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“Democratic Governor-elect Amy Acton paused to help someone in the crowd Tuesday night after claiming victory in Ohio’s gubernatorial race, a moment captured during her election night celebration and quickly shared on social media,” NewsNation reports.
“The gesture came as supporters gathered to mark a historic night for the former public health director.”
“You can hear someone from the crowd yell, ‘We need a medic, we need a medic.’ Acton’s mouth dropped as she looked out at the crowd and said to the audience, ‘Someone passed out, we’re going to hold for a minute.'”
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It’s midnight on the East Coast, and polls have now closed in Hawaii and most of Alaska.
Key races to watch
What to watch: Peltola’s performance in areas that supported her earlier House campaigns. Alaska’s ranked-choice system and late-arriving ballots mean final results could take considerably longer.
Although most polls close at midnight Eastern, Alaska’s final polls close at 1 a.m., when the first statewide results are expected.
Meanwhile, plenty of races elsewhere in the country are still undecided, particularly in states with large numbers of outstanding mail ballots.
What’s still worth watching as election night turns into election morning?
President Trump congratulated Democrats on their midterm election victories in a phone call, CBS News reports.
Said Trump: “My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country.”
He added: “I feel that I wasn’t on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that. If I was, we would have won.”
Polls have closed in California and Washington, along with the remaining portions of Oregon and Idaho.
Key races to watch:
What to watch: House results from Southern California and the Central Valley, and Oregon’s competitive gubernatorial contest.
California’s mail-ballot counting means the final House picture may remain incomplete for days.
President Trump on Truth Social:
“I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
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Polls have closed in Nevada, Montana and Utah, along with portions of Idaho and Oregon.
Key races to watch:
What to watch: Clark County, Nevada, home to Las Vegas and roughly 70% of the state’s electorate. Its returns will provide important context for the gubernatorial contest.
Another large wave arrives, alongside the final poll closings in Michigan, Kansas and Texas.
What to watch: Dubuque County, Iowa, as a measure of movement among white working-class voters. Also watch the competitive New York and Arizona House races and the growing vote totals in Michigan and Texas. Arizona does not release its first results until 10 p.m.
This is the busiest opening for major congressional contests, with polls closing in all or parts of more than 20 states.
What to watch: Whether the Senate contests are producing a consistent pattern, particularly in Maine, Texas and Kansas. Watch Collin County in suburban Dallas for an indication of how Texas voters are responding.
Importantly, polls remain open in small portions of Michigan, Kansas and Texas until 9 p.m., so statewide calls must wait.
Two major Senate races and an important governor’s race.
What to watch: Suburban counties around Charlotte and Columbus, along with Brown’s performance in the areas that previously supported him.
“President Trump appears to be watching Fox News, and he isn’t happy with what he’s seeing, the New York Times reports.
“The president has denounced the cable channel in three Truth Social posts within a span of 95 minutes, accusing the network of ‘spending too much time covering the Trump Deranged Dumocrats!'”
The first major Senate contests enter the picture.
What to watch: Georgia’s Senate race, South Carolina’s Senate contest and the speed of Florida’s returns. Osceola County, Florida, offers an early look at Latino voter shifts.
The first polls close in most of Indiana and Kentucky.
What to watch: Whether suburban Republican areas are shifting compared with 2024. These early results won’t necessarily reflect the entire country.
The Needle has returned to the New York Times’ live election results page.
“Millions of voters headed to the polls today, in midterm elections that seemed likely to grant Democrats something they’ve coveted for nearly two years: actual legislative power to check President Donald Trump,” Bloomberg reports.
“Opinion polls show Democrats with a strong chance to take control of the House of Representatives, and a fighting chance of seizing the Senate too. But even winning a single chamber would mean the minority party could start to make good on its promises to rein in some of Trump’s most controversial policies and investigate his administration’s use of power.”
“The second half of Trump’s second term could feel a lot different for the president, who has faced little actual resistance from the Republican-controlled Congress over the last two years, even as he has upended what once were his party’s principles on everything from free trade to war and peace.”
“Voting is underway across the country Tuesday in a midterm election that could decide whether President Trump gets two more years of unified Republican rule — or faces a potential Democratic check on his power,” Axios reports.
“The results will be the clearest national test of Trump’s second presidency, following war abroad, economic anxiety at home and sweeping changes in Washington. Trump, facing all these challenges, has made himself the face of the Republican campaign for control.”
Taegan Goddard
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.
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