterm elections as an opportunity to elect new lawmakers who would serve as a check on the Trump administration.

Polling ahead of the November election suggested that message resonated with voters, and Democrats have long been favored to regain control of the lower chamber. Republicans, meanwhile, struggled in the face of high gas and diesel costs caused by the Iran war and other cost-of-living concerns. Despite a campaign blitz across the country by Trump, Democrats have spent the last few weeks arguing they were competitive even in districts the president had won previously by double-digit margins.

The question now is how wide Democrats' margin will be. While voters elected moderate Democrats in several of the swing districts that decided the majority, there is also a wave of new progressive lawmakers entering the Democratic freshman class. Their influence will be determined in part by how many votes the party can afford to lose on key issues.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul defeats GOP challenger

Christopher Cann and Emily Barnes

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul won reelection in New York, handily defeating Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman on Tuesday, according to projections from the Associated Press and CBS News.

While Hochul has been at the state's helm for five years, it's only the second time she's been voted into the position after assuming the role in the wake of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation in 2021 amid a sexual assault scandal.

Blakeman faced an uphill climb and often trailed Hochul by double digits.

Among the top issues in the race were immigration and affordability, with the two candidates offering different solutions to rising utility and energy costs in the state. Hochul often tied her opponent to President Donald Trump, while Blakeman sought to use Hochul's alliance with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani against her.

Supporters of Democratic candidate for Tennessee governor buoyed by strong early showing

Vivian Jones

Screams of excitement broke out as early returns showed Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green with a four-point lead just after 8 p.m. local time. Early vote totals from the state's major cities gave Green a surge. 

Energy stayed electric as the DJ put on the DJ Khaled anthem “All I Do Is Win." Supporters put their hands in the air and cheered.  

Campaign volunteer Sayota Knight shared his support for Green as an indigenous educator. 

“People power! People power! People power!” the crowd chanted in a call and response with Knight. 

“Lets bring this power back to the people!” he yelled, to a resounding cheer. “Let’s go Jerri!”

Green is vying against Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn to become the Volunteer State's next governor. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Tennessee since 2008.

Regardless of who wins, Tennessee voters are set to elect their first woman governor.

Democrats flip S.C. Senate seat in blockbuster upset

Phillip M. Bailey

Democrat Annie Andrews pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the 2026 midterms on Nov. 3, defeating Republican Sen. Darline Graham for the South Carolina seat held by her late brother mere months ago.

Both Decision Desk HQ and NBC News called the race for Andrews, a pediatrician, nearly three hours after the polls closed.

A Democrat has not won a Senate race in the Palmetto State since 1998, and most experts had written off the 45-year-old mother of three. But polls showed the contest tied in the final days as Republicans failed to unify behind the president's handpicked nominee.

Polls close in 5 states, including Montana and Nevada

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 10 p.m. ET in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.

In Montana, Republican Aaron Flint is attempting to replace Rep. Ryan Zinke, a former Trump cabinet secretary, and keep a House seat red. He is locked in a competitive battle with smokejumper Sam Forstag, a Democrat.

In purple Nevada, a heated gubernatorial contest could test both parties' messaging ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Democrats flip Kentucky congressional seat

Phillip M. Bailey

Democrats have won a critical bellwether in Kentucky, where former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo defeated Republican Ralph Alvarado, according to CNN and DDHQ.

The central Kentucky district has been in GOP hands since 2012, and Trump won it by 15 percentage points in 2024, but it became a target for Democrats in the last several weeks of the 2026 midterm election.

South Texas trending blue as preliminary results roll in

Rebecca Morin

There appears to be an early sign of a blue wave in South Texas.

Preliminary results rolling in for the Rio Grande Valley, apredominately Hispanic region in South Texas that President Donald Trump flipped during the 2024 election, show Democratic candidates leading for some of the counties that encompass that area.

In Cameron County, which is home to Brownsville, the southern-most city in Texas and Boca Chica, where Trump-ally Elon Musk’s Space X headquarters is located, Democrats Gina Hinojosa, who is running for governor, and James Talarico, who is running for Senate, are leading against Republicans Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, respectively, with 77% of votes counted, according to the Associated Press. 

In 2024, Trump won Cameron County by nearly 6 percentage points over Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, 52.5% to 46.7%. 

Cameron County, which is nestled between the Gulf coast and along the U.S.-Mexico border, is almost 90% Hispanic. 

Hispanic voters in Texas have slowly shifted away from the Democratic Party and toward Republicans, but it came to a head in 2024.

Trumpwon more than half – 55% – of the Latino vote in the state, a 13-percentage-point increase from 2020, a record high for a Republican presidential candidate and a 27-percentage-point increase over 2016, according to data from theTexas Politics Project.

Trump won every single county that makes up the Rio Grande Valley in 2024: Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy.

After spring Congress absence, GOP Rep. Tom Kean loses NJ House seat

Emily R. Condon

Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, will defeat Republican Rep. Tom Kean, adding New Jersey's 7th Congressional District to the list of red House seats turned blue this midterm election, according to projections by multiple outlets.

Kean only narrowly flipped the district in 2022 from then-Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski and won reelection in 2024 by fewer than six points.

Kean's defeat comes after he spent nearly four monthsabsent from Congress in the spring, which he said upon his reemergence was due to treatment for depression. The district – home to President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club − stretches from New York City suburbs to more rural parts of the state near Pennsylvania. 

Voters in the district told USA TODAY in September that they sympathized for the Republican's struggle with depression, but for some, President Donald Trump's policies and Kean's voting record were ultimately reasons to vote for the Democrat.

Democrats hold FL-14, despite gerrymandered map to favor Republican

Emily R. Condon

Democrat Pia Dandiya will win the race to represent Florida's newly redrawn 22nd Congressional District, according to projections by CNN and DDHQ.

The progressive Democrat won despite Republican gerrymandering efforts in the state that hoped to flip the Palm Beach district red. The district now crosses the state to include Naples, a traditionally red area, but Dandiya still beat Republican Casey Askar by a slim margin.

Activists credit Dem victories to Black voter turnout

Karissa Waddick

LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, predicted a “southern sweep” for Democratic candidates Tuesday night, highlighting early returns.

“These are states that shouldn’t even be close,” Brown said of races in South Carolina, Georgia and other states. She credited Black voter turnout with helping drive Democratic victories. 

“It’s not a blue tsunami,” her co-founder Cliff Albright said. “Tonight, it’s a Black-nami.” 

Minnesota: Voters remember Good, Pretti

Voters in Minnesota left their stickers at memorial sites honoring Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both slain earlier this year by federal agents.

Marsha Blackburn seeks to become Tennessee's first woman governor

Kelly Puente

Minutes after polls officially closed across Tennessee on Tuesday, hundreds of supporters filled The Pinnacle music venue in downtown Nashville for Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s election night watch party.

Country music filled the venue from the band The Austin Brothers as supporters awaited election results in a race that could make Blackburn Tennessee’s first female governor.

The celebration brought together prominent Tennessee Republicans, including Johnny Garrett, the Republican candidate for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District; U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps, who represents the state’s 7th Congressional District; and state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson.

Blackburn, who has represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate since 2019, faces Democrat Jerri Green and several independent candidates in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Lee.

Melat Kiros wins House race in Colorado in win for progressives

Jay Stahl

Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old progressive, beat Christy Peterson, her Republican opponent, to take a safely blue Denver congressional seat, CNN and the Associated Press projected.

Kiros won a June primary to oust Rep. Diana DeGette, the 68-year-old incumbent. DeGette has served the district since 1997, when Kiros was born.

The primary race was mainly contoured by DeGette's role as an establishment member in the party, while Israel's actions in Gaza loomed large in her opponents' views on foreign relations.

Kiros will join a slew of candidates from the party's left flank who beat incumbent members of Congress on their way to the lower chamber.

Jeffries coasts to reelection. Speaker next?

Phillip M. Bailey

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, coasted to reelection Nov. 3, easily defeating Republican Lewis Mizrahi in the Brooklyn district, according to NBC News and AP projections.

The 56-year-old Democrat’s attention, however, is focused on a larger prize – the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

If Democrats flip the chamber, Jeffries has vowed Congress will be a check on the Trump administration while pursuing an ambitious agenda tackling affordability, reversing Medicaid cuts and ending the war in Iran. He would also likely be elevated as the first Black speaker in American history.

But it won't be easy given that his caucus will likely see more progressive members, specifically those aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, which could bring many of those intraparty divisions to Capitol Hill.

"I'm convinced that every single part of the House Democratic caucus will understand the mission, which is deliver for the American people," Jeffries told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview. "What’s most important, in terms of how I proceed, is us figuring out what unites us."

'I don’t believe the polls': Iowa Republicans arrive at election night event ready to party

Thai Theodoro and Nick El Hajj

At the Republican election night watch party at the Hilton Downtown in Des Moines, signs supporting gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn filled the lobby before the event began. Lahn's volunteers expressed optimism about his chances.

Keven Arrowsmith, 60, of Waukee, Iowa, a registered Republican, said he began volunteering for Lahn shortly before the primary after watching him speak in Dallas County.

"It's very grassroots-driven," Arrowsmith said. He volunteered for Donald Trump during his presidential campaigns and said he has supported him since graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in 1988.

"Somebody gave me the book 'The Art of the Deal' as a graduation present, so I read it, and so just been a fan ever since," Arrowsmith said. "Do I agree with everything he does? No, not necessarily."

As the watch party was set to start at 7 p.m., Arrowsmith said he remained optimistic about Lahn's chances, despite polls suggesting he was trailing.

"I mean, it's kind of similar to where he was at the primary. He was kind of behind," he said. "The polls said that, and then ended up winning."

That confidence was widespread.

"I don’t believe the polls because that was the same way when President Trump last ran," said Deborah Renee, 61, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was attending the state GOP's party. Renee, a grandmother of 11, said she expects a strong showing for Republicans.

She said her main issues are banning abortion and transgender girls competing in girls’ sports. 

Democrats show signs of strength in Florida

Zac Anderson

Florida Democrats won a trio of key House races and fell just sort in their effort to flip a Senate seat and the governor's mansion, as the party showed signs of strength in a state that has shifted hard right in recent elections after years as a top battleground.

Trump carried Florida by double digits in 2024, but Democrat Angie Nixon narrowly lost her bid to flip the seat held by Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, and Democrat David Jolly lost by an even slimmer margin to Republican Byron Donalds in the governor's race. Meanwhile, a push by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature to carve out more GOP House seats in the state fell flat.

Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor and Jared Moskowitz prevailed in their re-election bids, despite running in newly-redrawn districts favoring the GOP. Trump carried Castor’s seat by double digits, and Moskowitz’s by 9 percentage points.Democrat Pia Dandiya also won a seat that had been targeted by redistricting.

Democrat Jamie Ager flips House seat in North Carolina

Emily R. Condon

Democrat Jamie Ager is projected to win North Carolina's 11th Congressional District race, according to Decision Desk HQ and CNN, marking the first House of Representatives seat flipped this cycle.

Ager is a fourth-generation farmer from western North Carolina, and his win comes after current Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards dropped his reelection bid in August after an ethics investigation, noting concerning conduct, which Edwards denies.

Ager defeated Republican Jennifer Capps Balkcom who was nominated as the Republican candidate after Edwards dropped out. A Democrat has not represented the district since 2013.

Iowa Democratic leader feels 'change in the air' — but trying not to get ahead of her skis

Courtney Crowder

Even the Iowa Democratic Party leader knocks on doors.

Rita Hart, who took the helm of the party in 2023, spent part of Election Day hitting the pavement, stopping at canvas launches, thanking volunteers, and congratulating organizers.

And in all those conversations, she’s felt "like things are changing."

“Maybe we’re coming together as a people again,” she says. "When it’s not so divisive."

"When it’s been very negative, it just hasn’t been good for Iowa, and so I just think that there’s some change in the air that way."

But, admittedly, she’s anxious to see results come in.

"I have lost a race, a big race, by six votes, right?" she said. "So I am just waiting to see what the results are and trying not to get ahead of myself. Try not to get ahead of my skis."

Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms will become first US Black woman governor

Terry Collins

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history, becoming Georgia’s first Black governor and first woman governor, breaking Republicans' 24-year hold on the office.

Bottoms was victorious in the race over GOP nominee, health care executive Rick Jackson, according to NBC News and Decision Desk HQ. Her win also makes Bottoms the nation’s first Black woman governor.

Bottoms' campaign focused on affordability, Medicaid expansion, health care access and housing. Her affordability plan includes a property tax relief package, slashing the gas tax and allowing local governments to waive sales taxes on groceries.

"If we want a better Georgia, we have to fight for it. We can make Georgia more affordable, restore women's right to choose, protect our voting rights, protect our communities from data center growth, ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed and fight against the dangerous policies of Donald Trump," Bottoms said during an Oct. 13 debate that Jackson declined to participate in.

Bottoms served as Atlanta mayor from 2018 to 2022 and was a senior advisor in the Biden administration before declaring her candidacy for governor last year. She will replace term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has served since 2019.

AOC pulls off fifth-consecutive House win

Emily R. Condon

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, will win her reelection bid for a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press and NBC News, setting up a potential presidential bid ora Senate run in 2028.

Ocasio-Cortez cruised to victory over her Republican opponent Diamant Hysenaj in New York's 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of New York City's Bronx and Queens boroughs.

She is a leader in the progressive and democratic socialist faction of her party, which will grow after a number of wins in Democratic primaries in 2026.

Republican Byron Donalds makes history, becomes Florida's first Black governor

Terry Collins

Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has made history by becoming Florida's first Black governor.

Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly, according to DDHQ and ABC. For the first time in eight years, Floridians have picked a new governor to replace soon-to-be termed-out Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The GOP congressman had the endorsement of President Donald Trump, but briefly distanced himself as Trump's approval ratings hit new lows. On the campaign trail, Donalds said making Florida more affordable, lowering prescription prices, cutting taxes and insurance rates, and driving down housing costs were among his top priorities.

Donalds led in most polls and outraised Jolly by a 10-to-1 margin. Jolly served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 13th congressional district from 2014-2017 as a Republican before leaving the party in 2018.

In addition to making history, Donalds' win continues the trend of Republicans winning every gubernatorial election in the Sunshine State since 1998.

Another democratic socialist will join New York delegation

Emily R. Condon

New York state Rep. Claire Valdez will beat Republican Melvin Rivera to serve New York's 7th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press and CNN, an expected win adding to the list of democratic socialists rising to political power in recent years.

Outgoing Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez has won the district by a range of 56 to 87 points over the past four elections, so Valdez's Democratic win to represent parts of New York City's Brooklyn and Queens boroughs is unsurprising.

Valdez is a member of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, and she was endorsed in the Democratic primary against a more establishment liberal opponent by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. She will join her New York City colleagues Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, as the Democratic Party's left flank grows on Capitol Hill.

Roy Cooper celebrates projected Senate victory with supporters in North Carolina

Christopher Cann

Roy Cooper took to the stage at his watch party after several outlets projected his win over Trump-backed Republican Michael Whatley.

“We are just getting started,” Cooper, a former North Carolina governor, said to a roar of cheers from his supporters. “Tonight the campaign ends but tomorrow the work of governing begins.”

“We have to work to make health care, housing and groceries more affordable,” he said, adding that the country must “end this war and stop the pain at the pump.”

Cooper will replace Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced his retirement after breaking with Trump over Medicaid cuts in the president’s signature tax and spending law.

Contributing: Reuters

Mamdani-endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier wins House seat

Jay Stahl

Democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier cruised to a win in New York's 13th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press and NBC News.

Avila Chevalier, a newcomer, defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a June primary to represent the safely blue district. She beat Republican Jomo M. Williams in the general election to win the seat.

Alongside Claire Valdez and Brad Lander, Avila Chevalier was part of a slate of progressive candidates endorsed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani who unseated more moderate House incumbents earlier this year.

Democrats keep coming up short in Texas. Is this their year?

Arit John

Democrats haven’t won a U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1988, the year before their nomineeJames Talarico was born. But that’s not for lack of trying on their part. 

For years, Democrats have hoped that, as the state grew more diverse, it would become more competitive for their party. And for years, they’ve come close but fallen short. 

In 2018, in what ended up being a wave year for Democrats, they nominated then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz. O’Rourke barnstormed the state and raised $80 million to Cruz’s $46 million. Cruz’s reputation, meanwhile, was still recovering from his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign. While O’Rourke came close, Cruz won re-election by 2.6 percentage points. 

Two years later, they hoped MJ Hegar, a motorcycle-riding Air Force veteran, would be able to defeat Sen. John Cornyn. She lost by nearly 10 points. And in 2024, Cruz won a third term against Democrat Colin Allred, a former professional football player who flipped a Republican-held US House seat in 2018. 

Talarico offers Democrats their best chance to win since 2018. Like O’Rourke, Talarico has significantly outraised his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton has suffered a string of scandals in recent years, including surviving an impeachment trial. Election forecasters have rated the race a toss-up. 

New Jersey: Democrat LaMonica McIver wins reelection

Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver won reelection to the House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, comfortably defeating her Republican opponent Carmen Bucco.

McIver gained national attention in 2025 after she and two other Democratic New Jersey lawmakers faced off against Department of Homeland Security guards outside the Delaney Hall detention center shortly after officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

Following the incident, McIver was charged with forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers and has asked the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals to throw them out, arguing the charges were politically motivated.

Democratic socialist wins in Pennsylvania

Fernando Cervantes Jr.

In one of the first wins for democratic socialist candidates tonight, Chris Rabb won in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District and will succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans.

The district covers parts of Philadelphia and saw Rabb running without a Republican opponent, with the only opposition in the form of Dennis Mahoney, a humanitarian aid worker from South Philadelphia who was on the ballot as an independent, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Rabb became the Democrats' nominee following a tightly contested primary where he challenged the Democratic establishment, defeating two other candidates.

Troy Jackson supporters are hopeful Dems can defeat Susan Collins – despite her track record

Margie Cullen

Despite Republican Sen. Susan Collins’s five-time winning streak in Maine, supporters of Democratic challenger Troy Jackson were feeling bullish about his chances 30 minutes after polls closed.

Elizabeth Wise, 59, said she was feeling “very optimistic.”

“He is the guy to break the winning streak, and this is the year,” Wise said.

While Jackson has had a slight lead in the polls leading up to Election Day, Collins has appeared vulnerable before. She was behind her 2020 Democratic challenger, Sara Gideon, in poll after poll, but she won by about nine points in the same year that Maine chose Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump by roughly the same margin.

Polls close in Iowa, Minnesota and other key states

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 9 p.m. ET in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

In Iowa, State Auditor Rob Sand, a moderate Democrat, is running against conservative newcomer Zach Lahn in the contest to replace Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Sand is hoping to become the first Democratic governor to serve there in 15 years. Democrats are also hoping to flip three competitive House districts held by Republicans.

Political observers are also watching purple Wisconsin, which President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, but lost in 2020. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democrat, is locked in a race against conservative House Freedom Caucus member Tom Tiffany. Two House seats currently held by Republicans are also in play, including former House Speaker Paul Ryan's old seat in southeastern Wisconsin.

In Minnesota, Tim Walz's Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is hoping to keep the seat of Sen. Tina Smith, a fellow progressive, in Democrats' hands with a challenge from former national sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.

A number of New York House races, including likely wins by a trio of Democratic candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, are on the ballot.

Bitter race to replace Pelosi drawing to a close

James Powel

The race to replace House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in California's 11th Congressional District is drawing to a bitter end as San Franciscans vote to select a new representative for the first time in nearly four decades.

State Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan have battled to replace the longtime face of the Democratic Party, with Chan as Pelosi's chosen successor for the seat.

Wiener, who placed first in the state's jungle primary, has made housing development and affordability key parts of his campaign, framing Chan as a "NIMBY," according to the San Francisco Standard. Chan's campaign has painted Wiener as being in bed with the AI industry and developers, according to the Standard.

In August, Wiener faced criticism after releasing ConnieChan.ai, an interactive AI chatbot which generated stereotypical answers about Chan's race. Wiener ultimately took down the site, but not before officials like Pelosi and other Democratic leaders denounced it.

Contributing: Noe Padilla and Daniella Segura – USA TODAY

Michigan: In Detroit, accessible voting brings tears of joy

Nushrat Rahman

Sabrina Rice was in tears after she fed her ballot into the tabulator In Detroit on Tuesday. 

She was finally able to vote by herself. Rice, who has been blind for about 15 years, hasn't voted on her own for a long time because machines designed to allow voters to cast ballots independently had malfunctioned.

"It's been a number of years since I've voted secretly and independently," Rice, 54, of Detroit, said. 

During the August primary, she and her husband, Darryl Rice, waited three and a half hours and didn't end up voting because the machine didn't work. On Tuesday, they went down a set of stairs at Unity Baptist Church in Detroit, where a specialist assisted them. They left the polling location having submitted their own ballots, feeling relieved and excited. 

"When it's time to vote again, will the machine work? That's the only thing going through my head. We made it through this time, but what's going to happen next time, because every time it's a different process?" Darryl Rice asked. 

The couple, members of Detroit Advocates of the Blind and business owners, were among the Detroiters who raised the alarm about accessibility at the polls in recent weeks. Members of the blind community told Detroit City Council in late September about their experiences with voter assist terminals, or VAT. 

Sen. Susan Collins: 'Let's celebrate'

Kinsey Crowley

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, took the stage at the election night party in Bangor shortly after polls closed, joined by her family. The crowd, many dressed in red, cheered, danced and waved little American flags upon her arrival. She thanked them, her campaign staff and the other attendees for their work and support throughout the race.

She joked that, with the election over, her husband would be able to watch television without wanting to throw the remote, perhaps a nod to the bombardment of political ads the state has seen in this election, though more money went toward her than her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson.

Her dog Pepper, a seven-year-old black Lab, is also in attendance, wearing a red bandana. 

"Results are going to take a while to come in, and we will keep watching," Collins concluded. "Have a wonderful evening. Let's celebrate!"

As of 9 p.m., only about 7% of the vote had been counted, and a winner has not yet been determined.

Michigan: Dearborn mayor urges voters to stay in line

Dave Boucher

Officials in Dearborn, Michigan, urged voters to remain in line after reports that some polling places in the Detroit suburb ran out of ballots.

"We’re receiving reports that some precincts have temporarily run out of ballots and that lines are longer than usual. PLEASE STAY IN LINE. DO NOT LEAVE," Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud posted to X just before 7 p.m. ET Tuesday.

"Give the City Clerk’s team time to restock ballots and allow the lines to move. We appreciate your patience as election workers address these delays."

He reminded voters as long as they were in line before polls closed at 8 p.m., they have a legal right to cast a ballot.

"Let’s keep the momentum going, Dearborn. Every vote matters!" Hammoud said.

The state is in the spotlight in the U.S. Senate contest between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers.

Jovial mood at Jeffries HQ

Zachary Schermele

The mood at the Washington, DC, headquarters for House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who's poised to potentially become the next House speaker, was jovial around 8:30 p.m. ET.

Applause and cheers broke out when the networks called the races for Reps. Kathy Castor and Jared Moskowitz, two Florida Democrats whose seats Sunshine State Republicans had hoped to gain by gerrymandering.

Logos with the phrase "fighting for an affordable America" were plastered across the hotel convention room.

Moody beats Nixon in Florida Senate race

Zac Anderson

Republican Sen. Ashley Moody fended off a challenge from Democrat Angie Nixon in Florida, according to projections from CNN and Decision Desk HQ, defeating a candidate who had energized the left and was among a number of Democratic Socialists on the ballot.

Moody, the state's former attorney general, was appointed to the Senate seat to replace Marco Rubio when President Donald Trump picked him as secretary of state.

Polls close in Arkansas

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 8:30 p.m. ET in Arkansas.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's first term White House press secretary, is seeking re-election in the state Trump won by 30 points in 2024. A contest between Republican Rep. French Hill and Chris Jones, a Democrat who ran against Sanders in 2022, for a House seat is among the state's must-watch races.

South Carolina sees record voter turnout amid tight Senate race

Karissa Waddick

South Carolina broke its voter turnout record for a gubernatorial election, the state’s election commission said Tuesday night. As of 6 p.m. ET, 56% of registered voters in the state had cast a ballot, surpassing the previous record set in 2002.  

The U.S. Senate race in the state between Democrat Annie Andrews and Republican Darline Graham, the sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, is tighter than expected.  

Democrat Roy Cooper flips NC seat

Phillip M. Bailey

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper won the state's pivotal U.S. Senate battle against Michael Whatley, multiple outlets projected, delivering Democrats a much-needed flip in the upper chamber of Congress.

The Tar Heel State has been on Democrats' radar for years, and slipped more into the toss-up category largely due to President Donald Trump bleeding support amid anxiety over the economy. Whatley, a former RNC chairman, trailed by double digits for much of the campaign, despite the president's best efforts to rally support in the last weeks of the race.

Cooper guided the state through the COVID-19 pandemic and three major hurricanes as governor. He is the first Democrat to win a Senate contest in the state since 2008, when the late Kay Hagan defeated Elizabeth Dole. She was defeated in 2014 by incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis, who retired after clashing with Trump.

Democrats had spent years trying to recruit Cooper, who previously served as the state's attorney general, to run for Senate, believing his popularity and moderate brand would be formidable.

First time two women of color will represent state in Senate

Emily R. Condon and Jay Stahl

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton will be the state's next U.S. senator, according to NBC News and FOX News, which marks the first time a state with be represented by two women of color.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the first Thai American woman elected to Congress, has represented Illinois alongside Stratton's predecessor, Sen. Dick Durbin, since 2017.

Stratton is a member of the progressive flank of the Democratic Party this election cycle who beat out more moderate, established Democrats in the primaries. USA TODAY reported in March that she said she would not support Sen. Chuck Schumer as Democratic Senate leader.

She'll head to Capitol Hill, 75 years after her father was unable to visit the Capitolin 1951 due to segregation.

Voters say affordability, inflation are top of mind

Christopher Cann

For voters across the country, gas prices and rising costs were top of mind as they streamed into polling stations Tuesday and cast their ballots in a host of highly consequential races.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, 28-year-old Lorena Quintana said it was the rising cost of living that drove her to vote in the midterms.

"I don't want to drive around the valley to find the cheapest gas," Quintana told the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. "I want to be able to pay my rent, my gas and be able to afford kiwis and strawberries without it feeling like a luxury."

Willie Lovine, a truck driver in northeastern Georgia, said he implored a coworker to vote by citing the cost of diesel fuel, which has risen sharply during the war with Iran.

“I had a buddy of mine tell me he isn’t voting. I told him you have to," Lovine told the Savannah Morning News, part of the USA TODAY Network. "Diesel is $6 a gallon. If you vote that might change.”

In Des Moines, Iowa, ToiAne Johnson, 37, a single mother of eight who works two jobs, said her biggest concern is making ends meet.

“I have to work two jobs just to maintain, at least try to maintain food on the table for my kids [and] a house for us,” she told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network.

New Hampshire: Pappas holds Senate seat for Dems, will become first openly gay male senator

Margie Cullen

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas has defeated Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu for New Hampshire’s Senate seat, multiple outlets projected. He will become the first openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Pappas, a popular Democrat who consistently won the historically purple 1st Congressional District, had faced a serious challenge in Sununu, who is from a popular political family in the state. National Republicans had invested heavily in the race, and polls had shown a single digit contest throughout the year.

His win holds a crucial Senate seat for Democrats as they hope to take the Senate majority. The seat was open following Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement.

Ohio: Lucas County to keep polling open late after bomb threat

Shahid Meighan

Voting at Beverly Elementary School in Lucas County, Ohio, will continue until 9:15 p.m. ET after bomb threats to the school prompted closures on Election Day. 

The bomb threats were reported at the elementary school on the morning of Nov. 3,  according to a Facebook post from the Lucas County Board of Elections. Poll workers safely evacuated voters and election personnel while law enforcement agencies cleared the scene. Normal voting operations resumed after it was determined that there was no danger, the Board of Elections said. 

Dan Lusheck, a spokesperson for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, said that the elementary school will be open through 9:15 p.m. for provisional voting only. 

Lucas County includes Toledo in northwestern Ohio.

Moskowitz fends off challenge in new district

Zachary Schermele

Despite running in a district newly drawn by Florida Republicans, Democrat Jared Moskowitz held onto his seat in the House of Representatives, multiple outlets projected.

The two-term congressman fended off a challenge from Scott Singer, a Republican and former Boca Raton mayor, in the Sunshine State's 25th Congressional District. Moskowitz's victory was a stinging defeat for the GOP, given the party's efforts to gerrymander the seat.

Key Michigan precincts temporarily run out of ballots

Karissa Waddick

Some polling locations in Dearborn, Michigan, temporarily ran out of ballots late in the evening Tuesday amid high voter turnout, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said on social media. 

Polls in the state close at 8 p.m. ET. However, the mayor urged voters to remain in line until they cast their ballot.  “Let’s keep the momentum going, Dearborn. Every vote matters!” Hammoud wrote. 

Dearborn is home to the largest Arab American community in the country. The city is believed to be critical in the Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rodgers. 

Polls close in 19 states, including Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi and Texas

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 8 p.m. ET in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, DC, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas.

Republicans are on defense in five must-watch U.S. Senate races that could help decide the balance of power in Congress.

In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is facing a fierce challenge from Democrat Rev. Adam Hamilton, who leads the country's largest Methodist church.

Incumbent Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the upper chamber's longest serving woman, is hoping to fend off Democrat Troy Jackson and, in Michigan, former GOP congressman Mike Rogers is hoping to flip an open Michigan seat red over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

In Mississippi, incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is on defense as Democrat attorney Scott Colom, who is also a judge, hopes Black voters and voters' tensions with President Donald Trump will flip a reliably red seat to blue. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican who has faced a series of scandals, has received national attention for his race against Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico.

'A lot needs to be changed': Michiganders cast votes in tense Senate race

Keith Matheny, Beki San Martin and Christopher Cann

Ahead of polls closing in Michigan, voters across Detroit gave a variety of reasons Tuesday for their vote in the highly watched U.S. Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers.

Quentin Brown, 35, of Detroit, said he is particularly concerned with reforming the country’s healthcare system and believes El-Sayed, the former health director for the city of Detroit and Wayne County, is the right person for the job.

"A lot needs to be changed in the current landscape of medicine and healthcare, so I hope he could do something about it,” he told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Angela Fletcher-Cook, 47, said she also voted for El-Sayed: “I think he’s going to be great for Michigan, that he really cares about us and wants the best.”

Tammy Shammaz, 61, said she was enthusiastically supporting Rogers because "we need to bring manufacturing back to this country.”

"I remember back in the day we had hundreds of small companies, small factories," she said. "That is gone and we need to bring that back here. And I believe that ... Mike Rogers will facilitate that."

Douglas Wurster, 55, a registered Republican who said he considers himself more of an independent, voted for Rogers but he was not enthusiastic about his decision.

"Mike Rogers has been around for years. I don't like career politicians,” he said. “I wish we could get some limits on that so that (there are) new people, new ideas.”

Hear from Maine voters after they cast their ballots

Kinsey Crowley

Between a cold drizzle and an early sunset thanks to the weekend clock change, it was a dreary Election Day in Brewer, Maine. But that didn't deter voters from making it to their polling place.

Randy Bates, 58, said he never misses an election. He said he thinks President Donald Trump has been doing a good job, even though gas prices are up. He believes the Iran war will end in a couple of months; he just hopes it happens peacefully. As for the Senate race, he plans to vote for incumbent Susan Collins, despite the Republican's near 30-year tenure.

"I do not like long terms, but she really seems to help out the state of Maine," Bates told USA TODAY after he cast his ballot.

But for others, the Trump administration seemed to be a dealbreaker when it came to a vote for Collins.

"I voted for Troy Jackson. I voted before for Susan Collins, many years, and I just don't like how she's in our president's back pocket. I'm very upset with her, so I feel it's time for a change," Michele McLaughlin, 57, told USA TODAY. She said if Jackson is elected, she hopes he listens to his constituents and focuses on what's happening at home instead of overseas, "because people are really hurting right now, my family included." See what the other voters had to say:

Bomb threat temporarily closed Michigan polling site

Karissa Waddick, Nour Rahal and Kristen Jordan Shamus

Authorities temporarily closed a Michigan polling location about 25 miles southwest of Detroit because of a bomb threat. The evacuation lasted about an hour. Voting resumed at 6:30 p.m. local time.  Polls in Michigan are open until 8 p.m. local time.

Earlier Tuesday, a bomb threat temporarily closed voting at an Ohio elementary school. Voters in Ohio and Michigan are casting ballots in competitive Senate races.  

Trump slams Fox News as midterm results come in

Zac Anderson and James Powel

Trump has been tuned in to Fox News from the White House as he waits for election results, and he isn't happy with the network's coverage, saying he stopped watching in disgust.

The president lashed out at Fox in a series of social media posts, including taking aim at liberal Fox contributor Jessica Tarlov.

"Have to go somewhere else until that LOSER is off the air – I'll be back later!" Trump said of Tarlov.

The president also complained about Fox's polling, criticized the network for giving too much time to Democrats and said ratings are "collapsing." Fox News saw its lowest-rated month since December 2023 in October, media news outlet Status first reported, averaging 1.1 million total day viewers and its lowest rating in the key 25-54 demographic in 25 years at an average of just 98,000 viewers.

"No wonder Fox News Ratings are collapsing, and they’re going to go down a lot further," Trump said. "They’re way down, not because of me, but because they are AGAINST me!"

Sen. Jon Ossoff wins reelection in Georgia

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, has secured another six years in Washington − and perhaps set himself up for a White House run − after defeating Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, according to NBC News and Decision Desk HQ.

The senator led in polls throughout the summer, in some cases by double digits, in the state President Donald Trump carried twice. Collins faced controversies over associations with white nationalists and an ongoing House ethics investigation from his first term in Congress.

Ossoff is the youngest member of the Senate at 39 years old, and got his start in politics as an intern for then-Rep. John Lewis from Ossoff's native Atlanta area. He later went on to work as an investigative journalist with a focus on corruption before winning a runoff election against Republican David Purdue for his Senate seat in 2021.

Ossoff has repeatedly denied having any interest in running in for president 2028, and said instead his focus is on Georgia, even as his sharp criticisms of Trump have excited Democratic activists nationwide.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz holds FL seat for Dems, but not her current one

Emily R. Condon

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who currently represents Florida's 25th Congressional District, held the Democratic seat in the state's 20th district, according to projections by NBC News and the Associated Press.

Wasserman Schultz ran in the 20th after a redistricting by the state's Republican-led legislature designed to increase the GOP share of the state's House delegation.

Former 20th District Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormickresigned from Congress in April following an ethics investigation and a criminal indictment. Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who represents the 23rd district, is running for Wasserman Schultz's current 25th District seat.

Republicans in Florida aim to pick up four additional seats in the state, with the Orlando-area 9th District, Tampa-area 14th District, South Florida/Palm Beach-area 22nd District and Miami-area 25th District.

Polls close in Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 7:30 ET in Ohio, North Carolina and West Virginia.

There are a number of competitive races in Ohio and North Carolina that could test Republican and Democrats' sway in states Trump won in 2024.

In Ohio, a competitive gubernatorial contest is on the ballot. In recent weeks, the race made national headlines after an ad from Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign featured the mother of Dr. Amy Acton, a Democrat, accusing her daughter of being a liar.

Later, Acton said she was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather. A closely watched Senate race between Republican Sen. John Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown could help decide both parties' majority.

In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is trying to flip Sen. Thom Tillis' seat in a race against Michael Whatley.

Indiana: Incumbent Rep. Victoria Spartz trails in early results

Joey Garrison

Incumbent Republican Indiana U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz is trailing in early results in Indiana's 5th Congressional District in what could be a sign of good night for Democrats.

Democratic challenger J.D. Ford leads Spartz 60%-40%, with nearly 40% of precincts counted, though the margin is expected to narrow as votes cast on Election Day favoring Republicans are counted.

The district includes suburbs of Indianapolis that have trended towards Democrats in recent elections.

The Cook Political Report ranked Indiana's 5th Congressional District as "leaning" toward Republicans.

A Democrat has not represented the district since 1993.

DOJ issues letters in expanded Alaska ballot probe

Aysha Bagchi

The Justice Department sent out at least 20 letters to individuals or entities informing them they are investigative targets or should preserve records as part of its probe into the presence of two "Dan Sullivans" on the Alaska Senate ballot, a law enforcement source confirmed to USA TODAY.

The department has also served at least 120 subpoenas in its investigation, the source said.

The DOJ is conducting both civil and criminal investigations into how a second Dan Sullivan was recruited into the race, Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman said at an Oct. 30 press conference. The issue has had a public resurgence after the New York Times reported last week that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign may have been involved in recruiting the second Dan Sullivan to run – a claim her campaign has denied.

Alaska's Supreme Court ruled in June that both Dan Sullivans – the Republican incumbent senator and a retired teacher – would remain on the ballot, despite Republican concerns that the second Dan Sullivan was a plant who might pull votes away from the incumbent senator.

The ballot in Alaska has been written to make clear which Dan Sullivan is the Republican incumbent senator. Next to his name, "Sullivan, Dan S.," the ballot says "(Registered Republican) Incumbent." The other Sullivan is simply listed as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr."

'I Voted' stickers left at MN memorial sites for Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good

Marc Ramirez

In Minnesota, voters indicated displeasure with the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies by leaving “I Voted” stickers at the memorial sites for U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, who were fatally shot by federal immigration agents in separate January incidents in Minneapolis.

Mike F., a voter who left a sticker at Good’s memorial site and withheld his last name for privacy reasons, told The Guardian that he felt his participation at the ballot box was important in light of this year’s events.

“I felt like it was just the right thing to do – to come pay some respects and attach my vote to what happened here,” he said.

The issue has been key to the state’s midterm elections after the incidents, both captured with smartphones and shared widely on social media, sparked a national reckoning.

Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed on Jan. 7 after she and her partner encountered federal immigration agents in their south Minneapolis neighborhood. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, was killed Jan. 24 by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers while protesting the immigration enforcement surge in the city.

A retired physician who also provided only his first name, Arne, choked up as he told The Guardian why he left an “I Voted” sticker at Pretti’s memorial site.

“I just knew that he was a competent nurse – a really, really liked guy,” he said. “And he was assassinated.”

Which potential 2028 contenders are on the midterm ballot?

Zac Anderson

The midterm election could help generate momentum for a number of candidates who are getting buzz about potential presidential runs in 2028, and a strong showing tonight could bolster their campaigns.

On the Democratic side, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and California Rep. Ro Khanna are all potential 2028 candidates seeking reelection to their current jobs this year.

On the Republican side, there has been speculation around Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders running in 2028, although Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio receive much of the attention as possible successors for President Donald Trump.

Polls close in key states including Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire and South Carolina

Jay Stahl

Polls closed at 7 p.m. in Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virgina.

Both parties locked in competitive Senate and gubernatorial contests for several key states including Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

In South Carolina, Sen. Darline Graham hopes to keep her seat red after she was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother's Senate seat, which was held by Lindsey Graham.

Abdul El-Sayed returns to alma mater, greets student supporters

Violet Ikonomova

Abdul El-Sayed returned to his alma mater, the University of Michigan, on Election Day, posing for photos with student supporters on the last day of a race in which youth turnout could prove decisive.

Several students who met the Democratic Senate candidate were moved to tears. Others booed a conservative campus heckler who shouted at El-Sayed to denounce an Iranian military force or “any Islamic terrorist organization.”

Anna Haase and Megna Ancha, Michiganders studying public health, huddled over their phones and excitedly reviewed photos they’d just taken with El-Sayed, who wore his signature black T-shirt. Both said they voted for him primarily due to his support for Medicare for All.

“I have some family members that would normally not vote for someone like Abdul, and I think me being in public health has helped because they’ve learned more about the field and understood what those values are,” Haase told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Alaska: Why the Senate results could take up to 2 weeks

Emily R. Condon

Alaska's U.S. Senate race is one of a few toss up races that the Democrats could flip blue this election, and it has come under fire in recent weeks due to controversy about a second candidate with the same name as the incumbent Republican, Sen. Dan Sullivan.

But the results might not come back Tuesday night and could potentially take up to two weeks.

Alaska uses a ranked choice voting system where four candidates advance from the primary and voters have the option to rank their choices in the general election. In the Senate race, the Republican senator, Democrat Mary Peltola, Republican Gerald Heikes and Independent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. are on the ballot.

Tonight's returns will show only the first choice of voters, and if no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, then the state will run its rank choice voting process, where the candidate with the lowest amount of votes is eliminated. Then voters who put the eliminated candidate first will have their vote reallocated to their second pick.

The process could take up to 15 days, according to Fair Vote, an organization that advocates for the ranked choice system, because the state legally accepts mailed and absentee ballots up to 15 days after Election Day for overseas ballots (like military ballots) or 10 days for domestic ballots (for example, from remote, far-flung parts of the state).

If a candidate receives over 50% of the vote in the first round, though, the results could come fairly quickly. A recent poll from the Alaska Survey Research group reported no candidates leading by over 50% in the first round, though.

Flooding keeps Navajo voters from the polls

Karissa Waddick and Arlyssa D. Becenti

Heavy rains washed out roads and destroyed homes in the Navajo Nation community of Rock Point in northeast Arizona, hindering residents’ ability to get to get to the polls and cast a vote.  

“If you have a car, you're not voting," Rock Point Chapter Vice President Validna Shirley told the USA TODAY Network. "The ruts are too big to ignore.” 

The Arizona Secretary of State’s office warned in a statement Tuesday morning that some voters would be unable to safely reach polling locations.  

Arizona voters are casting ballots in a tight governors race between Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs and Republican Rep. Andy Biggs.  

DHS Secretary vows to check voting logs after election

Sarah D. Wire

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Tuesday that the Trump administration will continue its hunt for noncitizen voters after Election Day.

Mullin said on Fox News that even after the election it is Homeland Security's job to ensure that noncitizens did not vote.

"We will be looking at the registers and all those that voted after the election, and making sure that no one voted illegally," Mullin said. "After this election we will be gathering the data, we'll gathering the voting logs and we'll be going through those and making sure that no illegals voted."

President Donald Trump and his administration have made threats that noncitizens are voting central to its efforts to impact the midterm elections, including trying to force two states to segregate the ballots of people it says are likely not voters and charging more than 200 people with election related offenses since the start of Trump's second term.

New York: Hochul addresses Westchester ballot issue

Karissa Waddick and Emily Barnes

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reiterated "every vote will be counted" when asked Tuesday evening about Westchester County's ballot issues on Election Day.

"It's being resolved in a bipartisan way as it's supposed to," Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters. "The backup plan is in place, and so voters in Westchester should feel very confident that they should show up. They should continue to vote. If they're in line, stay in line."

The governor stressed that both Democrats and Republicans are working together to resolve the issue.

Earlier in the day, the New York Board of Elections said the problem was caused by a programming update to voting machines. Affected scaners rejected ballots instead of incorrectly tabulating them, the agency said in a statement.

ICE agents were not sent to polling stations, Mullin says

Christopher Cann

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday told reporters at the White House that his agency did not send immigration officers to polling stations, a major concern among voter and immigrant rights groups ahead of Election Day.

"ICE agents aren't going to be around polling places unless there's a threat," he told Fox News. "The only reason you'd see the Department of Homeland Security is if there's a threat we have to be responding to. ... That's not their job."

Mullin said his agency will be gathering voting logs in order to "make sure that no one voted illegally." DHS for months has poured resources into an effort to find undocumented immigrants who were registered to vote.

The DOJ has charged 236 people with voting fraud-related offenses since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, the New York Times reported. According to federal tallies, 174 million people voted in the 2024 presidential election.

Where's Trump watching election returns?

Joey Garrison

President Donald Trump and other White House officials and allies will watch election returns at a viewing reception from the White House East Room.

Trump has no other public events scheduled on Tuesday as he learns the fate of the midterms, with control of the House and Senate at stake.

"We're the hottest country anywhere in the world, and we're going to keep it that way and get better," Trump said in an interview on Fox News earlier in the day.

Why are there no NBA games today? League promotes the midterm vote

Lorenzo Reyes

In a push to get more people out to the ballot box, for the fourth time in five years, the entire NBA will go dark.

The league did not schedule any games Tuesday, the day of the fiercely contested 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Because the first slate of polls close on the East Coast at 6 p.m. ET, with many more at 7 p.m. ET, holding games would severely interfere with the ability for people who choose to vote in person to do so.

It’s one of the three days that the NBA typically avoids scheduling games, joining Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

The NBA has also published a website with several resources for fans interested in voting to learn more about their polling sites, ballots, and the league even has a link to check voter registration status.

Largely no election integrity issues so far

Sarah D. Wire and Josh Meyer

There were voting machine complications in New York, flooded polling places in the Southwest and bomb threats in Toledo, Ohio, but midterm Election Day in America − so far − has proven largely uneventful.

Despite fears by election workers and voting rights groups, armed federal authorities haven't shown up at the polls. And the threat of interference by Russia or other foreign adversaries hasn't materialized, as it has in recent past elections.

Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, told USA TODAY that as of 4:30 p.m. ET they've heard some reports of federal presence at polls that were resolved quickly.

"Right now, we are not seeing the kind of large scale systemic interference that we were prepared for," she said.

GOP Sen. Jon Husted says he 'feels good' about high-stakes race in Ohio

Emma Wozniak and Christopher Cann

Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who is defending his seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown, spoke to reporters after voting Tuesday, saying he feels confident about his chances of reelection in the crucial Ohio race as the GOP seeks to maintain control of Congress.

He said he expects the race to be close, but that based on early voter counts, "We feel comfortable about where we're at."

"We feel good," Husted said, according to the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network. Asked whether he's concerned about voters staying home, Husted emphasized that it is citizens' "right and responsibility" to let their voices be heard.

"I don't care how fatigued you are, please vote," he said. "Campaigns are hard. It's very hard when you're in Ohio and more money is spent from people who don't live in Ohio than people who do live in Ohio."

Troy Jackson supporters in Maine knock Susan Collins

Margie Cullen

Several voters at Reiche Community Center in Portland, Maine, said they were voting for Democrat Troy Jackson over Republican Sen. Susan Collins because they think Collins is “fake.”

Collins has long been ranked by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University as the most bipartisan senator across any party, a credential she has touted during her campaign. However, an analysis from CQ Roll Call published Oct. 1 encompassing the majority of President Donald Trump's second term found Collins voted with him 92% of the time.

“I know that Susan Collins has been more moderate in the past, but it feels kind of fake,” Rachel Jones, 25, said. “I feel like she votes against her party when she knows her votes won’t super matter.” That feeling was repeated by other Jackson voters at the community center: “She’s just not what she appears to be,” said Elizabeth Watson, 80.

Jones said immigration was the main reason she was voting against Collins and for Jackson. 

“I just feel like she voted for it and then she was like ‘how could this happen,’” Jones said, referring to the fatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerreroby ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine. She said when Collins misstated Guerrero’s name during one of the campaign debates, she thought it showed the Republican “wasn’t very remorseful.”

Trump's approval rating at 38% among midterm voters, exit polls find

Joey Garrison

President Donald Trump's approval rating is at 38% among Americans who voted in Tuesday's midterm election, according to preliminary results from an NBC News exit poll. A CBS News exit poll also found Trump has a 38% approval rating among midterm voters.

It's the lowest mark for any president on Election Day since George W. Bush had a 27% approval rating during the 2008 election. It's the lowest midterm approval rating since Bush's 43% approval rating in 2006.

Trump's approval rating was at 45% during the 2018 midterm election during his first term.

Trump's approval rating has reached all-time lows during the homestretch of the midterm campaign, making the president a political liability for many Republicans as the race has turned into a referendum on his administration.

Six in 10 Americans said they voted in the midterm election to express their support or opposition for Trump, according to the NBC exit poll.

Michigan AG's office reports trouble with tabulators, DOJ election monitors

Paul Egan and Christopher Cann

In Michigan, several ballot tabulators malfunctioned and there were at least two instances in which election monitors from the Department of Justice overstepped their authority on Election Day, officials said Nov. 3.

Malfunctioning tabulators delayed some voting in Redford Township, Shelby Township and Madison Heights, as well as other locations, officials said, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

And there were two instances, in Dearborn and in Flint, in which DOJ monitors communicated with election workers in ways they shouldn't have, said Kimberly Bush, a spokesperson for the Michigan Attorney General's Office. In Dearborn, monitors asked election workers for copies of their training materials and, in Flint, monitors asked election workers questions about their training, Bush said.

In both cases, Michigan officials contacted the DOJ, who confirmed that those actions were outside the legal scope of the monitors' duties and the training the monitors received, Bush said. The Justice Department has sent 1,000 election monitors to polling stations across the country in a move that has sparked concerns among voting-rights groups and election officials.

The monitors' duties are to observe elections and document any perceived violations of federal voting laws, according to the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center in Washington, DC. The DOJ advised that the department would follow up with the monitors to prevent a recurrence, Bush said.

'It's important everyone has their say'

Trevor Hughes

Ferry passengers in Alaska got an assist with voting after their ship had a maintenance issue and couldn't complete its planned journey on schedule.

The M/V Columbia was sailing from Bellingham, Washington, to Juneau, and had ported as planned in Ketchikan, Alaska. But the 418-foot-long ship was unable to leave as planned on Monday, Nov. 1. With about 20 passengers worried they'd miss their chance to vote at home, ferry officials hustled up vans and transported them to the city recreation center so they could cast absentee ballots on Nov. 1. The ferry can carry up to 625 passengers and up to 133 vehicles.

"Obviously voting is a very important thing to do in Alaska, so when people got stranded and didn't have an opportunity to vote in their districts, we felt an obligation to help them," Travis Capps, acting passenger services coordinator with the Alaska Marine Highway System, told USA TODAY.

Capps, who drove the voters to the polling place, said they were grateful for the opportunity to cast ballots in an election they would otherwise miss. The ferry has not yet left Ketchikan for the state capital of Juneau, about 300 miles north. As with many Alaska communities, Ketchikan is on an island with no road access. Only boats or airplanes can reach the community.

"It's a good feeling - it's important everyone has their say when it comes to elections," Capps said. "It was nice to be able to help them."

'Perfect spot': Burgum defends Trump's Reflecting Pool speech

Zac Anderson

President Donald Trump picked the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to deliver his closing argument in the midterm election campaign because it's the "perfect spot" to make the case that American cities can be renewed, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters.

Trump highlighted his efforts to fix up the reflecting pool, and other DC renovation projects, in a nearly hour-long address on the day before the election, drawing criticism that he wasn't focused on issues voters care about. The president didn't mention the election until more than 20 minutes into his speech, which began with a lengthy discussion of his efforts repair the pool's piping and granite, and rid it of algae.

"It’s a perfect spot to basically say to America that just like closing the border was a choice, just like you know cutting taxes was a choice, just like cutting regulations is a choice, Americans do not have to accept decline and squalor in our major cities," Burgum, who joined Trump for the Reflecting Pool speech, told reporters at the White House Nov. 3. "You can choose to have a beautiful and clean city. Any mayor and any governor could do what President Trump did here in Washington, DC. It’s a role model for the country. That’s why he chose to do it here.”

Alaska GOP incumbent says 'vote for the right Dan Sullivan'

Christopher Cann

Speaking with reporters after casting a ballot in Alaska, incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan focused on the controversy surrounding his opponent, former Rep. Mary Peltola, who has been accused of recruiting another Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

Peltola, a Democrat, has denied involvement in any such effort.

"We are witnessing the biggest election cheating scandal in the history of the state of Alaska," Sullivan said, adding: "The people I'm talking to are outraged, and I tell them, 'The best way to make sure this doesn't happen is to get out and vote for me. Vote for the right Dan Sullivan."

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying the election results if Sullivan, the incumbent, loses by fewer votes than were cast for the other Sullivan. A federal judge threw out the case and the Department of Justice filed an appeal.

Will young people swing toward Democrats?

Karissa Waddick

The youngest Americans casting their ballots in this year’s elections were born in 2008, the year former President Barack Obama won his first term in the White House. Most Gen Z voters have little memory of a pre-Trump political landscape.  

In the 2024 election, the voting bloc swung toward Trump. Recent polls indicate that they’re more likely to prefer Democratic candidates in this election.  

Whatever the results ultimately show, Sam Hiner, founder of the Young People’s Alliance, said one thing is clear: Young people are an independent-minded group. Neither party can take them for granted ahead of the 2028 presidential election. 

“The young people I know, whether they're far left or far right or somewhere in between, really do not like either party and feel like we are being failed by our political system,” Hiner said.  

States to watch for signs of a 'blue wave'

Karissa Waddick and Emily R. Condon

Will there be "blue wave" as polls have suggested? Keep an eye on returns from these states for early indications.

Florida: Polls close at 7 p.m. ET and results typically flow in quickly. The state redrew its congressional maps earlier this year, potentially giving Republicans a leg up in four House races. If Republicans prevail in all those races, it would be a positive sign for them.

Virginia: Democrats are hoping to pick up two House seats held by Republicans, the 1st and 2nd Districts. David Wasserman from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report called the 5th District a "tsunami race" – if Democrats win, they'll likely have a big night.

Pennsylvania: There's a handful of tight races in the perennial swing state. Keep an eye on the 1st District race between Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's and Bob Harvie, a Bucks County commissioner. If Fitzpatrick loses, that's a positive sign for Democrats, Kyle Kondik , a managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics said.

Indiana: A Democrat has not represented Indiana's 5th District in three decades. If Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz loses, Kondik said it's a signal Democrats could be "getting more than 20-35 House seats."

Kentucky: If Democrats flip Kentucky's 6th District, held by Republican Rep. Andy Barr, it could provide a sign of a "mega wave," Kondik said.

What time do polls close?

Karissa Waddick

Each state sets its own rules for how long to keep polls open. In most places, they close sometime between 6 and 9 p.m. local time. The earliest polls will close at 6 p.m. ET in Indiana and Kentucky. Alaskans will cast the last votes, with polls closing there at 1 a.m. ET.

6 p.m. ET: Indiana and Kentucky

7 p.m. ET: Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virgina

7:30 p.m. ET: North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia

8 p.m. ET: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas

8:30 p.m. ET: Arkansas

9 p.m. ET: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming 

10 p.m. ET: Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah

11 p.m. ET: California, Washington

12 a.m. ET: Hawaii

1 a.m. ET: Alaska

Sen. Susan Collins says her Maine field office was vandalized

Kinsey Crowley

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told CBS News her federal field office in Biddeford, Maine, was vandalized late on Nov. 2.

"This is so unacceptable, and it's unfair to my caseworkers who are working there,” she told the outlet. Collins, a 30-year incumbent, is facing a tough reelection campaign in a state where President Donald Trump is widely unpopular. Biddeford is located south of Portland, in the state's more liberal district.

"Blood on her hands," was written in red paint on the sidewalk in front of the office door, according to photos shared with USA TODAY.

“This is another incident in a series and the second attempt at our Biddeford office to intimidate the Senator and her staff," chief of staff Katie Brown said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "These tactics are disturbing, but not effective. Our staff is undeterred and on the job.”

The same office's doors were spray-painted with an offensive message in late September, according to the Bangor Daily News. USA TODAY reached out to the Biddeford Police Department regarding the more recent incident but did not immediately hear back.

Races to watch: Susan Collins and Troy Jackson face off for Maine's Senate seat

Kinsey Crowley

Among the places that could decide which party controls the Senate is Maine.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins is running for a sixth term in office against Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, the former state Senate president and logger. The race stands out as Collins is the only Republican senator running for reelection in a state that President Donald Trump lost in 2024. The contest is rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, and recent polls have shown either a statistical tie or Jackson ahead by a few points.

Some voters previously told USA TODAY they appreciate Collins for her ability to bring investments back to Maine, but others are ready for a change as they think she has voted with Trump too many times.

Results could start coming in shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. ET, but the state's ranked-choice voting system could mean the race isn't decided on election night.

El-Sayed confident America is 'big enough' to accept Muslim in Senate

Bart Jansen

Asked about the possibility of becoming the first Muslim-American in the Senate, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan said he was confident America was “big enough” to overcome small-minded people who opposed him.

“A lot of kids have had to watch their president demonize someone as a function of their name or the way they pray,” El-Sayed said. “To watch a president of the United States do that is really quite sad.”

“I hope that today’s outcome is a demonstration of just how big America is,” he said.

El-Sayed 'bracing' for possible election challenges

Bart Jansen

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrat campaigning for Senate in Michigan against Republican Mike Rogers, said he is bracing for challenges to election results because the Trump administration has shown it doesn’t respect democratic outcomes since 2020.

“Yes, we’re bracing for all outcomes,” El-Sayed told reporters after visiting a polling place Nov. 3. “But we’re hoping that this outcome will be decisive in a way that can’t be challenged by somebody who doesn’t have the same faith in democracy.”

New York officials say they figured out Westchester ballot issue

Erin Mansfield

The New York State Board of Elections said in a statement that they figured out what was causing voters in Westchester County to be unable to process their ballots through the machines.

The statement said there was an issue involving a programming update to the machines, and that election officials are working to get one scanning machine working at every polling place.

"Importantly, the affected scanners rejected ballots they could not properly recognize rather than incorrectly tabulating them," the statement said.

Races to watch as House hangs in balance

Aysha Bagchi

Republicans currently hold a narrow 218-214 majority in the House of Representatives, in addition to three vacant seats. Democrats are hoping that their favorable polls leading up to Election Day will translate into a major swing in their favor.

The Cook Political Report rated 18 of the 435 House races toss-ups on Nov. 2, including 14 seats currently held by Republicans. The report rates election races as either a toss-up, or "leaning," "likely" or "solid" in favor of a certain candidate.

The report rated another 18 races as leaning toward Democrats as of Nov. 2, including 13 seats that were won by Republicans in the last election. An additional 18 races were leaning toward Republicans, including 15 seats that Republicans won in 2024.

Those competitive races span the country, ranging from California to Texas to Michigan to New York and beyond.

One of those toss-up races is taking place in Ohio's 7th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Max Miller is running for reelection against Democratic nominee Brian Poindexter, a Brook Park city councilman. That race was previously considered a likely hold for Republicans, but allegations of domestic violence made by Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, have thrown that outcome into doubt. Miller has denied the allegations.

Another competitive race involves Republican nominee Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker. Feely is running in Arizona's 1st District against former state Democratic Rep. Amish Shah for a seat currently held by Republican Rep. David Schweikert. The race was leaning Democratic as of Nov. 2, according to the Cook Political Report.

Lawler confident all votes will be counted in Westchester County, NY, after problem with machines

Bart Jansen

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler said he expects every ballot in his district will be counted despite problems with voting machines scanning ballots in Westchester County, New York.

Lawler said replacement machines that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act are being set up to tabulate votes on memory sticks. He said there were "no shenanigans" but it was "a screw up" and is being fixed.

Ballots that were cast while the original machines were down were placed in secure envelopes and collected in orange emergency bags. Lawler said those ballots will be carried to election headquarters under police escort after 9 p.m.

“I am confident every ballot will be counted,” Lawler said. “I think everybody is justifiably frustrated.”

“Obviously we want to get results tonight,” he added.

NAACP says litigation limited what federal monitors could do at polling places

Bart Jansen

Kristen Clarke, general counsel to the civil-rights advocacy group NAACP, said the group’s litigation limited what 1,000 Justice Department monitors could do at polling places for the midterm elections.

Federal law enforcement agents were disqualified from serving as monitors, Clarke said. Monitors aren’t allowed to speak with voters inside polling places or interfere with election officials, she said.

"What the Justice Department is not telling you is that they play no role in running our elections and that they’ll be operating in just a few dozen counties,” Clarke said in a statement. “We encourage voters to exercise their power and their voice by turning out and casting their ballot today.”

Georgia's Fulton County reports Election Day hiccups

Miguel Legoas and Irene Wright

Fulton County, Georgia, the central county in the Atlanta metro and the target of multiple election fraud accusations from the Trump Administration, has reported a few hiccups in the first half of Election Day.

Fulton County Government posted a message on its social media platforms around 11 a.m. saying some voters have received texts about polling location changes, causing confusion. Those texts were not sent by the district and local voters should verify their polling place for themselves at mvp.sos.ga.gov or by calling (404) 612-7020.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, known for being the recipient of a notorious call from Trump to "find" 11,000 extra votes in 2020, also reported in a news conference that approximately 1,000 ballots from early voting in Fulton will have to be rescanned due to equipment issues. Raffensperger said this will not affect the timeliness of the day’s vote counts.

Election day in Fulton comes as the county faces increased scrutiny from the Trump administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state Republicans who believe the 2020 election in Georgia was stolen. In a recent Trump rally in Dalton, the president claimed incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, from Fulton County, did not fairly win his election and that he would question the results should Ossoff win again Tuesday.

With Senate up for grabs, here are the races to watch

Aysha Bagchi

Democrats will need to flip at least four Senate seats to win control of the upper chamber of Congress, which Republicans currently hold by a 53-47 margin.

North Carolina, where longtime Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is stepping down, is a key target for Democrats. Former North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is competing against Michael Whatley, who previously chaired the Republican National Committee.

Texas, where the state's controversial attorney general, Ken Paxton, beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary, is another key race. A Trump loyalist, Paxton was impeached but ultimately acquitted in 2023 of bribery and other alleged misconduct. He faces off against Democratic Texas state legislator James Talarico, a former public school teacher.

In Maine, longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has sometimes shown a willingness to split from President Donald Trump, is competing against Democratic nominee Troy Jackson, a former Maine state legislator. Jackson became the Democratic candidate after the party's original nominee, Graham Platner, withdrew from the race following a sexual assault allegation that he denied.

Alaska is another key race in the fight for the Senate. Incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is squaring off against former U.S. Congresswoman Mary Peltola, a Democrat. Peltola has faced added scrutiny in the final days of the race after the New York Times reported that people tied to her campaign may have been involved in recruiting another man by the name of Dan Sullivan to also get his name on the ballot. Peltola's campaign has denied the claim.

Oklahoma man charged for allegedly mailing powder to election officials

Natalie Neysa Alund

An Oklahoma man is facing federal charges after the FBI said he mailed hundreds of letters containing a white powder to public officials ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections.

Robin Patrick Martin is charged with conveying false information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications, a federal court filing reviewed by USA TODAY shows.

Not all the powder found in the letters has been fully tested, but powders tested so far turned out to be yeast or flour, the FBI said in criminal complaint filed Nov. 1 in the Western District of Oklahoma.

The FBI wrote that on multiple occasions in those years, Martin mailed multiple state election officials letters as well as a "white powdery substance," according to the court filing.

As of Nov. 3, no injuries had been reported connected with the suspicious mailings.

'All I can do'

Trevor Hughes

In Aurora, Colo., disabled Vietnam veteran Ray Garcia, 73, said Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration prompted him to cast a ballot. Garcia said he has rarely participated in elections, recalling votes only for Republican John McCain in 2008 and Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024.

Garcia said his worst fears about Trump from the 2024 election have been realized over the past two years.

“What Trump’s doing is awful,” Garcia said after dropping off his ballot. “I’m going to do my share- that’s all I can do.”

Some ballot machines aren't working in Oklahoma County

Molly Young

Ballot readers have stopped working at some polling precincts in Oklahoma County, but officials in the Oklahoma's most populous county have a plan to count those votes by the end of the day. 

Doug Sanderson, the county election board secretary, said it’s not uncommon for ballot reading machines to malfunction, particularly when voters are turning in long ballots that can get jammed up in the machines.

He said election officials prepared for the possibility by stationing technicians throughout the county to fix broken machines throughout the day and stocking each voting precinct with locked bins where paper ballots are placed if the tabulating machines are down.

Those votes will then be counted at the end of the day, when the precinct official will feed the ballots back through functioning machines. 

Sanderson said he did not know the full number of machines that had malfunctioned in the first hours of voting Tuesday. One precinct to report issues was Newalla Baptist Church in eastern Oklahoma County. Voters there were handing in their paper ballots to poll workers. 

Even when the ballot reading machines are down, voting never stops and voters are not turned away, Sanderson said. 

“Every vote will be counted, so no one should be concerned,” he said.

Ohio school serving as polling place received bomb threats

Erin Mansfield

An Ohio elementary school that is serving as a polling location received two bomb threats in a row this morning, pausing voting until law enforcement could sweep the premises and declare it safe.

Patty Mazur, the spokesperson for Toledo Public Schools, told USA TODAY that the first call came into Beverly Elementary around 10:30 a.m. local time and the second one a few minutes later, while the person who picked up the first call was calling the police. Children have the day off, Mazur said.

Toledo voters have a hotly contested race in Ohio's 9th Congressional District between Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur and Republican Derek Merrin.

Fire alarm briefly disrupted voting in Austin

Erin Mansfield

Voting on campus of the University of Texas at Austin was briefly interrupted when someone pulled a fire alarm at a location being used as a polling place, according to a statement released by university police.

The alarm resulted in a 10-minute pause in voting, the police said.

Austin is a liberal city in Texas, a state with one of the most-watched Senate races in the country.

Jackson explains possible path to victory in Maine

Margie Cullen

Democrat Troy Jackson rallied supporters in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday, as volunteers said they have to “run through the tape” to turn out every last vote for Jackson.

Jackson is trying to flip the seat long held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Collins has proved resilient by winning over people across the aisle through her moderate reputation and ability to bring home money for Maine.

Jackson has spent a lot of time in southern Maine in the final days of the election. Portland and southern Maine is typically the more liberal part of the state, but he said it’s also home to many ticket splitters – people who voted Democratic for president but for Collins for Senate.

He said he thinks he can beat Collins by winning in the southern, liberal areas and staying close in the more conservative, rural part of the state. 

“I don’t expect to win the 2nd CD," Jackson said, referring to the northern, more conservative and rural part of the state. "But if we can stay close and we do well down here, then I think that’s the ball game right there.”

Jackson also said that “things are different than six years ago,” pointing out the Iran war, tariffs, the Big Beautiful Bill and the lack of Roe v. Wade.

“I don’t know how things are going to turn out, but it feels very good,” Jackson said. “And it’s not about Troy Jackson. It’s about people knowing that the government is wrong, it’s broke, it doesn’t work for them and they want change.”

DOJ sends federal poll monitors to Iowa election sites

Norah Judson

Trump's Department of Justice is sending election monitors to locations in Iowa for the Tuesday midterms, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has confirmed.

Ashley Esquivel Hunt, a spokesperson for the Iowa Secretary of State's office, told the Des Monies Register Monday the observers will be in teams no larger than two people at various polling places across the state for around an hour at a time.

A Tuesday release from the Office of Public Affairs within the DOJ said monitors will be present in both Polk and Linn counties on Election Day.

The DOJ has said it will send upwards of 1,000 election monitors, including Justice Department lawyers, to every state for Election Day this year.

Pate said the DOJ election monitors' two key responsibilities will be making sure the polls are accessible to people with disabilities and ensuring that Iowans who require a provisional ballot are given the opportunity to vote.

Election monitors will not be uniformed, according to Pate. They also are not allowed to interfere with voters or poll workers or impose themselves on the process in any way.

Iowans, Pate said, need not be concerned.

"The DOJ has a role that they choose to exercise in being able to monitor for certain civil rights issues," Pate said. "They have certain criteria they have to follow. They have to work directly with the county auditor and my office to make sure they're following those. (The guidelines) do not allow them to impact or act on things at the voting site; they are there strictly as a monitor."

Strong Election Day turnout early in Michigan

Paul Egan

Early Election Day turnout for Michigan's midterm elections appears strong, a state official said Tuesday.

"We have reports of strong turnout around the state," coming from local clerks and from Michigan Bureau of Elections ground teams, Michigan Department of State Chief Communications Officer Angela Benander told reporters during an online briefing at 10 a.m.

Reports included "full parking lots" at many polling places around the state, but "where there are lines, they are moving quickly," she said. "So far, things have been moving really smoothly," Benander said.

She cited examples of communities in Lenawee, Calhoun and Midland counties as examples of municipalities where officials reported strong turnout when the polls opened. The village of Sanford, in Midland County, had 80 voters in the first 90 minutes, she said.

Viral video shows man calling Ohio voters 'morons'

Mia Hilkowitz

In Ohio, a TikTok video of someone calling early voters outside the Warren County Board of Elections "morons" and singing to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It" is circulating online.

The man, who is not identified in the video, can be seen walking near voters as they wait to cast ballots. He calls some of them "morons" and then launches into song. Sort of.

"If you're voting and it's not a breadline, clap your hands. If you're glad you're voting and it's not a breadline, clap your hands," the man sang. "Cause if you vote socialist and you know it, they're sure to blow it, so vote Republican and it's not a breadline, clap your hands."

Off camera, someone can be heard saying, sarcastically, "It rhymes real well."

Although some on TikTok described the man's behavior as "voter intimidation," elections officials say his speech didn't cross the line and is constitutionally protected. Warren County Board of Elections Director Brian Sleeth told The Cincinnati Enquirer the incident happened Nov. 1, during the last day of early voting.

Sleeth said campaigners must stay 10 feet away from voters, but that his staff can't prohibit speech, including the kind recorded in the video, "unless the voters are being stopped or prohibited from going in."

"Our goal here is to make sure the law is followed," Sleeth said.

Sleeth said people can file voter intimidation and interference complaints on the Ohio Secretary of State's website.

Trouble at the polls? Here's a fail-safe

Erin Mansfield

If you show up to the polls and are told you are not eligible to vote, but you know you are, you may be directed to use a provisional ballot. Under federal law, a provisional ballot allows you to record your choices, often on paper, and address the eligibility later.

Your ballot won't be officially counted until the issue with your eligibility is resolved. This might mean coming back to the elections office with your ID or waiting for the elections office to confirm your eligibility in the days after the election.

Texas polling sites in Tarrant County report waits exceeding two hours, voting issues

Brandi D. Addison

Texas voters in Tarrant County faced estimated waits of more than two hours at multiple polling locations Tuesday, including the Sub-Courthouse in Arlington at 700 E. Abram St., according to the county's polling location wait-time tracker.

Earlier Tuesday, the county's tracker listed a 120-minute estimated wait at the Betsy Price Community Center in Fort Worth, where reports indicated voting machines were down as of 7:20 a.m. The estimated wait at that location has since dropped to 30 minutes.

Tarrant County is the third-most populous county in Texas, with Fort Worth as its county seat. It is also a key political battleground in a closely watched U.S. Senate race, making Election Day turnout and voting access there particularly significant.

A Fort Worth 'Young Republicans' chair resigns after backing Democrat

Brandi D. Addison

Hillary Shepheard, chair of the Tarrant County Young Republicans, resigned after publicly saying she planned to vote for Democrat Jon Rosenthal over Republican Bo French in the Texas Railroad Commission race. French previously served as chair of the same organization.

Tarrant County includes Fort Worth, Texas' fourth-largest city and the nation's 12th-largest.

Over the weekend, Shepheard told The Atlantic she would leave the U.S. Senate race blank rather than vote for Republican Ken Paxton or Democrat James Talarico. She said she did not realize Texas Young Republican Federation policy prohibited board members from publicly stating an intention to vote for a non-Republican.

In her resignation statement, Shepheard said she stood by her decision, citing the importance of character and conservative principles.

When will we know midterm election results?

Fernando Cervantes Jr.

It's Election Day, but the wait for results and winners of pivotal races across the country could go deep into the night and into the week, which, contrary to what various politicians have snarked at, is completely normal.

In an interview with Politifact, Ryan Macias, an election technology and cybersecurity expert, says counting speed depends on states' own rules and laws.

“States are neither fast nor slow; they all count and certify the results in accordance with the laws passed by their state legislature,” Macias said. “What is fast or slow is how quickly the media can collect sufficient evidence to confidently predict the winner, which is typically based on the margin of victory.”

Here is what you need to know about when midterm election results could come in.Read more.

In Georgia, Shawn Harris won't run again if defeated

Irene Wright

Shawn Harris, a retired brigadier general and cattle farmer running for the U.S. House in Georgia's 14th congressional district, said he will not run for the seat again if defeated on election day Tuesday.

Harris' name has been on the ballot half a dozen times after he was recruited to run against Marjorie Taylor Greene in the deep-red district of northwest Georgia. The former congresswoman put the district on the national radar through her rhetoric and eventual falling out with President Trump. Harris most recently lost the special election runoff to fill Greene's seat following her resignation at the beginning of the year.

Harris has closed the gap for Democrats over the course of his many campaigns, losing to now Rep. Clay Fuller by less than 10 points, the best performance ever for a Democrat in Georgia 14.

"If the good Lord says that tomorrow night is not our night, then it's time for me to step back, figure out what's next," Harris told USA TODAY on Monday. "If that's just being a farmer, great. If that means I do something else in the future, but at least I'll have put the steps in place for whoever wants to run behind me to move it forward."

Harris said despite never winning a seat in Congress, he still sees his campaigns and work in the district as wins.

"I want to win. I believe we're going to win, but I think we have won a lot of things," Harris said.

Florida polling locations moved due to rain and flooding

Dinah Voyles Pulver

Torrential rainfall and historic flooding in parts of east central Florida on the day before Election Day sent officials scrambling to open new voting locations in flooded areas.

Voters in at least 20 polling locations are being sent to temporary new locations in seven counties, state election officials said.

Rainfall amounts as high as 24 inches were reported in the hardest-hit counties Nov. 1 and 2. The flooding and flood warnings on Monday prompted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare states of emergency in several counties as voters head to the polls to choose his replacement.

In Brevard County, where some of the heaviest flooding occurred, six precincts have been temporarily relocated.

"Due to these unprecedented circumstances, these changes are for the safety and security of our election workers and the voters of Brevard," the county's election officials posted on Facebook. The county suggested voters keep checking its website for updates to polling locations on Election Day.

Seven polling locations were relocated in St. Lucie County, also hard hit by the flooding. 

Husted says only poll that counts is Election Day

Bart Jansen

Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to succeed Vice President JD Vance, told reporters after voting that he didn’t have any opinion about polls showing him trailing Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown.

“The only poll that matters is the one that’s being taken today for real by the voters of this state,” Husted said. “I hope to win and I hope to live up to the expectations that people have of me.”

Contingency plans will help voters cast ballots despite severe weather

Erin Mansfield

Karen Brinson Bell, the founder and co-lead of the Partnership for Elections & Emergency Response, urged voters affected by severe weather to check their official state and local election office websites for the latest information on voting.

“Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah have all faced flooding and evacuations in parts of those states as a severe storm system moved through yesterday and continues across the country today,” Bell told USA TODAY.

“A tornado was reported in Oklahoma,” Bell added. “Kansas and Tennessee are facing strong winds and other severe weather conditions from this system. A separate storm system caused flooding in Florida.”

“In response, election officials have done what they always do – they have worked their contingency plans and voting continues,” Bell said. “Several states have declared emergencies which provide additional measures to allow voters to cast their ballots.”

Trump claims fraud in Alaska Senate race

Trevor Hughes

Trump continues to highlight what he calls fraud in the Alaska Senate race, based on two candidates having virtually identical names.

The New York Times last month reported that candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. had been recruited into the race by Democratic activists. The incumbent is Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican, and the GOP complains that having two Sullivans on Alaska's ballot might confuse voters enough to give Democrat Mary Peltola an advantage in the state's ranked-choice voting system.

The president, in a late-night social media post before Election Day, claimed that the lesser-known Sullivan had "totally disappeared." The president referred to him as a "fake Alaska candidate."

Wrote Trump: "Maybe he has been 'kidnapped' by the corrupt Dumocrat lawyers??? They are scared stiff of being prosecuted for election fraud."

An Alaska-based federal judge last month rejected the Justice Department's request to block certification of the Alaska Senate race if the incumbent senator loses. The president has also suggested Peltola should be prosecuted, and Alaska state officials are investigating.

Campaign finance reports show Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has raised and spent relatively little money compared to both the incumbent and Peltola.

Americans cast ballots on Election Day

Melissa Montoya

Trump says US will cut off aid to Israel by end of the year

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will end about $4 billion in annual aid to Israel by the end of the year, saying he had reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Israel's our number one (recipient); we give them more than anybody else. And they no longer need it,” said Trump during an interview on Nov. 3 with Fox and Friends. “We've been doing it for years. Israel is a very thriving country. They don't need it.”

Trump, speaking on Election Day, said Israel had been a “great ally, much more reliable than most.”

U.S. aid to Israel amid the war in Gaza has been one of the most contentious issues leading up to the midterm elections.

Trump also mentioned Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has been an outspoken critic of U.S. military aid to Israel and other countries, arguing that taxpayer dollars should be used to prioritize domestic needs like healthcare and education.

“Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like in El Sayed when they don't need it?” said Trump. “It's a bad talking point.”

Why are there no NBA games on Election Day?

Lorenzo Reyes

In a push to get more people out to the ballot box, for the fourth time in five years, the entire NBA will go dark.

The league did not schedule any games Tuesday. Because the first slate of polls closes on the East Coast at 6 p.m. ET, with many more at 7 p.m. ET, holding games would severely interfere with the ability for people who choose to vote in person to do so.

It’s one of the three days that the NBA typically avoids scheduling games, joining Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Read more.

Voters head to polls on Election Day

ME Senate race might not be decided tonight

Margie Cullen

It’s “highly possible” that the crucial Maine U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson might not be decided tonight, according to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

That’s because of Maine’s ranked choice voting system.

Maine is one of just two states that uses ranked-choice voting in statewide races with more than two candidates. This year, there are six declared write-in candidates in addition to Jackson and Collins. In ranked choice voting, if no candidate receives over 50% of the first-choice vote, the race goes to a ranked choice tabulation.

“It would be the first time in Maine that a U.S. Senate race has ever gone to ranked choice,” Bellows told USA TODAY on Oct. 30. “However, Congressional District Two has gone to ranked choice voting multiple times, so it's highly possible given the tight polling between Collins and Jackson and the existence of the six write-in candidates.”

Bellows said ranked choice tabulation has typically taken them until the Friday of the following week after the election to get the official result. This year, that would be Friday, Nov. 13. However, they’re hoping to expedite that process if it happens this election.

Scanning machines down in Westchester, New York

Erin Mansfield

Machines that scan paper ballots are down across Westchester County, New York, a key part of the New York's 17th Congressional District, one of the most competitive races in the country.

Claire Lovell, a poll worker in North Castle, said that the problem started as soon as the polls opened at 6 a.m. and were ongoing after 8 a.m. when she spoke to USA TODAY. She said she was instructed to have voters put their ballots in a secure envelope so they can be hand-counted if the machines don't work.

Elizabeth Belanger, 54, of Sleepy Hollow, said the poll workers in her town told her to either come back later or put the ballot in an envelope. "I decided to go ahead and put in my vote because I was nervous about not having time or not being able to come back later," Belanger said.

Kathleen McGrath, the spokesperson for the New York State Board of Elections, said in a statement that her office is in "constant contact" with the Westchester County Board of Elections. She also reassured voters that their vote is secure.

"Long-established emergency ballot procedures have been implemented, where completed ballots are secured, under bipartisan control, and will be counted," McGrath said. "While technical issues can be frustrating, contingency procedures exist for precisely these circumstances."

Schumer says Democrats will fight Trump 'tooth and nail' if he doesn't change course

Bart Jansen

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats could work with Trump if they regain control of the Senate, but only if the president changes his ways and listens to voter concerns about the high cost of living.

“Look, it’ll be up to him. Trump has refused to listen to them,” Schumer told reporters after voting at a Brooklyn school. “Will he change? I don’t know. But we’re going to fight Trump tooth and nail, and focus on the issues no matter what he does.”

“We’ll see if he’ll actually change his ways and join," Schumer added. But whether he does or not – because I don’t think he will – we are going to keep fighting for the people."

Schumer said Democrats would announce their legislative priorities “soon.”

Schumer 'nauseously optimistic' about Democrats regaining control of Senate

Bart Jansen

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after voting in New York that Democrats would regain control of the Senate because of their campaign fighting high “costs, chaos and corruption” of the Trump administration.

“We don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch so I characterize our mood as nauseously optimistic,” Schumer said after voting at Public School 321 in Brooklyn and contributing $10 to a children’s bake sale.

He was referring to Democratic nervousness about polling that has sometimes disappointed them in the past. Schumer credited the optimism to Democratic candidates doing well in competitive states and states held by Republicans.

“A year ago nobody thought we could do this,” Schumer said. “We recruited good candidates in states people didn’t think were winnable.”

Economy remains top issue for voters

Rachel Barber

Americans will cast their ballots based on where politicians stand on a variety of issues, but in poll after poll, their concerns about the cost of living are top of mind.

Inflation remains stubbornly high and above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Consumer prices were up 3.7% over the year in September, outpacing workers' pay growth.

Job growth has slowed over the last two years, but the national unemployment rate hasn't changed much. It was 4.1% in September 2024 and 4.2% in September this year. 

By two popular measures, Americans are feeling worse about the economy than they were when they voted in the last presidential election. 

The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index dropped to 48 in October, down 31.9% from 70.5 in October 2024. And while the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 91.7 last month, it remains below its revised October 2024 reading of 109.6.

Local and state election officials say they are ready for federal involvement

Sarah D. Wire

Alarmed by President Donald Trump's threats of federal involvement, local and state election officials across the United States told USA TODAY they have spent months preparing in case federal officials arrive to enforce immigration laws or seize ballots and voting machines.

They said they have local judges and state attorneys general on speed dial and have briefed governors on how to respond.

Federal officials haven't explicitly said they plan to send federal officers, including immigration officials, to polling places. But they have repeatedly declined to rule out the possibility. Election officials say that means they have an obligation to prepare, just in case.

Seeing extra election monitors at the polls?

Sarah D. Wire

Dozens of nonpartisan and partisan groups organized tens of thousands of grassroots activists to monitor the polls before and on Election Day. They are prepared in case the Trump administration dispatches immigration officers or other federal officials to election sites.

The effort comes as President Donald Trump and his administration are threatening state and local election officials with criminal charges if noncitizens vote. Meanwhile, federal immigration officers are carrying out mass arrests that have swept up U.S. citizens.

The monitoring will include the period after the election. Community-level organizers have plans for how they will respond this week, if local, state or federal officials challenge election results. In some places, that could mean protesting in the streets, presenters said, or holding news conferences to defend local counts and election officials.

"We have faith in the people who are part of our communities and spend all year preparing to run effective elections. So, we want to have their backs. We want to be able to say, 'No, they were following the law,'" said Andrew Walchuk, policy director and counsel for Common Cause.

Will there be challenges to the election? It depends on how close the outcome is, experts say

Sarah D. Wire

Multiple election law experts told USA TODAY they are watching for two things on Election Day and the days after: federal presence at the polls and legal attacks based on voter rolls.

The Trump administration has not ruled out the possibility that ICE officers or other federal officials might make an appearance at polling sites. After more than a year of trying unsuccessfully to force states to hand over voter rolls, the administration has already tried to get judges to force county clerks to set aside ballots by people the federal government says might be on the voter rolls despite being ineligible to vote. So far, judges have dismissed these efforts.

Election law experts say they expect legal challenges in contests too close to call on election night, with lawsuits likely to focus on election machines, mail-in ballots and whether noncitizens voted. Those challenges are most likely in races that could determine control of the House or Senate, said Rick Hasen, an elections law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"The margin is the biggest factor," he said. "Some of the polls say that Democrats are going to clean up. If they do, then I don't think any of this stuff's going to make a big difference, but if they don't, if it's very close, then I think you'll see lawsuits all over."

Justice Department sends election monitors to counties and cities in 50 states

Bart Jansen

The Justice Department released the list of cities and counties where it will send 1,000 election monitors on Nov. 3.

The department called it the “largest monitoring effort in history” in all 50 states.

“Election integrity has been one of the top priorities for this Administration and this Division,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement.

Among the states with the most competitive Senate races, the observers will be in:

• Alaska: Anchorage, Dillingham and Kusilvak
• Georgia: Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Chatham and Bibb counties
• Iowa: Linn and Polk counties.
• Kansas: Johnson, Wyandotte and Sedgwick counties
• Maine: Lewiston, Portland and South Portland
• Michigan: Lansing, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Flint, Detroit, Hamtramck, Warren and Dearborn
• Ohio: Cuyahoga, Franklin and Medina counties.
• South Carolina: Charleston
• Texas: Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Waller, Blanco, Bowie and Nueces counties

Trump blasts challengers to Republicans in Senate races in Alaska, Michigan

Bart Jansen

Trump continued his criticism of candidates in overnight social media posts about two competitive Senate races.

In Alaska, Trump said independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan is “MISSING IN ACTION!” in the campaign against incumbent GOP Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block certification of the election if the challenger gets enough votes to cost the incumbent the race with Democrat Mary Peltola. But the judge dismissed the case on Sunday. Polls call the race a toss-up.

In Michigan, Trump continued disparaging Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who is running against Republican Mike Rogers. Trump said “Only fools would vote for” El-Sayed and he encouraged people to “VOTE FOR MIKE ROGERS.”

Recent polling showed El-Sayed leading Rogers. But the surveys were conducted before Democrat Haley Stevens, who was beaten by El-Sayed in the primary, crossed party lines Sunday to endorse Rogers.

Former Trump ally predicts 'referendum' on Trump

Michael Loria

Former U.S. Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, said Monday evening that she expects the midterms to be a referendum on President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress who supported his agenda.

"It’s a complete referendum on Donald Trump, his betrayal, where he promised no more foreign wars and to bring world peace, " Greene told CNN, listing some of the president’s worst offenses in her estimation. "And also not listening to everyday Americans who are saying we cannot afford the cost of living, we cannot afford health insurance, we cannot afford these high prices of gas and diesel, while he is constantly bragging about a ballroom and his big donors and having these big fancy dinners, as if he can’t even relate to the American people."

Greene, a former Trump ally, broke with the president in November 2025 over the president’s apparent hesitation or unwillingness to pursue justice for the victims of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

She also slammed Republicans in Congress who continue supporting Trump, warning voters won’t welcome their loyalty to the president.

"They just stood behind him, applauding everything he said, every lie he told, and never fought back for the American people who gave them the majority," she said.

Ahead of midterms, Trump defends Iran war

Michael Loria

President Donald Trump defended the U.S. war on Iran in an interview on Fox News Monday evening, just hours before polls open.

"We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon and we won’t," Trump told Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, justifying the war he and U.S. ally Israel launched on Feb. 28.

The war has seen long stretches without fighting but has become deeply unpopular, in part because it has driven fuel prices to their highest levels in years. Other concerns include its rising $47.1 billion price tag, reports of sinking morale among troops, and the deaths of at least 21 U.S. service members.

Trump on Monday night batted away criticisms, arguing that it’s not a war, though he hinted that the United States could attack Iran again if they don’t make a deal to end the conflict.

"There’s no war raging. It could happen if they don’t make a deal. But they want to make a deal very badly," said Trump, repeating claims about the intentions of Iran’s leaders that Tehran has derided as largely false throughout the war.