Americans are waking up to a Congress still very much up for grabs. A night that started with thoughts of a “red wave” of Republican domination ended with neither party with control of either the Senate or House. A series of critical races – including Senate races in Georgia, Nevada and Arizona – will help determine how much control Republicans or Democrats have.
NewsNation will provide the latest updates on the 2022 midterm election results. Follow the balance of power in the House and Senate through the graphics below, which are updated in real-time by projections from NewsNation’s election partner, Decision Desk HQ.
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Arizona Republican Eli Crane takes House seat
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the U.S. House race in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District for Republican Eli Crane.
Sorensen wins U.S. House seat in Illinois 17th Congressional District
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the race for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District for Democrat Eric Sorensen — a longtime local weatherman.
Runoff in Georgia Senate race
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ projects a runoff in the Georgia Senate race between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger and football star Herschel Walker.
Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger later confirmed that the race would move to a run-off in December.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate.
Radio host Bill Press and Republican strategist Ryan Williams both agreed Warnock will fare better.
“This runoff is not unexpected,” Press said. “And I think it does give the advantage to Sen. Warnock.”
Williams agreed, adding that former President Donald Trump’s Nov. 15 announcement, the details of which he had not disclosed, could hurt Walker in the long-run, should Trump announce a 2024 presidential campaign.
“I think that Trump’s going to try to play in this race, too, and if Walker rejects his support, which he should, Trump’s going to attack him and make problems for him and depress his base,” Williams said. “I don’t see Trump sitting this out.”
Polling has indicated the race was a close one, with less than two points between the two opponents just days out from the election. Warnock held a large advantage over Walker in campaign finances, with the incumbent raising $86.5 million and spending $75.9 million compared to Walker’s $31.6 million raised and $24.2 million spent.
Dr. Oz issues official statement on Fetterman’s win in Pennsylvania
Dr. Mehmet Oz released the following statement Wednesday, confirming that he called Pennsylvania Senate winner Democrat John Fetterman to concede:
“This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator. Campaigning throughout our great Commonwealth was the honor of a lifetime, and I will cherish the memories and the people I met. Pennsylvanians showed up with passion and a vision for a bright future that I found inspiring every day. I want to thank my supporters, so many of whom worked tirelessly to spread our message and support me and my family.
“We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done. With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change. As a Doctor, I always do my best to help others heal. That’s why I ran for Senate. I hope we begin the healing process as a nation soon.”
Hoyle wins U.S. House race in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the U.S. House race in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District for Democrat Val Hoyle.
Gaetz: DeSantis would not have won without Trump support
Former President Donald Trump said his endorsements won Ron DeSantis the Florida governor’s seat. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told NewsNation he agrees but reiterated his support for the Florida governor. NewsNation reached out to DeSantis and his team for a response but had not received a response as of 6:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
The Washington Post reported in September that a former White House aide told the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack Gaetz (R-Fla.) sought a pardon from Trump over the Department of Justice’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations against him. The newspaper cited sources familiar with the testimony.
Kildee wins re-election for U.S. House in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the U.S. House in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District race for Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee.
Scholten wins U.S. House race for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the U.S. House race for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District for Democrat Hillary Scholten.
Dr. Mehmet Oz concedes in Pennsylvania Senate race
A member of the campaign for Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman tweeted Wednesday morning that Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz called Fetterman and conceded at 9:30 ET.
No winner yet in Nevada governor’s race
With an estimated 86% of votes in, a winner has yet to be called in Nevada’s governor’s race.
Republican Sheriff Joe Lombardo was in the lead Wednesday morning with about 50.56% of the votes, according to the most recent counts available.
Democratic incumbent Steve Sisolak had about 45.82% of the vote, Decision Desk HQ tallies showed.
Strategists: Roe v. Wade might have driven more voters to the polls than expected
The so-called red wave appears to have been a miscalculation.
Republican strategist Erin Perrine said Republicans need to re-evaluate how much the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, motivated Democrats.
The Biden campaign also was able to escape what was dubbed as a “red wave,” in part because Republican messaging didn’t resonate with voters, Democratic strategist Jonathan Harris said, citing “scare tactics trying to paint the country as this dystopian hellscape of crime.”
Harris agreed that Roe v. Wade was a driving force for some voters.
GOP has strong night in Florida
Florida appears to have shifted from a swing state to a solidly red state as the two Republicans at the top of the ballot are poised to beat their Democratic opponents.
Both races were called almost immediately after the polls closed in Florida.
In the governor’s race, Ron DeSantis defeated Democratic incumbent Charlie Crist
“We not only won (the) election, we have re-written the political map,” DeSantis said Tuesday evening.
Republican Marco Rubio also took Florida’s Senate seat.
“People in this country are going to vote for people who fight for people like them,” Rubio said.
Georgia Senate race too close to call
With 99% of precincts reporting, Georgia’s Senate race remains neck-and-neck.
As of Wednesday morning, 49.4% of votes went to Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock while 48.5% were in favor of Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Warnock’s success was more pronounced in Fulton and DeKalb counties, where he garnered more than 80% of each region’s votes, according to unofficial totals.
Walker, however, claimed the majority of votes in some more rural areas, including Effingham County, where he received 72% of the vote, according to the most recent counts available.
Here are the critical Senate races that remain
After the Wisconsin Senate race was called overnight, three crucial races are still too close to call. These will determine which party holds the U.S. Senate.
- Arizona: Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican Blake Masters
- Georgia: Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker
- Nevada: Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican Adam Laxalt
Fetterman’s win ‘biggest result of the night’ for Democrats
The Hill’s associate editor, Niall Stanage, says Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s win in Pennsylvania, which flipped what was previously a Republican-led state, was “the biggest result of the night for Democrats.”
Fetterman’s Republican challenger and TV personality Mehmet Oz was perceived to have some success attacking Fetterman’s approach to crime, Stanage said. Fetterman, however, successfully rebuffed Oz’s approach with what Stanage described as “unorthodoxy as a candidate.”