Live congressional results: Who’s winning, key races, what to watch

Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Illinois on Wednesday. Sorensen faced Republican Joe McGraw, a retired judge who focused his campaign messaging on economics. Sorensen, a first-term congressman, had taken over the seat from Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos after she decided against running again. The sprawling district in northwest Illinois includes Moline and Rockford. The Associated Press declared Sorensen the winner at 4:53 a.m. EST.

Republicans have flipped a House seat that was previously held by Democrats, giving them a valuable pickup in a frenzied race for House control.

At this point, practically every seat matters when it comes to building a House majority. In Michigan’s 7th district, Republican Tom Barrett picked up a seat that Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin vacated to run for U.S. Senate. Barrett, a former state senator, defeated another former state lawmaker, Democrat Curtis Hertel.

On the campaign trail, Barrett didn’t back away from his record of supporting abortion restrictions in the statehouse, but he also described abortion access as a settled issue in Michigan.

House Speaker Mike Johnson took the stage with Donald Trump as he delivered his election speech.

Johnson has tied himself closely to Trump as he seeks to help Republicans keep a House majority, as well as hold on to his job as speaker.

Johnson’s job, however, is far from secure. It is still not clear who will win a House majority and whether Republicans will keep him as their leader when they hold leadership elections on Nov. 13.

Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten won reelection to a House seat representing Michigan on Wednesday. Scholten was an attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center before running for the 3rd Congressional District seat once held by Gerald Ford. When she flipped it in 2022, she became the first Democrat to represent Grand Rapids since the 1970s. Scholten defeated Republican Paul Hudson, an appellate attorney who previously ran for the Michigan Supreme Court. The Associated Press declared Scholten the winner at 3:01 a.m. EST.

Donald Trump made sure to recognize GOP wins in down ballot races in his speech in the early morning Wednesday.

“The number of victories in the senate was absolutely incredible,” Trump said.

Republicans have so far won 51 seats, giving them a majority. But Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada have not been called, and it’s possible Republicans could pick up more seats.

Trump also said he expected Republicans to hold the House and complimented House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House, however, is still up for grabs.

There are over 70 House races across the country that have not been called, and neither party has a convincing edge in the tally of House races.

Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Connecticut on Wednesday. The third-term congresswoman faced a rematch against Republican George Logan, who fell short by about a percentage point in the 2022 midterm election. She was the first Black woman elected to Congress from Connecticut. Prior to her election, Hayes worked as a teacher, receiving National Teacher of the Year in 2016. The Associated Press declared Hayes the winner at 2:00 a.m. EST.

With just under one-third of the vote reported in Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy has a roughly 4-point lead over Democratic incumbent Jon Tester. Most counties have begun reporting votes, but some key areas have not. These counties include Yellowstone and Lewis and Clark, home to the largest city of Billings and the state capital of Helena.

Nevada has reported its first votes, about three hours after polls closed. Its first update included more than 1 million votes from 15 of the state’s 17 counties, including Clark County, home to Las Vegas and two-thirds of the state’s population. Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen has a narrow lead in these early returns. Much of the vote remains to be counted and a full tally may take days. She faces Republican Sam Brown.

Nevada’s top election official says polls closed in Nevada nearly three hours late after voters waited in long lines to cast ballots.

Initial election results began to be posted just before 10 p.m. PST.

Polls had been scheduled to close at 7 p.m., but state law allows anyone in line at that time to be allowed to cast a ballot.

Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar acknowledged Nevada’s position as an electoral battleground and promised to keep updating results as the counties receive “and cure” additional ballots.

Mailed ballots are accepted and counted until Saturday, and thousands of voters whose ballots were set aside to allow for signature verification, or “curing” have until 5 p.m. Nov. 12 to validate their vote with election officials.

The pickups for House Democrats have mostly come from New York so far as the party flipped its second seat in the state.

Democrat Josh Riley defeated Republican Rep. Mark Molinaro in a district that spans across the center of the state. Democrats earlier flipped a seat held by Rep. Brandon Williams.

While a House majority is still up for grabs, the victories will buoy Democrats’ hopes, especially in House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ home state.

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Fitzpatrick, a four-term congressman and former FBI agent, represents a district based in Bucks County that Democrat Joe Biden carried in the 2020 presidential election. He defeated Democrat Ashley Ehasz, a retired Army helicopter pilot who lost to Fitzpatrick by 10 points in 2022. The Associated Press declared Fitzpatrick the winner at 1:23 a.m. EST.

Democrat Josh Riley won election to a U.S. House seat representing New York on Wednesday, defeating Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro. Riley, an attorney, first faced Molinaro in the 2022 midterm election and narrowly lost to him. Molinaro was one of several first-term Republicans in New York running for reelection in a district that Democrat Joe Biden carried in the 2020 presidential election. This district stretches from the Hudson River Valley to the Finger Lakes. The Associated Press declared Riley the winner at 1:17 a.m. EST.

Nebraska voters approved a ballot measure to write the state’s current 12-week abortion ban into the state constitution.

It also allows for a stricter ban to be imposed. The abortion restriction measure was one of two competing abortion measures to appear on the ballot.

The other measure would enshrine in the Nebraska Constitution the right to an abortion until viability, or later to protect the health of the pregnant woman.

Nebraska is the first state to carry competing abortion amendments on the same ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, which ended a national right to abortion.

The measure’s passage comes shortly after a closely-watched Senate race in the state ultimately ended with the Republican incumbent maintaining control.

Most House races have been called, but there have been practically no surprises so far, leaving the race for a House majority razor thin.

There are still almost 100 races still to be called across the country, and two dozen of those are the closest races.

Republicans have so far benefitted from redistricting in North Carolina, giving them a few pickups. But Democrats have been able to flip a competitive seat in New York as well as pickup a redistricted seat in Alabama.

With Senate control going to the Republicans, the race for the House is being played out district-by-district in dozens of competitive elections.

For Republicans, it’s a chance to gain full control of Congress as they try to sweep into power. For Democrats, a House majority will give them an important check on the GOP’s power and force compromise in Washington.

House races are being decided across the country, from hard-fought races in New York to elections in California where it could still take days to determine a winner.

With about half of the expected vote reported, Democrat Ruben Gallego led Republican Kari Lake by more than 117,000 votes out of 1.8 million votes counted. Gallego was doing better than Lake in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, and Pima County, which includes Tucson. The two counties are the state’s biggest vote centers.

The other contender for majority leader in a new Republican conference is the No. 2 GOP senator, John Thune.

The South Dakota lawmaker was initially seen as an obvious successor to McConnell, given his position as the vote counter for the conference but his fellow Republicans have made the race much more contentious over the past year.

“Tonight, with Republicans reclaiming majority control of the U.S. Senate, we can begin to turn the page on this expensive and reckless chapter of American history,” Thune said in a statement.

Moments after AP declared that Republicans would control the Senate, one of the several contenders to replace Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made his case.

Sen. John Cornyn touted his experience as the GOP’s vote counter during Trump’s first term and working with rank-and-file members in a statement early Wednesday.

“As I’ve said, this election is not about us but rather what is best for the conference and the nation,” the Texas Republican said. “I look forward to working with President Trump and our new conservative majority to make America great again by making the Senate work again.”

The AP was able to declare Republicans would take control of the Senate with Republican Deb Fischer’s win. Fischer led Independent challenger Dan Osborn by 3 percentage points with about 70% of the expected votes reporting at the time of the call. Fischer was winning the Election Day vote. Most uncounted votes were from largely rural counties, so Osborn — who was doing best in cities — did not have a path to victory.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said his loss to Republican Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno in Ohio “is a disappointment, but it is not a failure.”

The three-term Democrat gave his concession speech in Columbus.

“It will never be wrong to fight for organized labor, it will never be wrong to fight for the freedom of women to make their healthcare decisions, it surely will never be wrong to fight for civil rights and human rights,” he said.

In Cleveland, Moreno praised former President Donald Trump and pledged to help advance his agenda in Washington. He said he would work to win over those who didn’t vote for him.

“We talked about wanting a red wave. I think what we have tonight is a red, white and blue wave,” he said.

Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Pennsylvania on Wednesday. A former Navy officer, Deluzio has held the seat since 2023. This year, he defeated Republican Rob Mercuri, an Army veteran who represents part of Allegheny County in the state House of Representatives. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden carried this district, which includes the Pittsburgh suburbs and extends through Beaver County to Ohio’s eastern border. The Associated Press declared Deluzio the winner at 12:19 a.m. EST.

Republican Rep. Zach Nunn won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Iowa on Wednesday. Nunn flipped the highly competitive Des Moines-anchored district in 2022, just two cycles after Democrats flipped it in 2018. In 2020, the district split nearly evenly in the presidential race, though Republican Donald Trump ended up with the edge. This year, the race drew attention and millions of dollars in spending. Democrats backed Afghanistan war veteran Lanon Baccam. The Associated Press declared Nunn the winner at 12:18 a.m. EST.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as House speaker, has been reelected to a 20th term serving a San Francisco-based congressional district.

Pelosi has had two stints as House speaker, both lasting four years. In the second stint, she agreed to limit herself to two terms as the lead House Democrat as part of a compromise to secure the votes needed for her to gain the gavel.

She has the ceremonial title of speaker emerita and continues to hold sway even as Democratic members turn to a new generation of leadership.

Her husband, Paul, was seriously injured in October 2022 by an intruder who struck him in the head with a hammer. The attacker intended to hold Pelosi hostage, though she was not home at the time.

Democrats have picked up a seat in Alabama that was redistricted to ensure fair representation for Black voters. It’s the second flipped seat for Democrats tonight.

Democrats Shomari Figures in Alabama prevailed over Republican Caroleene Dobson to give Democrats an important pickup in the race for House control.

Republicans have also benefited from redistricting, especially in North Carolina where they picked up three House seats redrawn by the state’s GOP-controlled General Assembly to favor Republican candidates.

Republican Rep. Bryan Steil won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Wisconsin on Wednesday. Steil won a fourth term over Peter Barca, who was the last Democrat to hold the seat. Barca went on to serve in the state Legislature and left his job as Wisconsin revenue secretary to take on Steil. Steil was first elected to the seat in 2018, succeeding former House Speaker Paul Ryan. The congressional district covers southeastern Wisconsin along the Illinois border. The Associated Press declared Steil the winner at 12:07 a.m. EST.

Republican Sen. Deb Fischer won a third term to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday. Fischer won her previous two elections by wide margins in the deep-red state. But she faced her toughest challenge yet in political newcomer Dan Osborn, a mechanical engineer who appealed to voters by eschewing the major political parties and running as an independent. Fischer successfully countered by leaning into support for former President Donald Trump. Despite their at-times rocky relationship, Trump endorsed Fischer for reelection, which Fischer touted in her campaign ads. The Associated Press declared Fischer the winner at 12:06 a.m. EST.

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New Jersey on Wednesday. The first-term congressman served as minority leader in the New Jersey Senate for over a decade before waging a challenge against Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in 2022. This year, Kean defeated Democrat Sue Altman. Democrat Joe Biden carried this district in 2020, though it became slightly more favorable to Republicans in redistricting. It includes suburbs west of New York City, stretching from Westfield to Pennsylvania’s eastern border. The Associated Press declared Kean the winner at 12:00 a.m. EST.

The AP declared Democrat Angela Alsobrooks the winner shortly after Maryland reported about half its expected vote. She had a lead of 11 percentage points. Alsobrooks was beating Republican Larry Hogan in votes cast before Election Day by almost 20 points. More than 1 million votes were cast in advance of Election Day in Maryland.

Republican Rep. Nick LaLota won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New York on Wednesday. LaLota, a first-term congressman, defeated John Avlon, a former CNN political analyst. The 1st Congressional District is contained within Suffolk County and stretches from the eastern tip of Long Island to the New York City suburbs. Republicans have held the seat for the last decade. LaLota was one of several New York Republicans running for reelection in a district whose voters were narrowly divided in the 2020 presidential election. The Associated Press declared LaLota the winner at 12:00 a.m. EST.

With about two-thirds of the expected vote in, Republican Eric Hovde leads Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin by about 41,000 votes out of more than 2 million counted. There are still a large number of outstanding votes in Milwaukee County, a Democratic stronghold where local officials have said votes will come in late.