Who is running for president in 2024? These candidates want your ...

The 2024 election cycle has kicked off, and the race is heating up even as Election Day is months away.

President Joe Biden is seeking another term in the White House, and with former President Donald Trump's hat also in the ring, a 2020 rematch is a real possibility. Democrats are expected to fall firmly behind Biden, and Trump has held a stubborn lead in polls on the Republican side.

With mounting legal troubles, and several high-profile candidates aiming to unseat him, however, Trump is not yet a sure-fire winner.

Here are the latest developments on the path to the 2024 election:

DEMOCRATS

Despite concerns over his age, Biden remains a strong frontrunner for his party's nomination. Several lesser-known Democratic candidates are mounting challenges to the president, but they have yet to gain much traction.

Joe Biden

Background: First elected in 1972, Biden served as a senator from Delaware for 36 years before being elected vice president in 2008, mounting a victory alongside former President Barack Obama. After serving two terms as vice president, he took a brief hiatus from government work before returning to run, and win, in 2020.

Views: Biden's campaign is focused on the "battle for the soul of America," doubling down on the central message of his campaign four years ago. He said the question facing the nation is "whether, in the years ahead, we have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer."

Dean Phillips

Background: Phillips represents Minnesota in the House of Representatives and was first elected to Congress in 2018. Before entering politics, Phillips made his name as a businessman, heading up Phillips Distilling and serving as chair of Talenti Gelato.

His views: Phillips is a moderate with a reputation in Washington for reaching across the aisle. A member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, one of his major legislative accomplishments was the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program, which he co-authored with Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy. The program provided loans to businesses to help them during the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marianne Williamson

Background: Williamson is a self-help author and spiritual leader who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020.

Her views: Williamson supports abortion rights, a single-payer health care system and reparations for descendants of formerly enslaved Americans. She has suggested creating a U.S. Department of Children and Youth to increase child advocacy and a U.S. Department of Peace.

REPUBLICANS

Since his win in 2016, Trump has served as de facto leader of the Republican Party, his influence still looming large in Washington. After Trump-endorsed candidates suffered in the 2022 midterms, however, speculation swirled that there was an opening for a new leader to rise. Here are the candidates who have thrown their hat in the ring.

Ryan Binkley

Background: Binkley is CEO, president, and co-founder of the mergers and acquisitions conglomerate Generational Group. He is also a faith leader, co-founding and serving as the pastor at Create Church in Richardson, Texas.

His views: Binkley has said he hopes to prioritize balancing the budget, lowering health care costs, creating bipartisan immigration reform and putting more community emphasis on education. Binkley is against abortion rights. His campaign website says he was "thankful" when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, but that a "culture of life" means prioritizing adoption as well.

Chris Christie

Background: Christie was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 2001 and served for six years, before being elected governor of the state in 2010 and serving until 2018. Christie has been a prominent figure in the GOP for many years. In 2016, he mounted an unsuccessful presidential campaign and, despite prior criticism, ultimately endorsed Trump and later joined his campaign.

His views: Christie is anti-abortion, but does support some exceptions in the case of incest, rape and danger to the mother. He is not for a federal ban. Instead, he believes the issue should be left to the states. He has advocated for a more secure border to stem the flow of fentanyl into the country, saying earlier in his campaign he planned to deploy the National Guard.

Ron DeSantis

Background: DeSantis serves as the 46th governor of Florida. While in law school, DeSantis joined the U.S. Navy as a JAG officer, later deploying to Iraq for active duty. Before his run for governor, he served in the House of Representatives as a congressman for Florida's 6th district for three terms from 2013 to 2018.

His views: DeSantis is campaigning on a hard-right agenda to make America look more like Florida. He is anti-abortion and has signed a 6-week abortion ban in his home state. On the border, DeSantis has been outspoken in his vision for a crackdown. He has promised to complete a border wall, reimpose the "Remain in Mexico" policy, and possibly end birthright citizenship. Similar in politics but different in demeanor, DeSantis represents a younger, some say more predictable, alternative to Former President Donald Trump.

Nikki Haley

Background: Haley started her political career in South Carolina's state legislature, where she served for 6 years before mounting a successful campaign for the governor's office in 2010. In 2016, former President Donald Trump nominated Haley to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a position she held for a year before unexpectedly stepping down in 2018.

Her views: Haley opposes abortion rights and has been a vocal supporter of Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas. While on the campaign trail, she has focused on illegal immigration, advocating for a return of the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy as well as the defunding of sanctuary cities. Haley has told voters she hopes to crack down on China's influence on the U.S. economy. She has supported Trump in the past but also criticized him after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Asa Hutchinson

Background: Hutchinson was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to serve Arkansas' 3rd district in 1997. He served until 2001 when he was appointed director for the Drug Enforcement Administration and later undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security for former President George W. Bush's administration. After leaving Washington, he was elected 46th Governor of Arkansas. He served for two terms, from 2015 to 2023.

His views: On immigration, Hutchinson has promised to send more resources to Border Patrol as well as resume construction of a border wall. He opposes abortion and has said he would sign a federal ban if elected but supports exceptions. He is also a vocal critic of Trump, saying he "is not the right leader” for the nation or the Republican Party.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Background: Ramaswamy is a former biotech investor who founded the pharmaceutical research company Roivant Sciences in 2014. He stepped down as CEO in 2021 after going more public with his opposition to ESG and 'woke' politics in the corporate sector. He moved on to found Strive Asset Management, before stepping down to dedicate time to his 2024 run.

His views: Ramaswamy is framing himself as an outsider, an entrepreneur-turned-political-hopeful who will give the establishment a run for its money. He has peddled ideas such as ending affirmative action programs and eliminating the Department of Education.

Donald Trump

Background: Prior to 2016, Trump dabbled in politics, often sounding off on issues like the birther movement meant to cast doubt on former President Barack Obama's citizenship and the case surrounding the now-exonerated Central Park Five. However, he was still primarily known for real estate and his forays into reality television, famously starring in "The Apprentice."

In 2016, Trump won the White House, serving a full four-year term before being defeated by Biden in his reelection bid.

His views: The former president has, without evidence, centered much of his campaign on the claim that his political enemies are fueling his ongoing criminal cases. He has said he would consider pardoning participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which his critics say was inspired by his false claims of election fraud.

THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES

The potential of a tight Trump-Biden rematch opens the door for a third-party candidate to be integral in determining the results of the race. A third name on the presidential ballot could drain votes from either of the two major party nominees, tipping the scales toward either Biden or Trump.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Background: Kennedy is an environmental lawyer known for trumpeting a debunked theory that vaccines can be linked to autism. In 2017, Trump invited Kennedy to head up a presidential commission on vaccine safety.

His views: He is campaigning on a platform of fighting for the "liberties guaranteed by the Constitution," according to his campaign website. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy opposed vaccine mandates, calling them an infringement on individual liberty and at times used the Holocaust as a historical comparison.

Cornel West

Background:West is an American academic and philosopher known for his progressive ideals. He has taught at several Ivy League institutions and works now as a professor of philosophy at Union Theological Seminary.

His views: West is a proponent of establishing Medicare for All, and barring oil and gas subsidies, as well as drilling on public lands. Long a vocal opponent of militarism, West's campaign website lists "end the wars" as a key priority, which would include disbanding NATO and banning nuclear weapons across the globe.

Jill Stein

Background: Stein is a doctor and organizer who has championed causes like campaign finance reform and environmental protection. She has run for president twice before, launching bids in 2012 and 2016.

Her views: Stein paints herself as an outsider, coming in to disrupt a political system ruled by money and special interests. In her campaign launch video, posted to X, she called for an economic bill of rights including "the right to a job, to health care, to housing, to food, education and more.

Candidates who dropped out

When is the 2024 primary election in Ohio? Who will be on the ballot?

The 2023 off-year general election has ended in Ohio, leaving voters wondering what comes next.

A full list of local election results has been posted online and will be published in Thursday's print edition.

Winning candidates will be sworn in after the start of the new year.

After that, electors can turn their attention to the 2024 state primary election on March 19 and general election on Nov. 5.

When is the next presidential election?

President Joe Biden is up for a second term in 2024.

Though White House incumbents rarely face significant challenges from within their own party during the primary, the general election is different. The race in November could well be a 2020 redux because polling has shown that former President Donald Trump — despite multiple federal indictments — remains a heavy favorite among likely Republican voters in a GOP field that includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and several others.

A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll shows Biden and Trump tied nationally at 37%, with independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West garnering 13% and 4%, respectively.

U.S. Senate seat attracts candidates from two parties

Ohioans will vote for one of the state's two senators next election cycle.

Last year, they chose J.D. Vance, a Republican, over Tim Ryan, a Democrat.

Senator terms last six years. There are no limits to the number of times one person may hold the seat.

The 2024 primary race appears to be heavily contested on both sides of the aisle.

The race for Democrats is, so far, a matchup between incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who was first elected in 2007, and Tariq Shabazz, a Navy veteran who filed with the Federal Election Commission on Aug. 1.

The field of Republicans is a little stiffer at three: Secretary of State Frank LaRose, state Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls), and Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman who ran for the state's other senate seat in 2022.

Many congressional seats to be decided in 2024

All 15 of Ohio's seats in the United States House of Representatives will be decided in 2024.

Congressional terms only lasts two years. There are no term limits.

The most prominent incumbent will be U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), who recently lost a bid to become Speaker of the House.

The Ohio General Assembly will see a number of contested races in 2024.

In the Ohio Senate, 16 of the state's 33 seats will be up for election. The current senate is filled by 26 Republicans and 7 Democrats.

In the Ohio House of Representatives, all 99 seats will be decided. The existing composition of the state's lower house is 67 Republicans and 32 Democrats.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was elected to his second consecutive 4-year term last year, which brings him to the end of his eligibility due to term limits. Voters will choose his replacement in 2026.

ztuggle@gannett.com

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Des Moines Register Political Soapbox to bring 13 presidential ...

Staff Report

Des Moines Register

As campaigning for the 2024 Iowa caucuses heated up, the Des Moines Register hosted presidential hopefuls at its Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

The Register invited nearly 20 candidates who were seeking the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican nomination for president to speak to fairgoers. Candidates had to meet certain eligibility criteria such as campaign activity, political experience and fundraising before receiving an invitation.

This year, 13 presidential candidates took the Soapbox stage.

At the Soapbox, the hopefuls are offered 20 minutes, a microphone and a crowd eager to listen to political pitches.

The event, held along the Grand Concourse in front of the Horner Service Center, has become an Iowa tradition that also puts the state on the national stage.

While candidates often don cowboy boots, eat giant turkey legs in the hot August sun and mingle with fairgoers, the Soapbox provides a space for real political discussion. Face-to-face with Iowans, candidates explain and defend their policy positions in front of a live audience.

Coverage from the 2023 Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair

Republican Asa Hutchinson, Saturday, Aug. 19

Libertarian Chase Oliver, Saturday, Aug. 19

Republican Will Hurd, Friday, Aug. 18

Republican Ryan Binkley, Saturday, Aug. 12

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Saturday, Aug. 12

Democrat Marianne Williamson, Saturday, Aug. 12

Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Saturday, Aug. 12

Republican Nikki Haley, Saturday, Aug. 12

Republican Francis Suarez, Friday, Aug. 11

Republican Perry Johnson. Friday, Aug. 11

Republican Larry Elder, Friday, Aug. 11

Republican Doug Burgum, Thursday, Aug. 10

Republican Mike Pence, Thursday, Aug. 10

How old are Biden and Trump? How age will impact the 2024 election

WASHINGTON — When Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is 81, suddenly froze at a press conference last month, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, fell and was hospitalized last week, it put a spotlight on a concern among voters about political candidates: age.

The Democratic and Republican frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, are the oldest candidates running in the 2024 race.

Biden, who’s 80, has said in multiple interviews that he’s capable of reelection and has even turned his age into a punchline. But some voters are concerned his age could become a liability in office.

Thirty-seven percent of Democratic and Independent voters say Biden’s age makes them less likely to vote for him, according to a recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll. Three percent say it makes them more likely, while 56% say it doesn’t make a difference.

And Trump, 77, is just three years younger than the current president.

Here’s what you need to know about how age will play a role in the 2024 election.

How old are the candidates running in 2024?

The field of presidential candidates in the 2024 race has grown bigger and more diverse in recent months, with people from a variety of backgrounds competing for a chance to run the country.

Some voters are looking for a “fresh face” in the crowd, potentially someone youthful with no political experience. But others are looking for an older and more tenured leader who knows the ins and outs of the political landscape.

"Age has already been a constant topic, really since the last election," Matthew Schmidt, a politics expert at the University of New Haven, told USA TODAY.

How old are the Democrats running in the 2024 election?

Joe Biden: 80

Marianne Williamson: 71

Robert F. Kennedy Jr: 69

How old are the Republicans running in the 2024 election?

Donald Trump: 77

Asa Hutchinson: 72

Larry Elder: 71

Doug Burgum: 67

Mike Pence: 64

Chris Christie: 60

Tim Scott: 57

Nikki Haley: 51

Ryan Binkley: 55

Francis Suarez: 45

Will Hurd: 45

Ron DeSantis: 44

Vivek Ramaswamy: 37

How old are the third-party candidates running in the 2024 election?

Cornel West: 70

How has age played a role in previous elections?

Age can affect the energy of all candidates, Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian, told USA TODAY. But it's impossible to say how age affects mental acuity because aging is such an individual process, she added.

“On one hand, age can bring wisdom and experience, which can be enormously helpful when facing challenges on the global scale,” Chervinsky said. “On the other hand, the job is so demanding that voters naturally ask if a candidate is up to the task. That's something each voter has to answer themselves.”

Prior to the most recent presidential elections, former President Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to seek the presidency run for office, she said.

It is getting more common to see candidates running in their 70s though, James Campbell, a political science professor at the University at Buffalo, said. For instance, by May 2019 during the lead-up to the 2020 election, all but one of the 2020 presidential candidates were above 70 years old.

One factor contributing to this change, Schmidt said, is that the life expectancy of individuals has increased.

"People live longer now and are more capable in their later years because they're healthier than in the past," Schmidt said.

Jennifer Ailshire, a gerontology researcher at the University of Southern California, said that as long as someone is up to the task, she doesn't see why age should be a limiting factor in an election. What voters should watch out for is the physical and cognitive fitness of a candidate, she added.

Ailshire's research has shown that while many older individuals will start to experience physical declines in their 70s, there are people who avoid these declines. She also warned that a momentary lapse in memory or focus does not necessarily mean someone is experiencing significant cognitive decline.

Biden versus Trump: 'Life begins at 80'

If Biden reclaims the White House, he would be 82 years old at the beginning of his second term in January 2025. If Trump wins, he would be 78 − the same age that Biden was when he began his first term in 2021.

Trump dismissed questions about his age in a Truth Social post last year, arguing that Biden was “one of the oldest 79s in History but by and of itself, he is not an old man.”

“There are many people in their 80s, and even 90s, that are as good and sharp as ever,” Trump wrote. “Biden is not one of them, but it has little to do with his age. In actuality, life begins at 80!”

The White House, however, has rejected criticism about Biden's age, saying he is healthy and fit to serve in office.

Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, argued that, even if Biden's age has not affected his ability to do the job, "some members of the public may nonetheless believe he is not mentally sharp enough or that he lacks the necessary physical stamina.”

These concerns stem from reports of Biden falling, sometimes mixing up countries and dates and making other small blunders.

There were also reports of Trump slurring words, having difficulty walking and struggling to raise a water glass during his presidency, raising concerns about his age. One of Trump's long-time supporters, Franklin Graham, expressed concern of Trump's eating habits potentially compromising his health, as Axios reported in 2021.

But though he had gained a few pounds while he served in office, his doctor had said on numerous occasions that he was healthy. The former president has not released any medical records since leaving office.

But if voters do have concerns about candidate's age, that's an issue they can watch for on the campaign trail leading into next year's election.

"Voters need to be aware of the potential problems associated with aging in such a demanding job, and the best way for voters to get a good reading of the candidates' conditions is by frequently observing them," Campbell said.

Vivek Ramaswamy, Libertarian candidate? In Iowa, his campaign ...

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign has reached out to the Libertarian Party in Iowa to inquire about running for president on the party's ticket.

Campaign operatives for Ramaswamy attended a local party event this week, and Ramaswamy has had conversations with two Iowa Libertarian officials, including one instance where he expressed interest in joining the ticket, one of those officials confirmed.

Biden won't be on the New Hampshire primary ballot

CONCORD, N.H. – It’s a rite of passage for presidential candidates. But this time, President Joe Biden's name won't be on the New Hampshire ballot.

Biden has been tussling with the state for nearly a year over its historically early primary date and will not make the trip to Concord to file this week.

In a break with centuries-old tradition, the incumbent president will not appear on the state’s Democratic primary ballot at all – with the national party pledging to discipline candidates who compete in unsanctioned primaries like the one New Hampshire plans to hold.

Biden's reelection campaign notified New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley of the president's decision on Tuesday evening, citing guidance from the national party that urged campaigns not to place their candidates’ names on the ballot.

"Biden for President will refrain from submitting a Declaration of Candidacy for the Primary ahead of Friday’s candidate filing deadline for the Primary," the letter obtained by USA TODAY stated. "[T]he president looks forward to having his name on New Hampshire’s general election ballot as the nominee of the Democratic Party after officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention where he will tirelessly campaign to earn every single vote in the Granite State next November."

Other presidential candidates have been making the trip to the New Hampshire State House for the last two weeks to file their paperwork to compete in the 2024 primaries.

The saga began last December when Biden proposed that South Carolina, the first state he won in the last competition, hold the first party-approved primary of the next presidential election.

Biden told members of the Democratic National Committee who were tasked with making the decision that New Hampshire and Nevada should share the date of the second primary election. He also advised them to demote Iowa, which has traditionally held the first caucus, and give Georgia and Michigan more influential contest dates.

In a December letter outlining his decision, Biden said the changes to the Democratic schedule were necessary to empower voters of color and encourage candidates to invest in battleground states earlier. The party did what Biden asked, and earlier this year, the DNC voted to affirm the new calendar.

Members of the committee’s rule-making body say they will take away delegates from state parties and candidates who appear on the ballot in any contest that defies the approved order. That has led to fierce clashes with Republican-led New Hampshire over its refusal to change a state law requiring it to continue a more than 100-year tradition of holding the country’s first presidential primaries.

Biden’s allies in the state are pursuing a workaround. They are putting the pieces in place for a write-in effort, which they hope will keep him from losing the first contest of his reelection campaign.

“We have had a growing number of prominent Democrats express interest in being on a grassroots committee. We have received a significant amount of financial pledges. We have done all of the research with the FEC and everything that's needed. So now it's just the final decision of whether to pull the trigger or not,” said Jim Demers, a Democrat in New Hampshire who is helping with the preparations.

Could eleventh-hour shuffling shake up the New Hampshire ballot?

Democrats inside and outside the state said for weeks that they did not expect Biden to appear on the ballot.

Biden does not currently face a significant primary challenger, although there have been rumblings for days that Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota may launch a bid this week in New Hampshire.

He has already missed the filing deadline for the Nevada primary and would not be eligible to win delegates in New Hampshire if he put his name on the ballot there.

Phillips, 54, has openly encouraged a Democrat to challenge Biden, 80, for the party’s nomination. He has not said whether it will be him and a spokeswoman declined a request for comment.

Campaigns have until 5pm on Oct. 27 to submit the paperwork in New Hampshire.

Demers, a Democrat who co-chaired former President Barack Obama's campaigns in New Hampshire and supports Biden, said the potential for Phillips to get in has not affected plans to write-in the incumbent president. Those efforts were already in motion and organizers will be meeting this week to make a final decision, he said.

“As for Dean Phillips, it is way too late to be entering a presidential primary in New Hampshire,” he said. “I have had so many Democrats contact me, really annoyed with even the thought of somebody getting in at this point and especially a sitting member of Congress.”

The lobbyist and former member of the state legislature, whose Concord office sits across the street from the New Hampshire State House, said Democrats are looking ahead to next November’s general election. They are fearful that GOP frontrunner Donald Trump could be elected president again, Demers said.

“And they recognize that if Democrats go into November disunited, it does nothing but help Donald Trump,” he said.

Democrats fear a New Hampshire loss in the general election

Democrats in the state say they are worried that Trump, or whomever the GOP nominee is, will dump money into the state that has four electoral votes. Had former Vice President Al Gore won New Hampshire in 2000, he would have become president.

Their arguments have done little to persuade members of the national party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee to let New Hampshire off the hook.

In an Oct. 24 memo to Democratic presidential campaigns that stressed the panel's efforts to "increase the diversity and competitiveness of the process," which was obtained exclusively by USA TODAY, the panel's co-chairs, Jim Roosevelt, Jr. and Minyon Moore said that they have "no reason to expect" that New Hampshire will comply with its rules and its primary will be considered a "non-binding presidential preference event."

"As such, we advise campaigns to refrain from including their candidate’s name on the ballot. Should your campaign have already filed, we advise your candidate to inform the RBC of its process to remove their name from the ballot should New Hampshire schedule its primary in violation of Rule 12," they said.

"Campaigns should also remain cognizant that should they place the candidate’s name on the ballot or fail to take action to remove it from the ballot, they shall not receive pledged delegates or delegate votes from New Hampshire."

Democrats who serve on the panel hope that penalties for candidates who appear on the ballot in non-compliant states will dissuade candidates who are competing to win the Democratic nomination from future acts of defiance.

At an Oct. 6 meeting, RBC member Elaine Kamarck noted that their sanctions are “pretty weak, okay, let’s face it” and suggested New Hampshire Democrats never cared about having delegates at the national convention.

New Hampshire cares about having the first-in-the-nation primary, she said. “The ultimate sanction is that the presidential candidates don’t go there. In other words. if you have a primary and nobody goes, you might as well have not had a primary.”

The national party’s plan to strip Democratic candidates who participate in any state that holds its contest too early in the nominating calendar did not keep longshot Biden competitor Marianne Williamson from putting her name on the New Hampshire ballot this year.

Two days before New Hampshire opened its filing deadline, however, former Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy changed his mind and said he would compete for the White House as an independent.

Some of Biden’s supporters from outside the state encouraged Democrats to switch their party affiliation to undeclared before an early October deadline so they could vote against Trump in the GOP primary. They are uniting with Republicans who are trying to defeat Trump at a conference this Saturday at New England College in Henniker.

New Hampshire’s Democratic Party is informally supporting the expected Biden write-in effort. It can not officially be involved in that campaign once it launches, which is where activists such as Demers and former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Kathy Sullivan come in.

Sullivan said in an interview from the party headquarters that her goal is to generate enthusiasm for Biden until he can campaign in the state.

“A lot of people who are involved in politics in New Hampshire got involved because of presidential primaries,” she said. “And we're losing a lot of that right now, because we don't have the president here running for reelection. And so we don't have new people coming in and saying hey, what can I do to help. And that's unfortunate and that's sad.”

Sullivan said she also hoped that a write-in effort would change negative attitudes toward the White House because Biden is not filing in the state. She said that she had heard from angry voters who asked why they should write Biden’s name down on the primary ballot after what he did to the state.

A University of New Hampshire poll, taken in coordination with CNN at the end of September, found that 78% of likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire plan to vote for Biden whether he appears on the primary ballot or not.

In a separate interview at party headquarters, Matt Wilhelm, the New Hampshire House Democratic leader, said most Biden backers do not want to let the DNC dictate how they conduct their primary.

“I think by engaging in a write-in campaign, we show that we take our first-in-the-nation primary really seriously, but also support the president,” he said. “We're able to, I think, separate a squabble over the order of which, primaries and caucuses are scheduled when, with the accomplishments of the administration.”

New Hampshire plows ahead with first-in-the-nation contest

South Carolina will hold its Democratic primary on Feb. 3. The party told Nevada and New Hampshire to have their primaries on Feb. 6. But the New Hampshire secretary of state, David Scanlan, says his state will go first regardless.

Scanlan, a Republican, said he would not announce the primary date until after the filing period closes on Oct. 27. But he told USA TODAY as the filing period opened: “We will not be going on Feb. 6."

Scanlan said there was “no chance” he would change his mind on holding New Hampshire's primary first.

“I don’t know if that opens the door for President Biden to sign up for the New Hampshire primary or not but that’s his decision to make," Scalan said. "We will continue on our path, regardless of what that decision is.”

Biden ultimately decided against it.

DeSantis, Trump, Ramaswamy campaigns fuel conservative COVID ...

In an Iowa sports bar on a dreary Saturday morning, Grimes resident Mike Pauk posed a final audience question to GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.

“When are the people like Anthony Fauci, hospital administrators, when are they going to be held accountable? Not getting fired, not driving around in limos — when are they going to be in cuffs?” Pauk asked. “We hung seven Nazi doctors, including Karl Brandt, for doing far less.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, Libertarian candidate? His campaign flirts with a ...

Midterm election results 2022: Recap on Election Day

Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Election Day 2022. For updated information about voting results in key races, check out of live updates file for Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Democrat John Fetterman won the hard-fought U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania against Republican Mehmet Oz, flipping a seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

Fetterman's victory reinforced other signs that a “red wave” of Republican strength had not materialized, as Democrats held on to several competitive Senate and governor seats.

Which party control the House and Senate is still undecided. Republican J.D. Vance bettered Republicans' chances of taking the Senate with his win over Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan. But Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan defeated a GOP challenger in the competitive New Hampshire race.

A handful of the closely watched Senate races have yet to be called, including the contest in Georgia between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker and the Nevada Senate match-up pitting Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto against Republican Adam Laxalt.

Vulnerable House Democrat survives: Rep. Abigail Spanberger won a competitive race against Republican challenger Yesli Vega in Virginia

Rep. Abigail Spanberger won a competitive race against Republican challenger Yesli Vega in Virginia Republican Abbott defeats O'Rourke in Texas: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott held his seat against Democrat Beto O'Rourke

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott held his seat against Democrat Beto O'Rourke Trump’s favored Pennsylvania governor candidate loses: Democrat Josh Shapiro will be Pennsylvania’s next governor, defeating Trump-backed Doug Mastriano.

Democrat Josh Shapiro will be Pennsylvania’s next governor, defeating Trump-backed Doug Mastriano. History made: Maryland voters elected only the third black governor – Democrat Wes Moore – in U.S. history. And Democrat Maura Healey becomes the first woman and first openly gay candidate elected as governor of Massachusetts. And progressive activist Maxwell Alejandro Frost is the first Gen Z member to win a seat in Congress.

Maryland voters elected only the third black governor – Democrat Wes Moore – in U.S. history. And Democrat Maura Healey becomes the first woman and first openly gay candidate elected as governor of Massachusetts. And progressive activist Maxwell Alejandro Frost is the first Gen Z member to win a seat in Congress. DeSantis, Rubio wins reinforce rightward shift in Florida: Incumbent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rubio comfortably won reelection as voter concerns about the economy appeared to prevail over a message emphasized by Democrats focusing on abortion rights.

Incumbent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rubio comfortably won reelection as voter concerns about the economy appeared to prevail over a message emphasized by Democrats focusing on abortion rights. Republicans flexed their muscle in gubernatorial races with Chris Sununu (New Hampshire), Ron DeSantis (Florida), Henry McMaster (South Carolina), Mike DeWine (Ohio) and Kay Ivey (Alabama) all winning reelection. In addition, former Trump White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders won the governor’s race in Arkansas.

The latest updates:

Georgia secretary of state: Raffensperger wins

Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger emerged victorious in the race for Georgia secretary of state, beating out Democratic nominee and former state senator Bee Nguyen.

Raffensperger held a solid lead over Nguyen in the polls throughout the race. The contest to be the state’s chief election officer, a down-ballot race that has previously garnered little attention, has gained increased importance in the wake of the 2020 election and unfounded voter fraud claims.

-- Anna Kaufman

3 takeaways from Georgia governor's race:Brian Kemp defeats Stacey Abrams for second term

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin wins in Michigan

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich, won reelection over Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett and Libertarian candidate Leah Dailey in Michigan’s new 7th Congressional District, ending one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched House races.

Slotkin was first elected from the 8th District in 2018, when she flipped a Republican seat that President Donald Trump won in 2016, and she was one of the few Democrats to win reelection in a district that voted for Trump in 2020. A former National Security Council and CIA staffer, she opted to run this year in the newly redrawn 7th District, which is centered on Lansing and would have voted narrowly for President Joe Biden had it existed in 2020.

While Slotkin was endorsed by Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., a harsh Trump critic, Barrett was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence. Barrett, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, has focused his campaign on less spending, more energy production and criticism of Slotkin's voting record. Slotkin has struck back at Barrett's refusal to say if he would have accepted the results of the 2020 election, which he has called an "unknowable thing."

– Yoori Han, Cronkite News

Democrat Greg Landsman unseats Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot

Democrat Greg Landsman defeated Republican incumbent Steve Chabot in the House race for Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, the AP reported.

Landsman, a former Cincinnati City councilman, won by a little more than 10,000 votes when the race was called.

Chabot represented Hamilton County for 26 years in Congress. This was his first defeat since he lost to Democrat Steve Driehaus in 2008. He regained his seat two years later.

-- Rachel Looker

Senate flip:Democrat John Fetterman flips U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, beating Republican Mehmet Oz

Wisconsin governor: Evers wins reelection

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers won a heated re-election battle against Trump-backed Republican Tim Michels.

A Marquette University Law School poll last week had them tied at 48%.

Evers won the governor’s office by a thin margin in 2018 when he defeated Republican Scott Walker, a 2016 presidential candidate. Evers had been a school district superintendent and served as the statewide superintendent of public instruction in Wisconsin for nearly a decade.

As governor, Evers’s job approval has been slightly underwater in recent Marquette polls, with 46% approving of the job he’s been doing as governor and 48% disapproving.

Michels is backed by former President Donald Trump, who has traveled to Wisconsin to campaign for him. The once low-key owner of Wisconsin’s largest construction company, the eponymous Michels Corp, Michels launched his bid for governor in April -- about 15 months after Biden revoked a key permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, a project for which Michels’ company had a contract to build pump stations. It’s Michels’ third run for office.

– Donovan Slack

Live updates:Wisconsin Election Results 2022

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wins reelection

Democratic incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claimed victory in her bid for reelection as Michigan governor, successfully fending off a challenge by Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.

The contest, once seen as an easy win for Democrats in a major battleground state, tightened in the final weeks with a last minute push by the Dixon campaign helping her to inch closer in the polls.

Whitmer is a veteran of Michigan politics, serving six years in the state House and eight in the senate before being elected governor in 2018.

Dixon spent years as a conservative TV commentator and producer of conservative news for students.

Dixon, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, denies the results of the 2020 election and has criticized Whitmer for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer, like many other Democrats, emphasized abortion rights throughout the campaign and criticized Dixon for her no-exceptions stance on the procedure.

– Anna Kaufman

Previously:Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Tudor Dixon facing off in second gubernatorial debate: recap

Republican Sen. Mike Lee wins reelection for Utah seat

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, fended off Independent challenger Evan McMullin for a third term.

With just over half of Utah ballots counted, Lee had more than 55% of the vote compared to McMullin’s 41% when the race was called early Wednesday morning.

-- Ella Lee

Voted into history:Wes Moore to be Maryland's first Black governor; first Gen-Z House member in Fla., more

In victory speech, Fetterman says he’s ‘proud’ of campaign

Donning his signature hoodie, Democrat John Fetterman addressed a raucous crowd of supporters early Wednesday morning after his narrow win against Republican challenger Mehmet Oz in the closely watched Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race.

“We jammed them up, we held the line,” Fetterman said. “I never expected that we were going to turn these red counties blue, but we did what we needed to do.”

In his victory speech, Fetterman said he was “proud” of the issues he ran on, like abortion rights, increased minimum wage and health care.

– Ella Lee

John Fetterman wins Pennsylvania Senate seat

John Fetterman is the projected winner of the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, beating out Donald Trump-backed celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz and overcoming concerns that his stroke recovery had foreclosed his chances at victory.

Opinion polls showed Oz gaining on Fetterman after the Democratic candidate's rocky debate performance.

The lieutenant governor suffered a stroke just days before the primary in May and has relied on closed captioning in recent interviews and the debate.

Independent analysts had predicted the Pennsylvania race would be the best chance for Democrats to pick up a Republican-held Senate seat. Fetterman and Oz have been vying for the open seat created by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey's retirement.

"It's official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania," Fetterman tweeted early Wednesday morning.

– Donovan Slack

Texas Democrat Vicente Gonzalez reelected to House

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, won his reelection campaign against GOP challenger Mayra Flores to represent Texas' 34th Congressional District, a setback for Republicans hoping to mobilize Hispanic voters.

With more than 88% of ballots counted, Gonzales led Flores by more than 8 points when the race was called.

Republicans have made inroads with Latino voters in states like Texas and Nevada, where Democrats are locked in tight congressional and statewide elections. But Gonzalez’ win is a blow to those efforts.

– Ella Lee

No victory or concession speeches tonight from Nevada Democrats

Just as the crowd doubled in size at the Democratic ticket's election party on the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada's top candidates took the stage to thank their supporters – and encourage them to "go home."

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Gov. Steve Sisolak said they didn't expect final election results to be available before the end of the night, but assured the crowd that they "believe strongly when this is done, we're going to win this thing!"

"It's going to be a couple of days," Sisolak said, "so I encourage you to go home, get some sleep, and let the county continue (counting) tomorrow and Thursday. And we'll be celebrating then."

Absent of any victory or concession speeches tonight, Cortez Masto and Sisolak walked off the stage together as their supporters cheered. And soon after the two Democrats disappeared, the crowd quickly thinned out.

– Rio Lacanlale

New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas reelected to House

Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., won a second term serving New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District.

Pappas led Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt by more than 8 points; just under 80% of the vote had been counted when the race was called.

If Leavitt had won the race, she would have been the second member of Gen Z elected to the U.S. House of Representatives this election cycle.

-Ella Lee

Rep. Henry Cuellar reelected in Texas

Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar won reelection Tuesday, fending off an aggressive play by Republicans to remake the U.S.-Mexico border into a midterm battleground.

Cuellar’s victory over Republican Cassy Garcia holds the line for Democrats in an important stronghold for the party. Garcia was one of three Republican Latina candidates who ran competitive House races along the border after the GOP made inroads with Hispanic voters in 2020.

Cuellar is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House and narrowly survived a primary challenge this spring from a progressive challenger.

– Paul J. Weber and Acacia Coronado, Associated Press

Razor-thin margin in Georgia Senate race

ATLANTA – Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock told supporters late Tuesday he remains confident as Republican opponent Herschel Walker holds a razor-thin lead.

Walker was ahead by less than 7,000 votes as votes continue to be counted as the clock hit midnight.

“We always knew that this race would be close,” Warnock told supporters. “And so that's where we are. So y'all just hang in there. I'm feeling good.”

With about 88% of the total vote counted thus far, less than half a percentage point separates the two candidates.

– Phillip M. Bailey

North Carolina Sen.-elect Ted Budd: It's been a long night

WINSTON-SALEM N.C. – It was later than he had hoped, but Ted Budd went before supporters shortly before midnight to claim victory in a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.

"What an incredible and long night this has been," Budd said after a closer-than-expected win over Democrat Cheri Beasley.

Budd's list of thank-yous included Donald Trump, whose endorsement propelled him to the Republican Senate nomination earlier this year.

– David Jackson

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wins reelection in New Mexico

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, won reelection Tuesday over Republican Mark Ronchetti, a local TV weatherman turned politician who built his campaign on criticism of the first-term governor's performance, according NBC and ABC News

Grisham, who served three terms in the U.S. House, was the first Democratic Latina to hold a governor’s seat at the time of her election in 2018. She ran then on a campaign focused on crime, education and immigration policy, but her reelection was centered on economic issues.

After a failed bid for U.S. Senate in 2020, Ronchetti framed his gubernatorial campaign around Grisham's track record, blaming Democrats for a faltering economy and specifically blaming the incumbent's policies for New Mexico’s rank as second in the nation for violent crime. Ronchetti also got a last-minute endorsement this month from former President Donald Trump.

A third candidate, Libertarian Karen Bedonie, a mother of eight and citizen of the Navajo Nation, polled in the single digits throughout the race. She initially hoped to run on the Republican ticket, and is among those that have questioned the validity of the 2020 presidential election.

– Laura Bargfeld, Cronkite News

Democrats win in Hawaii Senate, governor’s races

Democrats easily won their races for the U.S. Senate and governorship in Hawaii.

Josh Green overcame Republican challenger Duke Aiona for governor, while Sen. Brian Schatz winning reelection for his seat against Republican Bob McDermott.

– Ella Lee

Biden makes another round of congratulatory calls

President Joe Biden called made congratulatory calls to the following candidates Tuesday: Sen. Maggie Hassan, Sen. Alex Padilla ,Rep.-elect Seth Magaziner, Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Biden also phoned Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, along with Wes Moore, Maryland's newly elected governor, and Emilia Sykes, who rain in Ohio's newly redrawn 13th Congressional District – a closely watched tossup election.

– Kathleen Wong and Christal Hayes

Democrat Janet Mills reelected as Maine governor

Maine Gov. Janet Mills was reelected to the state’s governorship, beating her Republican opponent, Paul LePage. This will be Mill’s second term as Maine governor, according to NBC and CBS news.

Mills became the first woman elected as the state’s governor in 2018 when she was first elected. She also was the first woman to serve as the state’s attorney general, an office she served twice.

– Sarah Elbeshbishi

In victory speech, Hassan offers credit for Bolduc

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan took the stage to an enthusiastic, and teary-eyed, crowd after NBC and CNN called the race in her favor.

“Thank you to all the wonderful friends that are here tonight,” Hassan said, after continued chants of “Maggie” and “Six more years” from the crowd. “I love you too!" Hassan said.

Hassan paused to credit Republican Don Bolduc for a hard-fought race, but not before shushing boos upon mention of his name.

“No guys. No,” said Hassan, stopping the crowd. “I want to thank Don Bolduc for his service to our country. We share a love of country."

– Ken Tran

Kiggans declares victory in Virginia

Republican Jen Kiggans declared victory in the hotly contested House race in Virginia, unseating Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria.

Speaking at her campaign’s election watch party at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, Kiggans gave a message of unity in her victory speech.

“I believe it’s important to focus on the things that unite us, and not what divides us,” she said.

Kiggans wished her opponent well. “Although we may differ in our political ideologies, we certainly share a love for our navy and a love for our country,” she said.

– Christina van Waasbergen

Democrat Ron Wyden reelected to Oregon U.S. Senate seat

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., won his reelection bid against Republican challenger Jo Rae Perkins, according to multiple reports.

Wyden, who led Perkins by more than 13 percentage points when the race was called, has been in Congress for more than 40 years overall, assuming his Senate seat in 1996.

– Ella Lee

Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul wins New York governor race

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul won the New York governor’s race against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, NBC and ABC reported.

Hochul unexpectedly became the state's first female governor in 2021, after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.

– Rachel Looker

Sen. Lindsey Graham: ‘Definitely not a Republican wave’

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said a "red wave" election didn’t appear to be materializing after Republicans were projected to lose Senate races in New Hampshire and Colorado, but he still predicted Republicans would take control of the upper chamber.

“Definitely not a Republican wave,” Graham told NBC. “I think we’re going to be at 51, 52 when it’s all said and done.”

– Joey Garrison

Election analysis: Even with Kemp, Vance wins, are midterm results more red ripple than wave?

Republican JD Vance wins Ohio Senate seat over Democrat Tim Ryan

Trump-backed Republican author JD Vance won the Senate race in Ohio, beating Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, whose campaign had a fundraising edge but lacked national party support, according to NBC and ABC News.

The race has been one of the tightest in the country in recent polling and is a key test of the influence former President Donald Trump still wields. Trump endorsed Vance and went to Ohio to support him, telling rally goers in September that "The entire MAGA movement is for J.D. Vance."

It’s also a bellwether for which way national tides are turning on Election Day. The Senate seat has been occupied since 2011 by Republican Sen. Rob Portman, who’s retiring.

– Donovan Slack

Democrat Patty Murray wins reelection to Senate

Democratic Washington Sen. Patty Murray won reelection to the Senate against Republican opponent Tiffany Smiley after leading Smiley by nearly 15% with 56% of the precincts reporting, according to multiple reports.

Murray will be serving her sixth term in the Senate. While in the Senate, Murray was the first female chair for the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Budget Committee.

Recent polls showing the race neck-and-neck suggested the veterans lawmaker was in the fight of her political life but an upset never materialized on election day.

- Sarah Elbeshbishi

President Biden congratulates Democratic winners

President Joe Biden has completed congratulatory calls to Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Michael Bennet, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Representative Jennifer Wexton.

Van Hollen of Maryland was reelected to his second Senate term, beating out Republican Chris Chaffee.

Bennet defended his Colorado Senate seat over Republican opponent Joe O’Dea for his third term in office. The race was competitive, according to multiple reports.

Billionaire J.B. Pritzker swiftly beat Republican challenger Darren Bailey for reelection as Illinois Governor.

In a tight race, Virginia Democrat Jennifer Wexton won reelection to the U.S. House over Republican Hung Cao. This will be Wexton's third term.

- Kathleen Wong

Republican Ted Budd wins North Carolina Senate seat

Trump-endorsed Ted Budd won the race for a North Carolina Senate seat, defeating Democrat and former state Supreme Court chief justice Cheri Beasley.

Coming into tonight, the three-term GOP congressman had a five-point lead over Beasley in a poll by Emerson College Polling and The Hill, according NBC and ABC News.

Theirs was among the most competitive Senate races this election cycle, seen as a potential factor in Republican efforts to gain the majority. The North Carolina seat was up for grabs for either party, with Republican Richard Burr retiring after his fourth term as Senator.

– Savannah Kuchar

Shapiro win brings relief for Pennsylvania Democrats

SWARTHMORE, Pa.- Bonnee B. Bentum feels safer tonight, knowing Democrat Josh Shapiro won the governor’s seat and blocked a Republican supermajority in Pennsylvania that could have threatened abortion rights and voting rights.

She said this as someone who works for a state Democratic senator, serves as an executive board member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and mostly as a Black woman.

Bentum pointedly describes what was at stake: “My life, my daughter’s life…to live freely.”

- Candy Woodall

New Maryland voter choses digital over paper vote

TUXEDO, Md. - Bill Aylin is a lifelong voter, but he was still surprised when he voted for the first time in Maryland after moving from Georgia.

“All of Georgia is digital and this one is mostly paper,” said Aylin, who found things at the Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Center "radically" different from what he was used to. But the Prince George's County polling place also offered two digital machines, so he chose to vote on one of those.

He said he feel it’s his duty to vote, and that he found the House and Senate races to be the most important. Outside of that there were some questions about bonds and borrowing money that drew his attention.

“I’m fine with schools borrowing money," Aylin said. “I’m not fine with it for the government.”

- Haley Smilow, Cronkite News

Republican Brian Kemp reelected as Georgia governor

Republican incumbent Brian Kemp won the race for Georgia governor, defeating Democratic candidate and now two-time opponent Stacey Abrams, according to NBC and ABC News.

The two faced off once before back in 2018, with Kemp narrowly claiming victory after a runoff election. This gubernatorial contest has been one of the most closely watched this midterm cycle as both candidates are major players in their parties.

The tightly fought race, along with Sen. Raphael Warnock’s bid to keep his seat in Congress, was expected to serve as a litmus test of just how strong the Democratic coalition in Georgia is and whether it can withstand an election largely viewed as a referendum on President Joe Biden, whose approval ratings have suffered throughout his second year.

– Anna Kaufman

Brian Kemp's win: 3 takeaways from the Georgia governor's race

Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria unseated by Jennifer Kiggans

Republican state Sen. Jennifer Kiggans unseated incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., Tuesday in Virginia's 2nd District, which gained a more Republican tilt in redistricting but was still considered a toss-up.

Both Luria and Kiggans are Navy veterans who campaigned on promises to fight for defense and veterans issues.

Kiggans, who currently represents Legislative District 7 in the Tidewater region of the state, positioned herself as the candidate to restore American strength that she said has been injured by the policies of the Biden administration - policies she said Luria continually backed.

Luria, a two-term House member, is also a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. A main thrust of her campaign was what she called Kiggans' failure to discuss her stance on results of the 2020 election.

– Emilee Miranda, Cronkite News

Does early good news for Dems mean a red tsunami isn't materializing?

Two vulnerable House Democrats in Virginia swing districts appeared to be on their way to victories, perhaps signaling that a red tsunami many predicted isn’t materializing.

CNN and NBC projected that U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., defeated Republican challenger Yesli Vega in the state’s 7th congressional district, a fiercely fought battleground, while Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., was the projected winner over Republican Hung Cha in the 10th congressional district.

“I’m still waiting for the Red Wave to arrive,” veteran political handicapper Stuart Rothenberger said on Twitter. “It may still come, but I have not seen it yet. That does not mean the Rs won’t win the House and Senate.”

Republicans picked up a third battleground seat in Virginia, however, with CNN projecting Jen Kiggans defeated Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va.

In a fourth battleground House race in Rhode Island, Democrat Seth Magaziner is the projected winner over Republican Allan Fung, mayor of Cranston, R.I.

- Joey Garrison

Republican Mike Crapo wins reelection to Idaho Senate seat

Republican Sen. Mike Crapo defended his Senate seat in the race against Democratic challenger David Roth.

Crapo, a former attorney who previously served in the U.S. House and the Idaho Legislature, will now serve his fifth term in the Senate. The last time Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in Idaho was 1974.

Crapo is currently the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

- Rachel Looker

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom wins reelection

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom has been reelected in the California gubernatorial race defeating Republican challenger Brian Dahle.

Newsom had a large lead over Dahle during the campaign. Newsom, the former Lieutenant Governor of California and former Mayor of San Francisco, will now serve his second term in the governor’s mansion.

- Rachel Looker

Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger, top GOP target, wins reelection

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., won re-election Tuesday over Republican challenger Yesli Vega in a redrawn Virginia 7th District, a potential bellwether for Democrats odds in the U.S. House.

Both Spanberger and Vega have law enforcement backgrounds. But Spanberger, a two-term congresswoman and the first Democrat elected to represent the 7th district since 1971, highlighted her bipartisan record throughout the campaign.

Vega, a first-generation Salvadoran-American and a one-term Prince William County supervisor, positioned herself as a check on the Biden administration. She got a last-minute endorsement from former President Donald Trump last week, but did not actively embrace it.

– Emilee Miranda, Cronkite News

Republican Chuck Grassley reelected to Senate seat

Republican Chuck Grassley has defended his Iowa Senate seat against Democratic challenger Michael Franken, according to ABC and NBC.

Grassley has served in office since 1959. The 89-year-old congressman will now serve his sixth term, which upon completion would make him the second-oldest member of Congress at 95 years old.

- Rachel Looker

Democrat Josh Shapiro wins Pennsylvania governor

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro bested Trump-backed Republican Doug Mastriano to win the governor’s race in Pennsylvania, according to NBC and Fox news.

Shapiro had been leading Mastriano by significant margins in recent polling.

Shapiro, the state’s attorney general since 2017, led Mastriano 52%-40% in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll last week. He is a former state representative who cast himself as someone willing to take the fight to the status quo. Shapiro defended the state’s presidential election results in 2020 against an onslaught of legal challenges.

Mastriano, a state senator and retired Army colonel, marched on the U.S. Capitol in the Jan. 6 attack and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who visited the state to rally for him.

Mastriano supported unfounded claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election and held a hearing featuring Rudy Giuliani and Trump, via call-in, hyping voting irregularities.

- Donovan Slack

Democrat Maggie Hassan wins reelection to U.S. Senate

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., beat back Trump-endorsed Republican challenger Don Bolduc in a race that narrowed sharply in the final days despite the state being carried by President Joe Biden in 2020, according to ABC and NBC News

Hassan, who served as governor from 2013 until she entered the Senate in 2017, tried to distance herself from the president throughout her campaign. She criticized the administration for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan last year and for its handling of rising inflation.

Bolduc, a retired Army general, repeated false claims during the primary that the 2020 election was stolen, but he walked those back after securing the GOP nomination in September. In October, the National Republican Senatorial Committee stopped funding Bolduc’s campaign to prioritize other battleground states.

– Ryan Knappenberger

Progressive activist becomes first Gen Z-er to be elected to Congress

A former March for Our Lives and ACLU activist, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, 25, won his election bid against Republican Army veteran Calvin Wimbish to represent Florida's 10th Congressional District, which includes the Orlando area. He received more than 58% of vote with more than 98% of all ballots counted.

The seat became open when Democrat Val Demings decided to run for Senate against Republican Marco Rubio.

- Ella Lee

A win for Gen-Z: Florida's Max Frost becomes first Gen-Z member of Congress

Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet wins reelection

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet defended his Colorado Senate seat in a competitive race against Republican challenger Joe O’Dea, according to multiple reports.

This will be Bennet’s third term in office, but was one of his most challenging reelection campaigns. He sought out the Democratic party nomination for the 2020 presidential election.

– Rachel Looker

Abbott wins reelection as Texas governor

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott won reelection, besting former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who had sought to ride what he and other Democrats hoped would be a wave of registered Democratic voters to victory in the long deep-red state, according to multiple reports.

The race drew national attention for O'Rourke, who lost a bid to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 and made a brief presidential run in 2020. O'Rourke's name recognition and charisma fueled Democratic hopes that he could win the governor's race.

But as of last week, Abbott was favored to win by nearly 10 points, according to FiveThirtyEight polling averages. And voter registration numbers from the Texas secretary of state’s office showed an increase in voter registrations - but not the massive wave state Democrats had hoped would follow the state’s abortion ban and the Uvalde school massacre.

– Donovan Slack

Republican Kristi Noem reelected as South Dakota governor

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, will serve a second term as the state’s leader, according to projections by NBC and ABC.

Noem had received about 61% if the vote with 16% of ballots counted.

The South Dakota Republican faced a pair of complaints in August, one of which was referred to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office for investigation.

The first complaint alleged personal use of the state airplane. The second, which accused Noem of misusing her position as governor to help her daughter through the state real estate appraiser program, was partially dismissed by the Government Accountability Board, because "appropriate action" had been determined.

- Ella Lee

Mother shares the experience of voting with her daughter

PHOENIX - Vanessa Figueroa brought her 9-year-old daughter, Victoria Medina, with her to the Maryvale Bridge United Methodist Church in Phoenix to drop off her ballot.

Figueroa, 39, said she thought it would be a good chance to teach her daughter the importance of voting.

“(I want her to know that) you get to vote and give your opinion and decide for your own education, too,” she said.

Figueroa said voting is one way she can express support for public education. Victoria hasn’t been able to see a school counselor, she said, because of short staffing – one indication to her that schools need more resources.

- Alex Appel/Special for Cronkite News

Republican John Kennedy defends his Louisiana Senate seat

Republican Sen. John Kennedy defended his Senate seat in Louisiana defeating Democratic challenger Luke Mixon, according to NBC and ABC.

Kennedy joined a group of 11 senators in 2021 who objected to the certification of President Donald Trump's 2020 presidential loss. He will now serve his second term.

- Rachel Looker

Republican Gov. Phil Scott wins re-election in Vermont

Republican Gov. Phil Scott secured a fourth term in Vermont after defeating Democratic challenger Brenda Siegel. Scott was elected in 2016 and ran for re-election in 2022 on a platform of reducing taxes and boosting the economy.

Though a Republican, Scott has openly criticized former President Donald Trump and voted for President Joe Biden in 2020.

-BrieAnna Frank

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wins reelection in Colorado

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis secured a second term after defeating Republican challenger Heidi Ganahal in Colorado’s gubernatorial race, according to projections from NBC and ABC. In his first term, Polis pushed for health care and education affordability and unveiled a plan for the state to be 100% renewable energy by 2040.

– BrieAnna Frank

DeSantis '24? Supporters chant to reelected Florida governor: 'Two more years!'

Sounds like some of Ron DeSantis' backers want him to run for president in 2024, though others may be equivocal.

During the party to celebrate DeSantis' easy reelection as governor of Florida – a four-year job – some backers began chanting "two more years! Two more years!" Others overrode that suggestion with counter-chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

The governor just smiled, and did not comment on any plans he may have for 2024.

– David Jackson

Native Vote volunteer excited by high voter engagement

GUADALUPE, Ariz. - “This is my Super Bowl,” said Jessica Aguilar, a volunteer for Native Vote, at El Tianguis Mercado in Guadalupe Tuesday.

Aguilar volunteered with Native Vote during the last election at the same polling place. The nonpartisan organization aims to help and educate voters.

Aguilar, who has a degree in political science, said she saw more voter engagement this year than in the last election, though most voters she talked to Tuesday were dropping off ballots that were already filled out.

Aguilar, who is not Native American, said she volunteers to support a friend who is. Stationed Tuesday near a group of conservative women handing out pamphlets near the 75-foot canvassing line, Aguilar said she is “happy to provide voter education.”

- Deanna Pistono/Special for Cronkite News

AOC wins reelection

Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won reelection to her New York House seat, defeating Republican challenger Tina Forte.

The congresswoman, who represents Queens and the Bronx, was the youngest woman and Latina to serve in Congress when she was elected in 2018. She is known for her progressive views on health care, income inequality, immigration, combating climate change and her work on the Green New Deal.

– Rachel Looker

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon wins reelection in Wyoming

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon won reelection in Wyoming against Democratic challenger Theresa Livingston. After taking office in 2019, Gordon’s first term was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and a crash in oil prices that had dire consequences for the state’s economy. Earlier in 2022, Gordon signed a “trigger law” banning most abortions in state, which went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

– BrieAnna Frank

Maryland singer's vote motivated by abortion policy

SUITLAND, Md. - Kanysha Williams said that she felt it was important to come out to vote and make sure her voice was heard in what she called this year’s “spicy” midterm elections.

She said she was particularly motivated by the issue of abortion. Williams, a 30-year-old singer, said that as someone thinking about starting a family, “I’m focused on making sure a woman’s right over her own body is protected.”

Williams said she is glad to live in Maryland, where abortions are legal up to fetal viability – around 24 weeks – or later if the mother’s life is as at risk. And she hopes to keep it that way.

“I want to make sure the people who represent me represent the issues I care about,” Williams said.

– Ryan Knappenberger, Cronkite News

Marjorie Taylor Green wins reelection

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., won reelection over Democrat Marcus Flowers, an Army veteran who also worked for the Defense Department, ending the most expensive and one of the highest-profile House races of the 2022 midterms.

Greene quickly gained notoriety during her first campaign for office in 2020 for a track record of promoting racist rhetoric and far-right conspiracy theories. She vowed to spend her time in office promoting Trump-era policies.

– Laura Bargfeld, Cronkite News

Republican Sen. Jerry Moran reelected to Senate

Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran won reelection against Mark Holland, the Democratic candidate for a Kansas Senate seat. Moran will be serving this third term in the Senate.

Moran previously served as the chairman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2013 to 2015 and in the U.S. House from 1997 to 2011.

– Sarah Elbeshbishi

Heavy evening turnout in Las Vegas

With two hours before the polls closed in Nevada, Las Vegas resident and stay-at-home mom Lorena Cardenas, 43, led a small group in a chant outside the Desert Breeze Community Center. Like many Nevada residents, Cardenas expected a Republican “red wave” to seize control of Congress.

Cardenas hopes Republicans will check Biden’s “radical” government, which she feels is being used to target his political enemies. She said she hoped Republicans could tighten border controls, fight inflation and de-sexualize public education.

“No more Democrats, the damage has been done, woo!” shouted the small group from outside the 100-foot polling place boundary.

– Trevor Hughes

Sen. Chuck Schumer wins reelection

Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, won reelection in the New York Senate race defeating Republican challenger Joe Pinion.

Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, will now serve a fifth term.

– Rachel Looker

South Dakota Republican John Thune wins historic fourth Senate term

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., won his reelection bid against Democrat Brian Bengs for a historic fourth term in Congress’ upper chamber.

Only Karl Mundt, who served in the Senate from 1948 to 1973, won four terms as a senator in South Dakota. Since Mundt’s retirement, three senators have lost running for a fourth term: George McGovern in 1980, Larry Pressler in 1996 and Tom Daschle in 2004.

Thune is currently the No. 2 ranking senator behind Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

– Ella Lee; Jonathan Ellis and Joe Sneve, Sioux Falls Argus Leader

North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven wins reelection

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., won his reelection bid against Democrat Katrina Christiansen. Hoeven, who will serve a third Senate term, was previously North Dakota’s governor for a decade.

– Ella Lee

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds wins reelection in Iowa

Incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds secured a victory in Iowa in her reelection bid against Democratic nominee and businessperson Deidre DeJear.

The candidates clashed on hot-button issues including abortion policy and school funding in their only debate ahead of the election. Reynolds was appointed governor in 2017 and was elected to her first full term the following year.

– BrieAnna Frank

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan wins Ohio House seat

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan defended his Ohio House seat against Democratic challenger Tamie Wilson.

Jordan is an eight-term congressman who has held his seat since 2007. He is a close ally of former President Donald Trump.

– Rachel Looker

Arizona judge declines to extend voting hours in Maricopa County

An Arizona judge has declined to extend polling hours in Maricopa County after the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit over earlier problems with ballot tabulation machines.

A Maricopa County superior court judge declined a request to extend voting in the state’s most populous county until 10 p.m. MST, or midnight on the east coast.

Officials said the problem with the machines affected about 20% of voting sites. Officials have stressed that ballots in affected precincts will be counted. The county identified a fix for the problem by midday.

The judge, who ruled from the bench after a last-minute hearing, found no evidence that any voter was denied the chance to vote at one of the county's polling places, despite the tabulation glitch forcing some to the option of casting a provisional ballot.

– John Fritze and Bart Jansen

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Democratic Gov. Dan McKee wins re-election in Rhode Island

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee won reelection in Rhode Island against Republican challenger Ashley Kalus.

Through the contentious campaign, McKee emphasized his administration’s investments in infrastructure and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. McKee took office as governor in 2021 and previously served as mayor of Cumberland, Rhode Island.

– BrieAnna Frank

Rep. Matt Gaetz reelected to House seat

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz defended his Florida House seat against Democratic challenger Rebekah Jones.

Gaetz, who has represented the district since 2017, has been one of former President Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. He has faced legal troubles and has been under federal investigation over allegations he violated federal sex trafficking laws.

– Rachel Looker

Voting is over in Ohio, but the fundraising continues

The polls may have closed in Ohio, but GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance is still asking supporters to vote with their wallets.

“If you want to make an impact on this race personally, then I have a link for you!” Vance said in fundraising email Tuesday night that urged backers to “rush” a donation.

“Thanks for everything as we reach the finish line,” the appeal says.

– Maureen Groppe

Kari Lake casts ballot, pledges election reform if elected Arizona governor

PHOENIX - After casting her ballot in downtown Phoenix, a confident Kari Lake attacked the election process and pledged election reform if she wins the race for Arizona governor.

“We’re going to win,” said the Republican nominee, though she noted she had little confidence in the election process. “I’m just not confident in the people we’ve elected to run these elections… We will bring about good, honest reform to our elections.”

Lake, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is one of the most prominent Republicans who have built their campaigns on denying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

– Kaden Kleinschmidt/Cronkite News

GOP hammered economic message in Florida. It worked.

Republicans up and down the ticket in Florida ran against President Joe Biden and fed on voter frustration with inflation and a turbulent economy.

It seemed to work. And the GOP overwhelmingly outspent Democrats to hammer this message across.

Democrat Charlie Crist centered his campaign on a pledge to protect abortion rights in his fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis. But polls showed concerns about the future of abortion across the nation had slipped down the priority list for voters but Crist never re-pivoted, likely further dimming his longshot bid to unseat DeSantis.

Democrat Val Demings also kept abortion rights front-and-center in the homestretch of her campaign against Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who, like virtually every Republican candidate this season, sought to avoid engaging on the issue.

Democratic voter turnout also was down. A harbinger of Tuesday’s doom for Democrats was that Republicans held a more than 300,000-voter edge in combined early voting and mail-in ballots going into Election Day.

DeSantis was intent on proving his victory in 2018 by less than 33,000 votes was no fluke. And he pushed GOP get-out-the-vote efforts and campaigned before large, supportive crowds in a final week dash around the state knowing that a blowout win would give him the bounce he needs to maybe launch a presidential campaign. He got it.

– John Kennedy, Capital Bureau, USA TODAY Network - Florida

Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders wins governorship in Arkansas

Republican candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders won election in Arkansas’ gubernatorial race against Democratic challenger Chris Jones. Sanders previously served as the White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump before seeking the office once held by her father, Mike Huckabee. Huckabee Sanders is the first woman elected to the position.

–BrieAnna Frank

Republican Sen. John Boozman wins reelection bid

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., will serve a third term in the U.S. Senate, winning his reelection bid against Democrat Natalie James.

Boozman currently serves on five Senate committees, including the appropriations committee, and supported the acquittal of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

– Ella Lee, Sarah Elbeshbishi

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster reelected governor

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster won reelection in the South Carolina governor’s race defeating Democrat Joe Cunningham, according to NBC and ABC News.

McMaster outraised Cunningham by a nearly 2-1 margin, according to S.C. Ethics Commission reports. He raised over $2 million during the campaign.

– Rachel Looker; Adam Friedman, Nashville Tennessean

Katie Hobbs urges ASU students in Tempe to vote

PHOENIX - Katie Hobbs, Arizona Democratic candidate for governor and current secretary of state, told students on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus that her race against Republican Kari Lake is going to be tight and that voters can’t be taken for granted.

Arizona attorney general candidate Kris Mayes and incumbent Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, both Democrats on the ballot, also spoke briefly to a small crowd of students Tuesday midday and encouraged them to vote.

“American democracy runs through Arizona,” Mayes told students.

The candidates appeared at an Election Day event held by student political organizations Mission for Arizona and Young Democrats at ASU at ASU’s Memorial Union. Hobbs spent a short time on campus and then moved on to an event in south Phoenix.

– Shane Brennan/Cronkite News

At Mar-a-Lago, Rubio victory cheered. DeSantis win … not so much

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – When Fox News called the gubernatorial race for Ron DeSantis against Democratic rival Charlie Crist just after 8 p.m., the crowd in the ballroom of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate clapped quietly.

But the crowd cheered and clapped boisterously when it was announced that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio had defeated Democratic challenger Val Demings.

Trump said Tuesday he would "bring up the past" should DeSantis seek the 2024 presidential nomination.

"It'd be like anybody else that runs, if somebody runs you have to bring up the past," Trump told reporters in a ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago estate around 6:30 p.m., a half hour before most polls in Florida closed. "I'm not sure he would want to run. We'll see."

Trump then noted that he voted for DeSantis on Tuesday.

– Antonio Fins, Palm Beach Post

Wes Moore wins Maryland governorship, makes history

Democrat Wes Moore won Maryland’s governor race against Republican opponent Maryland Del. Dan Cox, making history as Maryland’s first Black governor.

Moore gives the governorship back to the Democrats after two terms of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.

– Sarah Elbeshbishi

Voted into history: Wes Moore to be Maryland's first Black governor; first Gen-Z House member in Fla., more

Republican Gov. Bill Lee wins reelection in Tennessee

Republican Gov. Bill Lee was reelected governor of Tennessee. He defeated Democratic challenger Jason Martin.

Lee sought a second and final term as governor after he was first elected in 2018. He formerly served as a businessman and chairman of the Lee Company. He ran unopposed in the primary this year.

– Rachel Looker

Maryland Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen wins reelection

Sen. Chris Van Hollen was reelected Tuesday evening, defeating his Republican opponent Chris Chaffee and keeping his Maryland Senate seat.

Van Hollen, who previously served as the representative for Maryland's 8th Congressional District, won his second Senate term.

– Ella Lee

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey wins re-election in Alabama

Incumbent Republican Gov. Kay Ivey won reelection in Alabama against Democratic challenger Yolanda Flowers. Ivey’s win puts her on pace to become the longest-serving governor in Alabama history, according to The Montgomery Adviser.

– BrieAnna Frank

Chris Sununu reelected New Hampshire governor

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu defeated Democrat Tom Sherman in the New Hampshire gubernatorial race.

Sununu will now serve a fourth two-year term. He was heavily favored against Sherman, who ran unopposed in his party's governor's nomination.

– Rachel Looker

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth wins reelection

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., beat Republican challenger Kathy Salvi for a second term.

– Ella Lee

Voter recounts poll watcher intimidation

GLENDALE, Arizona – Daniel Ruiz, 28, has voted since 2016, but Tuesday was the first time he had a poll watcher shove a camera in his face.

“I’m going to have some problems with that. I don’t know who you are,” he said after trying to confront the poll watcher. The other man did not identify himself and left quickly after taking photos of Ruiz and nonpartisan Election Protection volunteers at Glendale Community College.

A federal judge last week set limits on groups watching ballot drop boxes in Arizona, ordering them to stop filming and confronting voters, carrying weapons and to remain at least 75 feet away from ballot boxes.

Except for the encounter, Ruiz said everything went smoothly and he was able to drop off his ballot. “I feel like, weirdly, if people don’t get their way, things can escalate, and that’s kind of scary for a regular citizen,” he said.

– Khanh Nguyen/ Special for Cronkite News

Republican Katie Britt wins Alabama Senate seat

Republican Katie Britt won the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama. She defeated Democrat Will Boyd.

Britt was previously the former president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama. During the campaign, she received the endorsement of Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, who is retiring.

– Rachel Looker

Republican Senate candidates sweep in Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s two Republican Senate candidates won their elections early Tuesday night.

Markwayne Mullin was elected to the U.S. Senate in Oklahoma and Sen. James Lankford won his reelection bid.

– Ella Lee

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wins reelection

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker easily beat Republican challenger Darren Bailey in his reelection bid.

Billionaires like Ken Griffin and Richard Uihlein threw millions of dollars into the race heading into its primary, igniting a second round in the state's battle of the billionaires.

– Ella Lee

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wins reelection

Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis won the race for Florida governor, defeating Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist.

DeSantis held onto a double-digit lead in the polls for much of the race.

The contest has been closely watched nonetheless, as DeSantis has built a national profile in what some see as preparation for a bid to secure the GOP nomination for president in 2024.

Crist, a former Republican himself, served as Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011, re-registering as a Democrat after leaving office.

– Anna Kaufman, Sarah Elbeshbishi

Sen. Richard Blumenthal defends Connecticut Senate seat

Sen. Richard Blumenthal won reelection in the Connecticut Senate race.

Blumenthal has been in office since 2011. This is his third six-year term. The senator’s last tight contest was in 2010, which was his first run for U.S. Senate.

- Rachel Looker

Top US cybersecurity officials confirm some election website outages but say no disruption of election infrastructure

The Department of Homeland Security has seen no specific or credible threat that is disrupting election infrastructure, or any activity that should cause voters to question the security, the integrity or resilience of the midterm elections, two senior U.S. cybersecurity officials said Tuesday evening.

The officials, both with DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA, noted that there have been a few isolated issues arising from within the 8,800 or so individual election jurisdictions in the United States, including Maricopa County, Arizona – but chalked them up to mostly routine Election Day glitches.

The two officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing cybersecurity operations, confirmed that they were aware of so-called distributed denial-of-service attacks affecting a number of websites for state election offices, campaigns, and partisan organizations – including a sustained effort to take down election-related websites in Mississippi. But they sought to reassure voters by stressing that such DDoS attacks, which flood websites with computer messages, can only slow down voting or counting processes as opposed to actually meddling with the actual vote count.

They also said that while it is inherently difficult to find out who is behind such attacks, CISA has seen no evidence suggesting that the DDoS attacks were part of any widespread or coordinated campaign.CISA hasn't seen any DDoS attacks on election night results reporting websites, the senior official says.

– Josh Meyer

Democrat Maura Healey wins Massachusetts’ governor’s race

Democrat Maura Healey won Massachusetts’ gubernatorial race against Donald Trump-backed Republican nominee Geoff Diehl. The Associated Press called the race at 8 p.m. ET.

Healey makes history as the first woman and the first openly gay candidate elected to the office.

– BrieAnna Frank

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio defeats Democratic challenger

Republican incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio successfully fended off Democratic Rep. Val Demings in Florida’s U.S. Senate race to keep his seat, according to Fox and CNN’s projections.

Rubio, a two-term senator, had been the favorite to win in polls conducted throughout the race, while Demings, a congresswoman representing the Orlando area since 2017, trailed.

The contest has shaped up to be one of the most expensive in the country, with Democrats spending big, hoping to flip the seat.

Ideologically the candidates are split mostly along party lines, sparring in their sole debate over hot-button issues like abortion, border policy, and gun control.

– Anna Kaufman, Ella Lee

Republican Sen. Tim Scott wins South Carolina Senate seat

Incumbent Republican Sen. Tim Scott won the South Carolina Senate seat in the race against Democrat Krystle Matthews. Scott will now serve his second full term.

Scott has made repeated trips to Iowa, creating speculation he may be laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential bid.

Matthews serves as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

– Rachel Looker

Todd Young wins Indiana Senate race

Republican Sen. Todd Young defended his seat against Democratic challenger Thomas McDermott in the Indiana Senate race.

Young is finishing his first term as senator. He was set to be the frontrunner of the race and had over $3.5 million cash on hand in the run up to Election Day.

– Rachel Looker

Maryland voter motivated by abortion access issue

SUITLAND, Md. - Kanysha Williams said that she felt it was important to come out to vote and make sure her voice was heard in what she called this year’s “spicy” midterm elections.

She said she was particularly motivated by the issue of abortion. Williams, a 30-year-old singer, said that as someone thinking about starting a family, “I’m focused on making sure a woman’s right over her own body is protected.”

Williams said she is glad to live in Maryland, where abortions are legal up to fetal viability - around 24 weeks - or later if the mother’s life is as at risk. And she hopes to keep it that way.

“I want to make sure the people who represent me represent the issues I care about,” Williams said.

- Ryan Knappenberger, Cronkite News

Gov. Mike DeWine wins reelection in Ohio

Republican incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine claimed victory in his bid for reelection in Ohio’s gubernatorial race against Democratic challenger Nan Whaley, according to projections from CBS and CNN. Whaley was the first woman ever nominated by a major party for governor in the state's history.

-BrieAnna Frank

Peter Welch wins Vermont Senate seat

Democrat Peter Welch will succeed Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the longest-serving member of the chamber.

Welch beat Republican Gerald Malloy with just 1% of the vote counted.

Leahy, first elected to the Senate in 1974, announced his retirement in November 2021.

-Ella Lee

Analyst: Democrats must outrun Biden

Democrats in competitive Senate races must outrun President Joe Biden’s approval rating by six to nine percentage points to win Tuesday, according to Jessica Taylor, an analyst with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

“The biggest hurdle for Senate Dems tonight – Biden's approval,” tweeted Taylor,

That helps explain why Biden did not campaign with most of the candidates in nine of the top races. The exception was John Fetterman, who appeared with Biden and former President Barack Obama at a rally in Philadelphia Saturday.

– Maureen Groppe

First wave of polls closed, including Florida, Georgia and Ohio

Polling locations will close in East Coast states over the next few hours. Polls will close at the following local times:

Polls in parts of Kentucky and Indiana closed at 6 p.m.

Virginia, Vermont, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Georgia and Florida closed at 7 p.m.

Ohio and North Carolina closed at 7:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine and Connecticut close at 8 p.m.

Polls in New York close at 9 p.m.

Voters on the west coast still have a few hours to cast their ballots. Key states on the West Coast are set to close at the following local times:

Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona close at 7 p.m.

California, Oregon and Washington close at 8 p.m.

– Rachel Looker

Texas county sued over voting problems, urged to extend voting hours

Harris County – the most populous county in Texas, according to the 2020 Census – was sued Tuesday by lawyers from the Texas Civil Rights Project and the ACLU of Texas on behalf of the Texas Organizing Project after delays in opening several polling locations.

The Judge granted the request, extending polling time an hour to 8 p.m. local time. Voters arriving between 7-8 p.m. will cast provisional ballots.

The county also has been plagued with voting machine malfunctions, resulting in long lines and closures at certain voting stations, according to NBC News.

– Sarah Elbeshbishi

GOP files lawsuit seeking extended hours in Maricopa County

The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit in an Arizona court Tuesday seeking to extend the hours of polling locations in Maricopa County because of earlier problems with ballot tabulation machines.

The suit asks a superior court judge to extend polling hours in the county until 10 p.m. MST.

Officials said the issue with the tabulators affected about 20% of voting centers in the state's largest county. Officials have stressed that ballots in affected precincts will be counted, but the glitch has drawn criticism from conservatives, including former President Donald Trump.

Some voters who confronted the problem were encouraged to place ballots in secure drop boxes, the Arizona Republic reported.

- John Fritze and Bart Jansen

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul easily wins reelection

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., sailed to reelection Tuesday night, crushing Democrat Charles Booker's hopes that he'd pull off a massive upset and become not only the first Democratic senator elected in Kentucky since 1992 but also the commonwealth's first Black senator.

Paul won a third six-year term in Congress, scoring a victory that the Associated Press called relatively early Tuesday evening as election results rolled in.

The libertarian-leaning senator ran on a staunchly conservative platform.

- Morgan Watkins, Louisville Courier Journal

Roe on some Georgia voters' minds

Of all the issues at play in the 2022 cycle, Peach State voter Morgan Jones said protecting women’s reproductive rights was at the forefront.

The 38-year-old mortician said while many in her community might likely skip this year's midterm elections, she said abortion was the chief reason she went to the polls Tuesday.

“With me being a woman, especially a Black woman who has a child… I feel that it should still be a choice of ours that we should be able to make on our own,” she said.

Voter Ash Dawson said the possibility of lawmakers banning abortion outright was the main engine for showing up to vote.

“I wanted to make sure I got some votes in the right direction that those rights are preserved for women,” Dawson, an urban farmer, told USA TODAY.

- Phillip M. Bailey

Donald Trump threatens Ron DeSantis (if he runs against him)

Donald Trump is all but threatening Ron DeSantis with personal attacks if the Florida governor decides to run against him for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

“If he runs, he runs,” Trump recently told a group of reporters, according to The Wall Street Journal. "If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.”

DeSantis, who is expected to win re-election as governor on Tuesday, has not commented on Trump's jibes; he also hasn't said whether he is willing to run against Trump in 2024.

– David Jackson

Nancy Pelosi says she believes Democrats can hold majority

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believes Democrats have a path to hold the majority in the House of Representatives.

During an interview with PBS NewsHour, Pelosi said Democratic candidates are connecting with voters in their districts and focusing on what is important to their constituents, whether it be lowering costs, abortion or climate change.

“We own the ground out there today,” Pelosi said. “Just because a pundit in Washington says ‘history says you can't win,’ is no deterrent for the enthusiasm we have out there. I think you'll be surprised this evening.”

– Rebecca Morin

Voting times extended at some polling sites after delays

Polls in several states will allow voters to cast their ballots later than planned following unexpected delays.

In Georgia, where polls are scheduled to close at 7 p.m., at least two precincts are giving voters more time after opening late. A location in Cobb County will extend its voting time by 45 minutes and a location in DeKalb County will remain open an extra 39 minutes, according to state Democratic officials.

A paper shortage in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, caused a judge to order voting sites there to remain open until 10 p.m. Polling places in the county were supposed to close at 8 p.m., according to the county’s website.

And in North Carolina, voting will be delayed by an hour at three polling sites after one precinct opened late, leaving staff “locked out,” and two others experienced printing problems, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

– Phillip M. Bailey; David Jackson; Bethany Rodgers, GoErie; Ella Lee

Key House races to watch as results roll in

As polls start to close, here are some of the key House races we have our eyes on:

California: David Valadao (R) vs. Rudy Salas (D)

Ohio: Steve Chabot (R) vs. Greg Landsman (D)

Virginia: Abigail Spanberger (D) vs. Yesli Vega (R)

Nevada: Dina Titus (D) vs. Mark Robertson (R)

Texas: Mayra Flores (R) vs. Vicente Gonzalez (D)

Michigan: Elissa Slotkin (D) vs. Tom Barrett (R)

Colorado: Yadira Caraveo (D) vs. Barbara Kirkmeyer (R)

New Jersey: Tom Malinowski (D) vs. Tom Kean Jr. (R)

North Carolina: Wiley Nickel (D) vs. Bo Hines (R)

– Rachel Looker

Election denial group calls for protests

A group is calling for dual rallies on Tuesday in Maricopa and Pima counties to protest voting machines.

The group, 2020 Is Nullified, issued a call on social media for supporters to gather at 8 p.m. outside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix and at the Pima County Recorder’s Office in Tucson.

“Stand in solidarity with fellow Americans to demand a hand count” of ballots, the group said.

The group maintains voting machines are not legal and have not been certified. Election officials say the tabulation machines are certified by state and federal inspectors, which is required under the law.

Former President Donald Trump's claims there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election have been roundly debunked.

— Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic

Ohio sets record for early voting

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Ohio voters set a record this year for early voting in a nonpresidential election year.

More than 1.55 million Ohioans either voted early in-person or requested a mail-in absentee ballot for this election.

“This is an increase of 3.9% over the previous record set in 2018,” according to the Secretary of State's office. The data includes all ballots received through 2 p.m. Monday, when early in-person voting ended across the state.

- The Columbus Dispatch; Rachel Looker

Guam elects first Republican representative since 1993

Republican James Moylan defeated Democrat Judith Won Pat to become Guam’s newest non-voting House of Representatives delegate.

Moylan received 17,075 votes compared to Won Pat’s 15,427, according to partial, unofficial election results from the Guam Election Commission. He is the second Republican to be elected to the position since its creation in 1972.

– Eleanor McCrary

New Mexico same-day registration brings 14,000 new voters by noon

Mario Jimenez, executive director of Common Cause of New Mexico, said voters were eager to cast their ballots.

The election was the first with same-day registration and 14,000 new voters registered by noon Tuesday to vote, Jimenez said. Another 100,000 voters cast absentee ballots and 350,000 people voted by noon Tuesday, he said.

“We’re seeing really good turnout for a mid-term election here in New Mexico,” Jimenez said.

– Bart Jansen

2-minute wait times in Georgia, Raffensperger says

Speaking to reporters, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said even with a projected high turnout on Tuesday most polling places saw a two-minute wait time.

“It’s just been tremendously smooth," he said.

Georgia election officials were told to brace for roughly 2 million voters to show up to the polls this afternoon. That's on top of the 2.5 million who've already voted early.

Georgia's polls close at 7 p.m. EST

– Phillip M. Bailey

In Rep. Abigail Spanberger's Virginia district, inflation and health care drive voters

For voters in Prince William County, where Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is on the ballot against Republican Yesli Vega for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, the main issues include inflation and abortion.

Reba Gravelle, a 40-year resident of the Woodbridge area, said her candidate would have to support her views on abortion. “I’m a very pro-life person and so my candidate needed to support that,” she said.

Joshua King, a veteran and current deputy sheriff, said health care brought him to the polls for Democrats. King also took into consideration his daughter, who has autism. “I support any candidate who decides that they want to help out our special needs community because they’re marginalized,” he said.

– Kaila Nichols and Dante Nieto, Medill News Service

In Texas, Beto O'Rourke supporters argue with protesters over LGBTQ issues

Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who is challenging Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, held an Election Day meet-and-greet outside a public library in North Dallas this morning. While O’Rourke talked with a ring of supporters, far-right agitators jostled with onlookers and tried to disrupt the candidate’s speech, with little success.

The handful of anti-O’Rourke onlookers shouted statements about pedophilia and transgender rights that have become a refrain of the extremist right in Texas in recent months. Despite some high-spirited discussions with the candidate’s supporters, the hecklers were unable to push past them and get close to O’Rourke, who spoke to the crowd for about an hour.

Transgender rights have become a political lightning rod in Texas, which has also seen a surge in protests and attacks on LGBTQ-friendly events such as family friendly drag shows. O’Rourke has been endorsed by several LGBTQ organizations, and has criticized Abbott for his support of policies that he says discriminate against LGBTQ people.

– Will Carless

Biden: 'MAGA Republicans' don’t care about Black communities

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden warned in an Election Day radio interview targeted at Black Americans that far-right “MAGA Republicans” don’t care about African-American communities.

“This is not your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said on the “D.L. Hughley Show” when asked about his message to Black Americans who are still on the fence about voting.

MAGA Republicans are “a different breed of cat,” Biden said in the interview, which was taped Tuesday morning. “They care about your community about as much as … well, anyway,” he said, without finishing the sentence. “You’ve seen what you’ve got from that community,” he added.

– Michael Collins

North Carolina Senate race: Ted Budd supporters optimistic at polls

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – North Carolina has never elected a woman of color to the U.S. Senate, and many voters don't expect that to change Tuesday.

Supporters of Democrat Cheri Beasley say they are not exactly confident, but some remain hopeful: "Some of the underdogs come out on top!" said Jannet Blue, 58, a Department of Motor Vehicles supervisor who voted in Winston-Salem.

Backers of Republican Ted Budd are more confident; his poll lead has grown in recent weeks, and voters said it just feels like a Republican year in the Tar Heel State. "We need to keep working people working," said James Wilcox, 61, a Winston-Salem businessman.

– David Jackson

Arizona voting machines: Maricopa County resolves ballot tabulation issues at some locations

The Maricopa County Elections Department found a solution for tabulation issues that affected about 60 of the county’s 223 voting centers, the county government said Tuesday.

Printers at the locations were not producing dark enough timing marks on ballots, according to Maricopa County’s official Twitter. To resolve the issue, county technicians changed the printer settings. The solution has so far worked at 17 locations and technicians have been deployed to the remaining locations to resolve the issue, according to the county.

Stephen Richer, Maricopa County recorder, issued an apology to voters on his personal Twitter, promising that “every legal vote will be tabulated."

– Ella Lee

Philadelphia voting ‘going great’ so far

PHILADELPHIA – Tuesday has been a “wonderful” day for voting in the city, according to Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick Custodio.

“It’s going great,” he told USA TODAY. “Nothing has risen to a level of concern.”

The overwhelming majority of voters have been able to cast ballots without incident and the processing has been “going smoothly,” Custodio said.

Polls are open until 8 p.m. and voters can turn in mailed ballots until that time in Pennsylvania.

– Candy Woodall

For some in New Hampshire, Biden’s stake in democracy gets through

BEDFORD, N.H. – For some in New Hampshire, where presidential candidates flock every four years, President Joe Biden’s message that democracy is at stake resonated with some voters.

Jonathan French says it’s why he’s voting for Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan over Republican Don Bolduc.

“I believe in democracy. Don Bolduc denies the election results from 2020,” French simply put. But at the same time, French isn’t sure if he wants to see Biden run again in 2024. “We’ll wait and see,” said French.

– Ken Tran

Mailed ballots drive higher turnout in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – There is a higher turnout today and the bulk of the counting will be done tonight, according to Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick Custodio.

About 101,000 mailed ballots will be processed tonight, he told USA TODAY, with the first tally showing five minutes after the polls close at 8 p.m. in Pennsylvania. The counting will take “the normal amount of time,” meaning most of the results will be in tomorrow or Thursday, he said.

Custodio is expecting a higher turnout in this election compared to 2018 because of mail-in voting, he said.

– Candy Woodall

Why one voter in Philadelphia is staying home

PHILADELPHIA – Standing outside a Save A Lot grocery store, Lori Dornan explains why she’s shopping after work instead of voting.

“My vote will just give a politician more money and power. It won’t help me afford groceries,” she said.

– Candy Woodall

Man in custody after disturbance at West Bend, Wisconsin, polling place

A 38-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested Tuesday after “demanding for staff to ‘stop the voting'" not far from a polling location in the West Bend Community Memorial Library in West Bend, Wisconsin, according to police.

A poll worker told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he heard a man with a knife approach the library’s front desk. Voters and children playing in the area were escorted into the voting room, he said, and the doors were shut.

Library staff declined to comment on the incident. Police would not confirm whether a knife was involved, saying only that someone was taken into custody following a disturbance in which no one was injured. Voting at the library was disrupted for about 30 minutes, the poll worker said, but has since returned to normal operations.

– Lawrence Andrea

Get your 2022 live midterm election results here

The 2022 midterm elections are underway and American voters are hitting the polls to elect members of the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as governors in certain states.

Follow our live coverage for Senate results, House results and gubernatorial results begin to roll in. You can also learn how to vote and who's on the ballot in your state.

Cybersecurity officials: Still no specific or credible threat to disrupt election operations

Two senior U.S. cybersecurity officials said Tuesday afternoon that the Department of Homeland Security continues to see no specific or credible threat to disrupt election infrastructure or election day operations, and that it remains vigilant to protect against foreign nation disinformation and malign influence operations.

The officials, both with DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA, noted that there have been a few isolated issues arising from within the 8,800 or so individual election jurisdictions in the United States, including Maricopa County, Arizona.

But they described them as nothing out of the ordinary and said CISA was in close touch with elected officials there and elsewhere across the country in order to understand and respond to any election day problems if needed.The officials, both speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing cybersecurity operations, referred questions about Maricopa County to local officials there, who have released statements and a video explaining how the voting machinery works.

– Josh Meyer

Voting rights group: Overvoting in NH causes some concerns

DERRY, N.H. – In New Hampshire, some voters are filling out more names than they should on their ballot, forcing their ballot to be hand recounted rather than being read by a machine. Voting rights groups worry the tactic called “overvoting” could lower voter confidence and slow down counting.

“We have seen a few loosely organized groups pushing for folks to purposely overvote their ballot to make sure their ballot is hand counted this cycle,” said Liz Wester, director of the New Hampshire Voter Empowerment Task Force, a voting rights group.

New Hampshire Secretary of State, David Scanlan, told USA TODAY that the state is already prepared for hand counting; his office has sent more election workers to polling places to assist in counting ballots.

– Ken Tran

Common Cause: Election glitches routine, with some 'weird' anecdotes in Ohio

Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause of Ohio, said most questions about voting have been routine, with a couple of “weird” examples.

A priest in Toledo was checking the identification of voters, Turcer said. In Summit County, around Akron, a man was visiting polling places and just watching before being asked to move along, she said.

But most voting problems reported nationwide were routine, such as problems with voting machines forcing longer lines, not systemic, said Sylvia Albert, Common Cause director of voting and elections.

“What we’re seeing is really what we see in every election, isolated incidents of some problems,” Albert said. “No election is perfect. Election officials are doing their job.”

– Bart Jansen

For some, Walker’s candidacy is about ‘grace and forgiveness’

KENNESAW, Ga. – Former football player Herschel Walker’s personal controversies have made his Senate campaign a target for Democrats, but many Georgia voters think differently.

“Herschel is real, he’s one of us,” voter Tricia Choi, 55, told USA TODAY. Choi said for many Walker's story is about the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, which she said appeals to faith-based voters.

Walker, who is running to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, has been accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife. Most recently, allegations surfaced that he pressured former girlfriends to have abortions, which he has denied.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Mark Kelly, Blake Masters set for final pitch in Arizona Senate race

On one side is Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat and former astronaut whose wife was shot in the head by an angry constituent. On the other is Blake Masters, a tech investor and first-time candidate backed by a billionaire patron and endorsed by Trump.

The two are locked in what’s become an increasingly tight race, with Kelly’s initial advantage in the polls narrowing to a dead heat.

With hours to go until polling places close, Kelly planned to hit get-out-the-vote events in west Phoenix and Tucson. Masters planned to spend election night at the Arizona Republican Party’s watch event in Scottsdale.

Maricopa County, where problems have been reported at one out of five polling sites, is home to Phoenix and is Arizona’s most populous county. It's also one of the largest in the nation – and while it has tended to vote for Republican candidates in recent years, Biden carried it in 2020.

The vote there will likely be critical to deciding the tossup Senate race.

— Alison Steinbach, The Arizona Republic, Donovan Slack, and John Fritze

Snowstorm greets voters in crucial swing county

It was a snowy Election Day in Washoe County, Nevada.

The county is crucial territory for Nevada – and the nation – as Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is fending off a challenge from Trump-backed Republican Adam Laxalt. The contest is among a handful that could determine who controls the Senate – and the fate of Biden's agenda for the next two years.

Marc Picker, poll manager at Damonte Ranch High School, said turnout so far is among the highest he has seen despite the weather. One Democratic voter, Reno resident Margaret Smith, said few flakes wouldn't have kept her away.

“I’m like the U.S. Postal Service – neither rain, sleet or snow will stop me from going out like Santa,” Smith said. “(Voting) is that important.”

Another Reno voter, Jim Lewis, agreed, despite being on the opposite end of the political spectrum. “If they like their freedom and liberty, they should go out there and not be afraid,” he said.

— Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette Journal, and Donovan Slack

Stocks rally on expectations of GOP inroads

Stocks rallied Tuesday on expectations that Republicans will retake at least one chamber of Congress, likely the House of Representatives. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 1.5% as of 1 p.m. ET. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were also up by more than 1%.

Stocks tend to perform better when in a divided Congress gridlock since it can restrict government spending and hold up new legislation that can negatively impact stocks, analysts said.

— Elisabeth Buchwald and Medora Lee

More debates is what some voters wanted

AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga. — Coming out of his polling place in DeKalb County, voter Gregory Ewing said what was most aggravating during the 2022 midterms was the lack of debates.

As USA TODAY reported in September many candidates sought to avoid each other in some of the most high-profile races.

Ewing said Georgians deserved more chances to see a direct contrast between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker on stage in the final weeks of the race.

“It’s hard to know what the truth is with these ads. The closest place we can get to the truth and how candidates really think is through a debate," he said.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Illinois county reports election-related cyberattack, but voting not compromised, officials say

Champaign County, Ill., is fighting off an election-related cyberattack that is unrelated to actual voting operations, according to officials there, who say connectivity issues and computer server performance are making it harder – but not impossible – for people to vote.

“The Clerk’s Office believes these are due to cyber-attacks on the network and servers,” Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons said in a news release.

Chief Deputy Clerk Angie Patton told USA TODAY that the clerk’s office has been the target of repeated DDOS, or Distributed Denial of Service, attacks and that she believes other counties may have been targeted as well.

But she said IT specialists have secured the Clerk's website – and election operations – and that no data or information has been compromised and the election is secure. She urged voters waiting in long lines to either wait or go to another polling place within the county since voters can cast their ballots there as well.

— Josh Meyer

At the top of the Texas ticket: Gov. Greg Abbott faces Beto O’Rourke

Texans have their eye on the marquee race for governor: incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott runs against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. O’Rourke caught the attention of the state and nation after running against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Abbott is fighting for a third term.

Abbott has led ahead of O’Rourke in Texas polls; margins sometimes reach single digits. On Oct. 30, a poll by the University of Texas at Tyler showed Abbott leading by 6 percentage points among likely voters. Another October poll by the University of Texas Politics Project showed Abbott leading by 11 points.

O’Rourke seeks to galvanize voters around abortion access and gun legislation. O’Rourke’s final ad ahead of Election Day centered around his support for abortion access.

— Nusaiba Mizan

Biden spending Election Day at the White House

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is spending Election Day at the White House with no public events on his schedule.

The White House said he dropped in on a virtual phone bank by the Democratic National Committee to thank staff and volunteers and taped a radio interview targeted at Black Americans.

The president has already cast his midterm ballot. Accompanied by one of his granddaughters, a first-time voter, Biden voted in Wilmington, Delaware, on Oct. 29.

Biden is expected to address the nation about the election results on Wednesday, though they are likely to be incomplete at that point.

— Michael Collins

Trump says he voted for DeSantis, hints again at presidential run

Former President Donald Trump said he voted Tuesday morning for Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while also dropping more hints that he’ll soon declare a third run for the White House, according to media reports.

Trump spoke to the media after he cast his vote at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center on Tuesday morning, according to video posted by the local CBS news station CBS12. Former first lady Melania Trump joined him. "No matter who you vote for, you have to vote," Trump told a sparse crowd outside the polling station.

Trump also repeated that he’ll be making an announcement a week from today at his Mar-a-Lago home and resort in Palm Beach, though he didn't say about what. "I think Tuesday will be a very exciting day for a lot of people,” Trump said, adding that, “The country has gotten very bad. Its lost its way, its lost its confidence."

— Josh Meyer

LA voters elect mayor amid political turmoil

Los Angeles voters headed to the polls Tuesday to elect a new mayor amid political tumult in the nation’s second-largest city.

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, a former state Assembly leader and Democrat who is backed by President Joe Biden, could become the first Black woman to hold the job. She faces developer Rick Caruso, a billionaire Republican turned Democrat, who has campaigned on a platform of change.

The winner fills the seat of embattled Democrat Eric Garcetti, whose nomination to become U.S. ambassador to India is stalled in the Senate.

The election comes just weeks after City Hall was embroiled in a racism scandal that led to the ouster of the City Council president and urgent calls for the resignation of two more members. President Nury Martinez resigned after audio leaked of her racist remarks about a colleague’s child and Oaxacan immigrants in the city.

— Susan Miller

Catch up on our election-related fact checks

Accusations, misinterpretations and flat-out lies circulated widely as part of the pre-election debate on social media.

The USA TODAY Fact-Check Team debunked an array of the most common claims in recent weeks, which you’ll find here in our fact check roundup.

Our reporters assembled evidence and expert interviews to address false claims about ballot boxes, mail-in voting and vote counting. And we corrected claims that missed the mark attempting to attack ballot initiatives in Michigan, California and Connecticut.

We’ll update this roundup throughout the week as we research additional claims.

— Eric Litke

Arizona's Maricopa County reports issues at 20% of voting locations

Maricopa County elections official now say 20% of the county's voting locations are reporting problems. That's double the estimate the county provided earlier in the day.

"We’re doing what we can to get these back online. It’s not like both of the tabulators are having these issues. It may only be one (at a location)," Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday morning during an impromptu news conference.

Maricopa County has 223 voting centers.

Voters at impacted sites have two options: to cast their ballot via a secure box to be counted later or to go vote at a different location. Elections Department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson said poll workers are best equipped to help voters ensure their ballot is successfully cast.

“It’s important for voters to talk to the poll workers on site,” Gilbertson said.

— Anne Ryman and Sasha Hupka

Virginia voters can register today, then vote

Virginia’s same-day voter registration law went into effect last month. In theory, that could make it easier for some folks to vote on Election Day.

Same-day registration ballots are provisional and will be evaluated by local registrars later this week to confirm voter eligibility.

Donald Sutton, the chief election official at the Virginia Beach 5th Precinct, said the new law isn’t a big departure from business as usual.

– Grant Schwab, Medill News Service

Voting problems? There’s a hotline for that!

The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is administering an election-protection hotline for voters experiencing problems at the polls.

Volunteers are manning the phones at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). There are also hotlines in other languages:

Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)

Asian languages/English: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)

Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)

— Donovan Slack

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania...

PHILADELPHIA – There’s a guy dancing in a cardboard, drop-box costume outside City Hall.

— Candy Woodall

Florida rejects federal election monitors; feds say no biggie since monitors are outside anyway

Florida’s top election official said Tuesday that the state won’t allow federal monitors at polling locations in South Florida because it’s against state law and federal authorities failed to present any evidence for such an action.

Secretary of State Cord Byrd told reporters in Tallahassee that state officials “wanted to make it clear that (polling locations) are places for election workers and for voters, not for anyone else.”

The Justice Department said Monday that it was deploying election monitors to 64 jurisdictions across the country, including three counties in South Florida: Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach.

Brad McVay, an attorney with Florida’s Department of State, sent the Justice Department a letter Monday. “None of the counties are currently subject to any election-related federal consent decrees,” he wrote. “None of the counties have been accused of violating the rights of language or racial minorities or of the elderly or disabled.”

The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the Florida letter but declined to comment except to indicate that federal monitors would be outside the polling places.

— Doug Soule, USA Today Network-Florida, and Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

Is Miami-Dade turning red? Voting numbers tell the story

Miami-Dade County is one of the biggest and most coveted prizes for any statewide candidate in Florida, and Democrats have owned it for years.

Consider the fact that Miami-Dade hasn’t voted for a Republican since 1988 and hasn’t backed a Republican governor since 2002. That may be changing this year. Early voting numbers as of Tuesday morning show Republicans holding a slight edge of almost 4,000 votes over Democrats.

If the numbers hold up, it would represent one of the most dramatic electoral turnarounds in Florida history and may solidify the Sunshine State as a red, Republican state moving forward.

— Sergio Bustos, USA Today Network-Florida Enterprise/Politics Editor

YOUR GUIDE TO MIDTERMS:Voting rights, ballot access and key issues: A guide to midterm elections in your state

Don Bolduc says he will accept Election 2022 results if he loses to Maggie Hassan

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc said Tuesday that his opponent, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, is out of touch in accusing him of being “extreme” and an “election-denier,” saying he will concede the election Tuesday if he loses.

Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, made those remarks after voting at the Stratham Memorial School in the town where he lives.

— Max Sullivan

Voting begins smoothly in contested Nevada Senate race

At the Desert Breeze Community Center outside Las Vegas, approximately 100 people waited in line as the polls opened at 7 a.m. Robert Streat, 73, was among the first to cast a ballot, a personal in-person voting tradition he said dates back decades.

Streat said he opposes Biden's agenda and worries the country is changing too fast from the values he helped defend in Vietnam. He said he supported Republican candidates in the election.

“This country is going to hell if we don’t change it. We’ve got too many people who hate it," he said. “We should control the government but we’ve lost it.”

But Jonathan Copeland, 55, said he worries that Republican control of the House and Senate would mean further erosion of abortion rights, which he supports. Copeland said he voted to help defend the seat of U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat in danger of losing to Republican challenger Adam Laxalt. A Laxalt victory would help flip the Senate to Republican control.

"What politician has the right to tell a woman what to do?" Copeland said.

— Trevor Hughes

Election watchdog Common Cause reports routine polling problems in battleground states

Common Cause officials reported during a 10 a.m. news conference routine problems with voting in battleground states, but urged voters who cast ballots by mail to track them and make sure they were counted.

Amy Keith, program director for Common Cause in Florida, said more than 15,000 absentee ballots were flagged by Thursday for problems such as a missing signature. Voters have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to fix the problems, but with a tropical storm hurtling toward the state, Keith urged voters to vote move briskly.

She said 2.2 million voters voted early in person and another 2.5 million voted early by mail.

“Floridians are coming out to have their voices heard,” Keith said.

— Bart Jansen

U.S. cybersecurity officials see no attacks on election infrastructure yet

U.S. cybersecurity officials so far have seen no indications of direct attacks on election infrastructure across the United States in the early hours of mid-term voting Tuesday. But they remain on high alert to disinformation operations and efforts to sway voters’ opinions by nation-states such as Russia, China and Iran, a senior official with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told reporters.

The senior CISA official said those three nations continue to use the election disinformation playbook they have in past elections, and that CISA will continue to support election officials nationwide to any risks that may arise because of them.

In the first of three election security media briefings scheduled for Tuesday, the official would not say whether such foreign disinformation efforts are worse than in past election cycles, but confirmed that CISA is especially on guard against Russian malign influence campaigns following yesterday’s claim by sanctioned Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin that the Kremlin has meddled in U.S. elections and will continue to do so.

— Josh Meyer

New Hampshire governor: Trump announcing 2024 run soon comes at 'worst time'

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican running for reelection, was one of the first in line to cast his ballot, and when asked about reports former President Donald Trump is expected to announce a 2024 presidential run, he said it seemed like poor timing.

“Anyone who thinks it’s a smart idea to announce an election, a potential presidential bid, after (Tuesday’s) election but before Christmas, is just the worst time you could possibly do it,” Sununu said. “My sense is the former president needs better advisers if that’s really what his strategy’s going to be.”

As he has crisscrossed the country to campaign for Republican midterm candidates, Trump has increasingly hinted that he may launch a 2024 White House bid soon after the midterms. At a Monday night rally in Dayton, Ohio, he told supporters he was planning a "very big announcement" on Nov. 15 from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

— Max Sullivan

There's a reason for all those negative campaign ads...

On Election Day 2022, Americans are unhappy with the present, pessimistic about the future and not fully enamored with either political party. Their anxious, angry mood helps explain why campaign appeals have mostly turned not on aspirational promises – on exploring space or ending poverty, say – but on ominous warnings about the dangers of supporting the other side.

"Probably not since even the Civil War (has there been) such a dire situation for our democracy as we are in the current day," said John Mark Hansen, a political scientist at the University of Chicago.

Lessons learned in the midterms include those on the importance of the economy and the emergence of the extremes, among others. Also, the next campaign has already begun, so if you wanted to take a breath before 2024, you’re out of luck.

— Susan Page

In Ohio, voters to weigh rules for future elections along with Ryan vs. Vance contest

After months of campaigns, debates, primaries, absentee and early voting, polls in Ohio opened at 6:30 a.m. EST and will remain open until 7:30 EST.

One key issue is a ballot measure on rules for future elections. Issue 2 would prohibit noncitizens from voting, proposing that only adult U.S. citizens who legally reside and are registered to vote in Ohio for at least 30 days can cast a ballot in future state and local elections.

The most high-profile race in the state is the contest between Republican J.D. Vance and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan that will help decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. Voters will also choose between incumbent Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and his Democratic challenger Nan Whaley. While polls show a tight race for the Senate seat, DeWine has had a wide lead over Whaley in many polls.

— Micah Walker and Caren Bohan

Election officials: Disrupt ‘at your peril’

Top election officials in key states with tight contests are ready for potential disruptions as voters head to the polls – and the ballots are counted afterward.

In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said her office is coordinating closely with law enforcement, deploying dozens of monitors to polling paces, and is prepared to eject poll workers who violate rules.

In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said his office set up a texting system for poll workers in 85 counties to report problems and has state patrol officers and the National Guard ready to provide security.

In Arizona, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said officials throughout the county are ready to respond and are closely coordinating with law enforcement to ensure balloting goes smoothly.

“Our message has been very clear to those who would try and disrupt this election: They do it at their peril,” Gates told reporters at a recent briefing hosted by The Center for Election Innovation & Research. “We're going to respond very strongly to that.”

One of his biggest worries ar

Visiting Lakeland, Libertarian candidate expresses hope for 2024 race

A presidential candidate recently visited Lakeland.

No, not a current or past president, and not a certain governor. This candidate could have sauntered through Munn Park or Lakeside Village and perhaps not been recognized by any local residents.

Mike ter Maat hopes the situation will be dramatically different a year from now. The longtime Floridian, now living in Virginia, is one of 36 Libertarian candidates for president. He said he only knows five of the others and described them as “terrific” but confidently predicted that he will gain the nomination when the party holds its convention next Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C.