(NewsNation) — Millions of Americans head to the polls Tuesday to determine the balance of power in the U.S. House and Senate, and to decide crucial state races on everything from abortion restrictions to gubernatorial races to marijuana legalization to election reform.
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NewsNation will provide the latest updates on the 2022 midterm election results here. You can follow the balance of power in the House and Senate through the graphics below, which will be updated in real-time by projections from NewsNation’s election partner, Decision Desk HQ.
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Democrat Chris Van Hollen projected winner in Maryland Senate race
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the Maryland Senate race for incumbent Democrat Chris Van Hollen.
Van Hollen, a former U.S. representative for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, will now begin his second term in office.
Republican Marco Rubio projected winner in Florida Senate race
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the Florida Senate race for incumbent Republican Marco Rubio.
With Tuesday’s victory, Rubio is set to begin his third term in office. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.
Nevada: Long lines and accusations
In Nevada, home to hotly contested races for governor and U.S. Senate seats, there were waits to vote for as long as an hour, according to Nexstar sister station KLAS.
Also, the Nevada Republican Party says the order by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak to close state offices in Northern Nevada early because of snow is “a thinly veiled attempt to discourage Northern Nevada voters from getting to the polls.”
“He’s right, there is inclement weather – it’s called the red wave,” the state party stated.
Republican Ron DeSantis projected winner in Florida governor’s race
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the Florida governor’s race for incumbent Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Voters chose to re-elect the current Florida governor over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.
Republican Laurel Lee projected winner in Florida Congressional District 15
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the race in Florida’s 15th Congressional District for Republican Laurel Lee.
Lee, a former Secretary of State, is the first person to win election to the newly-redrawn U.S. House District 15 in Florida.
Georgians who voted want control of the Senate
Exit poll data in Georgia, the home of the Raphael Warnock-Herschel Walker Senate race, shows what voters in the state are concerned about. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution cites the The Associated Press’ VoteCast exit poll: More than half of Georgia voters said the partisan tilt of the U.S. Senate was the single most important factor driving their vote.
When asked who had strong moral values, 54% of those polled said Warnock had them, while 42% said Walker did.
Stirewalt: ‘Beware of the knuckleheads‘
A narrow House win for Republicans could make it very difficult for the GOP to govern, predicts NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt. The hard-liners and other fringe members of the Republican caucus will have a much stronger sway without more moderate GOP members winning their races.
Democrat Peter Welch projected winner in Vermont Senate race
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the Vermont Senate race for Democrat Peter Welch.
Welch has served as the U.S. representative for Vermont’s at-large congressional district since winning the seat in 2006.
With Tuesday night’s victory, he now heads to the Senate to replace retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT.).
Lawsuit seeks to extend voting in Arizona
Republican groups, including the Republican National Committee, have filed an emergency motion to extend voting hours in Arizona’s Maricopa County. Their concerns are the voting machines in Phoenix’s Maricopa County, and they want voting extended to 10 p.m.
Republican Tim Scott projected winner in South Carolina Senate race
Incumbent Republican Senator Tim Scott is projected to win the South Carolina Senate race, defeating Democratic challenger Krystle Matthews, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by then-Governor Nikki Haley in 2013. He defended his seat in a 2014 special election and was elected to a full term in 2016.
Republican Rand Paul projected winner in Kentucky Senate race
Incumbent Republican Senator Rand Paul is projected to win the Kentucky Senate race, defeating Democratic challenger Charles Booker, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Paul, who previously ran for the GOP nomination in the 2016 presidential election, has held the seat since 2010.
Crime matters – but what will change?
The latest NewsNation Decision Desk HQ poll ranked voters’ concerns this way. Now, NBC News’ exit poll tonight backs that up. First it was inflation, then abortion, and then a tie between crime and gun policy. Immigration was fifth. From NBC:
“Democrats care most about abortion rights, while Republicans are most concerned about inflation, according to the poll. Independent voters also named inflation and abortion as the most important issues determining how they cast their ballots.
“Midterm voters mostly disapprove of President Joe Biden’s performance and a plurality said they think his policies are hurting the country, the poll found. A majority of voters also said they are dissatisfied or angry about the way things are going in the U.S.”
Let’s talk crime. Will voters’ hopes be rewarded? Elizabeth Vargas, NewsNation contributor and host of the syndicated true crime series “iCrime,” said Congressional candidates have little to do with fighting crime.
“There’s a lot of ads on crime,” Vargas said. “Here’s the thing: These candidates for Senate, for Congress, have very little to do with fighting crime. If you want to really lower crime rates, you want to be more concerned with who’s running for mayor, or even local sheriff in jurisdictions where those positions are elected.”
Do you agree?
It’s official: Pennsylvania Senate seat likely won’t be decided for days
Via The New York Times: “Philadelphia says it may take a few days to report all votes.”
The race for the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate is so close between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz that without Philadelphia’s final numbers we won’t know the winner of that race tonight.
5 questions this election will answer
We’re inching toward the first results of the night. Here’s a a good list of some of the big questions that will be answered by this midterm, according to NewsNation contributor, The Hill’s Niall Stanage.
- How bad does it get for Democrats?
- How do the MAGA candidates do?
- What is the electoral impact of the abortion issue?
- Does the Democratic hold on Latino voters weaken further?
- How do potential 2024 candidates fare?
Worth a read as you watch the results trickle in.
Election disruption (and mild slowdowns) in Illinois, Georgia and Arizona
A series of counties are encountering minor delays in voting. But one instance will delay polls from closing at one station in Georgia.
- A 40-minute delay in opening a polling station in DeKalb County, Georgia, means it will stay open another 40 minutes (a reminder: in Georgia anyone in line by the time polls close gets to vote).
- The county clerks office in Champaign, Ill., is facing cyberattacks, according to Nexstar sister station WCIA. No data or information has been compromised and the election is secure.
- A printer issue in Arizona is going to slow vote counting in about 17 voting centers. Election officials there think they have found a solution.