Incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly issued a statement after conceding to GOP challenger Mike Braun in the Indiana Senate race.
“A few minutes ago, I called Mike Braun and congratulated him on winning a hard-fought race,” Donnelly said in the statement. “I’d like to thank every single American who believed in this campaign and worked to make it successful, and every Hoosier whom I have come across over the last six years who helped me to better serve my state.”
“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to represent Indiana in the Senate,” he added. “I wish Mike the best, and I hope he makes every single Hoosier proud as our senator.”
The closely watched Texas Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke is too early to call, according to NBC News.
With 73 percent of the vote in the Lone Star State tallied, Cruz was up over O’Rourke, a congressman representing an El Paso-area district, 49.8 percent to 49.6 percent.
O’Rourke, who had raised record-shattering amounts of cash during his race, and Cruz had been running neck and neck in recent polls.
Should the Democratic Party capture the House of Representatives in today’s midterm elections, they’ll have independent voters to thank, according to results from the NBC News Exit Poll. By more than a 10-point margin, voters who reject party labels and describe themselves as either independent or “something else” reported casting their votes for House Democrats over Republicans. Independent voters made up three in 10 voters casting ballots in today’s midterm elections.
The shift represents a substantial swing to the Democrats compared to the recent past: Exit polls from previous years show that independent voters have supported GOP presidential and Congressional candidates in every national election since 2010. The last time Democrats won the support of independents at the national level was when the party’s ticket was first headlined by Barack Obama, who captured a majority of the group’s vote in his successful first bid for the presidency in 2008.
Rashida Tlaib won Michigan’s 13th Congressional District on Tuesday, NBC News projects, becoming the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress.
Tlaib was previously elected to the Michigan House of Representatives.
About one in 10 U.S. voters casting ballots in today’s midterm elections say they didn’t vote in the 2016 presidential election. Results from the NBC News Exit Poll show that these voters broke heavily for the Democrats in the race for Congress, with 72 percent of these voters casting a ballot for the Democratic House candidate in their districts while just 26 percent supported the Republican.
Those who voted for third-party candidates in 2016 also swung to the Democrats in 2018, though by a smaller margin, 57 percent to 40 percent. Not surprisingly, those who voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 overwhelmingly supported Democratic House candidates; Trump voters were similarly loyal to Republican candidates.
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NBC News estimates that Democrats have a 65 percent chance of taking control of the House.
- NBC News projects that Indiana Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly lost his seat to Republican challenger Mike Braun, making the Democratic Party’s path to regain control of the Senate even more difficult.
- Georgia voters are suing the state’s secretary of state, Brian Kemp, who is also the GOP candidate for governor, over his ability to impartially administer a potential vote recount.
- For the first time in at least a decade, voters cite health care as their top priority, surpassing the economy.
- Trump factor: Two-thirds of voters say Trump played a role in their vote.
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Across the country voters are reporting broken machines, long lines, and other problems with casting their ballot, forcing some polling locations to extend their hours.
- It’s not just candidates on the ballot — a number of states are voting on marijuana, minimum wage, Medicare and more.
- President Trump is keeping a close eye on returns from the White House.
- Spending on traditional media ads increased by roughly $1 billion compared to the 2014 midterm election, with the most amount being spent in Florida.
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One in 4 Latino voters said today was their first time voting in a midterm election, according to exit polls.
Florida’s Amendment 4 passed on Tuesday night, giving an estimated 1.5 million Floridians their voting rights back.
The Constitutional amendment — which needed at least 60 percent of the vote to pass — will automatically restore voting rights to ex-felons who have completed their sentences. Those convicted of murder or sex crimes are not eligible for rights restoration under the bill.
Florida is one of four states that bans felons from voting permanently — unless they can get clemency from the state — and the law disproportionately affects minorities, who are convicted at higher rates. The amendment is part of a national trend that seeks to restore voting rights to ex-felons.
The incumbent Democratic senator’s race against Republican Josh Hawley is too close to call, NBC News projects.
Republican Marsha Blackburn has defeated Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Tennessee Senate race, NBC News projects.
With 42 percent of the vote in the state tallied, Blackburn, a Republican congresswoman representing a largely rural district, had 62.1 percent, while Bredesen, a former governor, had 36.7 percent.
Bredesen and Blackburn were vying to replace retiring GOP Sen. Bob Corker and were close in recent polls.
Blackburn, throughout her campaign, had relied heavily on tying herself closely to President Donald Trump, who visited the state three times this fall to campaign for her.