'Tremendous success tonight': Trump puts happy face on House bloodbath while Democrats talk about demanding to see his tax returns – but White House promises president's agenda 'isn't going to change' as Republicans expand Senate majority

  • Americans voted Tuesday in elections that will determine the environment for the rest of Trump's first term
  • Democrats will take over the House of Representatitives and might make Nancy Pelosi speaker again
  • Republicans will keep control of the U.S. Senate after snatching at least four seats from Democrats
  • Georgia could elect the first black female U.S. governor; New Yorkers sent a 29-year-old socialist to Congress  
  • A Democrat-led House will launch investigations, issue subpoenas and talk about impeaching Trump
  • With an expanded Republican Senate majority, Trump won't have to worry about losing the ability to confirm judges and Cabinet members
  • President tweeted: 'Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!' and then called Pelosi to congratulate her

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that he considered Election Day's 'tremendous success,' hours after it became clear that the Democratic Party would control the House of Representatives during the next two years.

'Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!' the president tweeted, masking the inevitable anxieties that will come along with a split Congress led, in part, by political enemies who want him leashed or publicly humiliated. 

Democrats who stand to return next year as chairmen of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees are already sharpening their pens and preparing to drag Trump through his own swamp.

'We probably will' seek Trump's tax returns, said Reps. Elijah Cummings and Jerrold Nadler. 

As Tuesday headed to Wednesday, presidential counselor Kelyanne Conway told reporters at the White House: 'I guess they could try.'

'I don't know that there will be much of an appetite ... for their members to be spending all of their time, or even most of their time, or a fraction of their time investigating, instigating, trying to impeach or subpoena people,' Conway said. 

Nadler said it was 'way too early' to talk about impeaching Trump, but wouldn't rule it out depending on the results of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's expansive Russia probe.

'He's going to learn that he’s not above the law,' he said, according to CNN.

Democrats will control the House for the first time in eight years, giving them the ability to deeply complicate the next two years of Trump's presidency with investigations, subpoenas and even an impeachment proceeding.

Nancy Pelosi, the 78-year-old former House speaker from California, could return to that role in January, although 58 Democratic incumbents have said they want a fresh face and younger blood to lead them. 

President Donald Trump tweeted 'Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!' after a Tuesday bloodbath that saw his party booted out of leadership in the House of Representatives

President Donald Trump tweeted 'Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!' after a Tuesday bloodbath that saw his party booted out of leadership in the House of Representatives

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California has swept her party back into power in the House of Representatives

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California has swept her party back into power in the House of Representatives

Trump faces a referendum on his first two years in office and could end up on the receiving end of new investigations and even an impeachment proceeding with Democrats in charge of the House of Representatives

Trump faces a referendum on his first two years in office and could end up on the receiving end of new investigations and even an impeachment proceeding with Democrats in charge of the House of Representatives

Nancy Pelosi, who could return as Democrat House Speaker after last night's result, proclaimed victory and said the party would work to impose Constitutional checks and balances on Donald Trump 

Pelosi, the 78-year-old former House speaker from California, could return to that role in January, although 58 Democratic incumbents have said they want a fresh face and younger blood to lead them

Pelosi's communications director tweeted that the president phoned her right after she delivered a victory speech, acknowledging her 'call for bipartisanship'

Pelosi's communications director tweeted that the president phoned her right after she delivered a victory speech, acknowledging her 'call for bipartisanship'

ALL THE FLIPPED HOUSE SEATS 

DEMOCRATIC PICK-UPS

Virginia 2nd: Democrat Elaine Luria beat incumbent Republican Scott Taylor

Virginia 7th: Democrat Abigail Spanberger beat incumbent Republican Dave Brat

Virginia 10th: Democrat Jennifer Wexton beat incumbent Republican Barbara Comstock

Florida 26th: Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell beat Republican Carlos Curbelo

Florida 27th: Democrat Donna Shalala, beat Republican Maria Elvira Salazar

New Jersey 11th: Democrat Mikie Sherrill beat Republican Jay Webber

New Jersey 7th: Democrat Tom Malinowski beat incumbent Republican Leonard Lance

New Jersey 2nd: Democrat Jeff Van Drew beat Republican Seth Grossman

New York 11th: Democrat Max Rose defeated Republican Dan Donovan 

New York 19th: Democrat Antonio Delgado beat incumbent Republican John Faso

Pennsylvania 5th: Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon beat Republican Pearl Kim

Pennsylvania 6th: Democrat Chrissy Houlahan beat Republican Greg McCauley

Pennsylvania 7th: Democrat Susan Wild defeated Republican Marty Nothstein

Minnesota 2nd: Democrat Angie Craig beat incumbent Republican Jason Lewis

Minnesota 3rd: Democrat Dean Phillips beat incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen

Kansas 3rd: Democrat Sharice Davids beat incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder

Colorado 6th: Democrat Jason Crow beat incumbent Republican Mike Coffman.

Texas 32nd: Democrat Colin Allred beat incumbent Republican Pete Sessions.

Oklahoma 5th: Democrat Kendra Horn beat Republican Steve Russell

Arizona 2nd: Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick beat Republican Lea Marquez Peterson

Iowa 1st: Democrat Abby Finkenauer beat incumbent Republican Rod Blum.

Iowa 3rd: Democrat Cindy Axne beat Republican incumbent David Young

Illinois 14th: Democrat Lauren Underwood beat Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren

Illinois' 6: Democrat Sean Casten beat Republican incumbent Peter Roskam

REPUBLICAN PICK-UP 

Pennsylvania 14: Republican Guy Reschenthaler beat Democrat Bibiana Boerio 

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Pelosi, currently the House minority leader, proclaimed that the victory was 'about restoring the Constitution's checks and balances to the Trump administration.' 

'Americans can have confidence in everything their Congress works on, from healthcare to taxes to guns to clean air, clean water for our children, when they know the people's interest will prevail, not the dark special interests,' she said, pledging 'accountability' and 'transparency.'

'We have all had enough of division,' she declared, unmistakably jabbing a rhetorical finger in the direction of the White House. 

Trump called her minutes later, according to her communications director, who tweeted that the president 'acknowledged the Leader’s call for bipartisanship in her victory remarks.'

The White House confirmed that he also called Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is retiring from Congress.

The president spent much of Tuesday tweeting and retweeting endorsements of Republicans in tight House races, most of whose districts he hasn't visited since winning the White House.

The last such praise-by-Twitter went to Illinois congressman Randy Hultgren, whom Trump said was 'doing a great job. Get out and Vote for Randy – Total Endorsement!'

Hultgren lost his seat hours later to an African-American nurse who will be the first woman and the first minority to represent the district once held by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

By the time the president's election-watch party at the White House was over, he had come to grips with reality – but ended the night on Twitter anyway.

Trump quoted Fox News host David Asman saying that Republicans who won would 'realize how important he is because of what he did in campaigning for them. They owe him their political career.' 

'Thanks, I agree!' the president added.

Separately he tweeted conservative economist-turned-actor Ben Stein saying that Trump had pulled off a miracle by increasing his party's Senate majority.

'There’s only been 5 times in the last 105 years that an incumbent President has won seats in the Senate in the off year election. Mr. Trump has magic about him. This guy has magic coming out of his ears. He is an astonishing vote getter & campaigner,' Stein said in Trump's tweet

'The Republicans are unbelievably lucky to have him and I’m just awed at how well they’ve done. It’s all the Trump magic - Trump is the magic man. Incredible, he’s got the entire media against him, attacking him every day, and he pulls out these enormous wins.'

Still, control of the House will switch hands in January for the third time in 12 years, representing a level of volatility that the United States hasn't seen since World War II. 

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that 'the president's agenda isn't going to change regardless of whose party is there.'

But Democrats will find themselves empowered to launch probes into voting-rights matters and questions about whether Trump has violated the Constitution's 'Emoluments Clause' that prohibits presidents from receiving income from foreign governments.

Security clearances in the Trump White House could also come under close examination, along with prescription drug prices, family separations along the U.S.-Mexico border, gun control and insurance coverage for Americans with pre-existing medical conditions. 

Trump himself has no public events on his Wednesday calendar, leaving the nation with few options other than his Twitter feed to discern how he will handle the new normal.

Democrats needed a shift of 23 House seats to claim the gavel. Most forecasters considered that outcome likely but not guaranteed. By midnight they had flipped 26. 

Trump ended the night tweeting his agreement with a Fox News Channel host who had sais victorious Republicans 'owe him their political career'

Trump ended the night tweeting his agreement with a Fox News Channel host who had sais victorious Republicans 'owe him their political career'

Trump also quoted conservative economist-turned-actor Ben Stein saying that he 'has magic coming out of his ears' and praising him for enlarging the GOP's Senate majority even as they lost the House

Trump also quoted conservative economist-turned-actor Ben Stein saying that he 'has magic coming out of his ears' and praising him for enlarging the GOP's Senate majority even as they lost the House

With Trump as president, the nation's off-year political contest took on the character of the World Series instead of the sleepy minor-league affairs they usually are.

At stake was the future of the populist political movement that sent him to Washington. He hoped a win for Republicans would quiet his critics inside the GOP and embolden him for at least two more years of pro-business, 'America First' governing that's hawkish on trade and uncompromising toward illegal immigration.

But a Democrat-led House is likely to cripple his legislative agenda and bring the wheels of government to a halt as his political enemies launch investigations into allegations of election-year collusion with Russia and a growing list of other scandal-ready material.

It could also prompt him to veto legislation that emerges from a split Congress, something he hasn't had to do so far. 

Republicans kept their majority in the Senate on Tuesday, however, as Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota Democrats were bounced from the upper chamber of Congress, a Texas Republican withstood a tough challenge and a liberal former governor endorsed by pop star Taylor Swift failed to capture a seat vacated by a retiring Republican. 

Senate results came fast and furious, dashing Democrats' hopes of assembling a majority that could block Preisdent Donald Trump's future judicial and Cabinet nominees. 

Indiana businessman Mike Braun defeated the incumbent Joe Donnelly, the first GOP pickup of the night; minutes later Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn was declared the winner of her Senate contest in Tennessee, defeating Phil Bredesen for a seat currently held by Sen. Bob Corker.

Corker was Trump-skeptic on foreign policy; Blackburn is a strong ally of the president, who campaigned for her in person over the weekend.

Mitt Romney is also headed to the Senate. The frequent Trump antagonist won easily in Utah, replacing a Trump-friendly Orrin Hatch who is retiring.

Democrats held on to Bob Menendez's Seate seat in New Jersey, Joe Manchin's in West Virginia and Sherrod Brown's in Ohio. But losing Donnelly moved the GOP's advantage from one seat to two, making it harder to overtake as the night wore on.  

Florida's statewide races, including a Senate and gubernatorial contest, could stretch into weeks-long recounts. 

Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson was losing to Republican Rick Scott, currently the state's governor, by just 0.8 per cent, with 97 per cent of voting precincts counted.

Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis led Tallahassee Mayor Andrew by 1.2 per cent in the race to succeed Scott as governor. Gillum hopes to become the first African-American to hold that job. The contest is shaping up to be the most expensive governor's race in U.S. history. 

Other governor's races were newsworthy for different reasons. In Colorado, voters elected Jared Polis, the first openly gay man to lead a U.S. state. 

But in Vermont, a blue state that has repeatedly re-elected democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders, transgender Democrat Christine Hallquist failed to unseat Republican Gov. Phil Scott.

Voting in some parts of the U.S. will continue until well after midnight on the east coast in the midterm elections. The results could take days to sort out in some tight races and the impacts will be felt for years. 

As polls closed one time zone at a time in what politicians on the left and right have called 'the most important election' in most Americans' lives, they drew first blood by knocking off a Republican congresswoman in suburban Virginia and sending a Bill Clinton-era cabinet member back to Washington.

Jennifer Wexton
Barbara Comstock

FIRST BLOOD: Republican Rep. Barbara comstock (right) was bounced from her job by upstart Democrat Jennifer Wexton (left) in Tuesday's midterm congressional election, the first of what liberals hope is a night full of flips and reversals

Back to Washington: Donna Shalala was the Health and Human Services secretary during the Bill Clinton presidency, and she won a House seat Tuesday as part of a strong night for Democrats

Back to Washington: Donna Shalala was the Health and Human Services secretary during the Bill Clinton presidency, and she won a House seat Tuesday as part of a strong night for Democrats

People at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee election watch party at the Hyatt Regency in Washington reacted to news that Republicans have lost control of the House of Representatives

People at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee election watch party at the Hyatt Regency in Washington reacted to news that Republicans have lost control of the House of Representatives

Good news for Republicans: Mike Braun beat Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana, a pickup for the GOP that they need in order to retain control of the upper chamber of Congress

Good news for Republicans: Mike Braun beat Sen. Joe Donnelly in Indiana, a pickup for the GOP that they need in order to retain control of the upper chamber of Congress

Republican Kevin Cramer unseated Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp on Tuesday, making it tougher to imagine President Trump losing the support of the upper chamber of Congress

Republican Kevin Cramer unseated Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp on Tuesday, making it tougher to imagine President Trump losing the support of the upper chamber of Congress

Florida gubernatorial Democratic candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum
Republican candidate for Governor Ron DeSantis

Florida gubernatorial Democratic candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (left) lost a historic battle against Republican Ron DeSantis, who is currently a member of Congress

FILE- This Oct. 23, 2018 file photo shows Sen. Bill Nelson campaigning in Orlando. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is challenging Nelson. Florida will vote for governor, U.S. Senate, Cabinet seats, Congress and decide 12 ballot questions. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File)
HIALEAH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 05:  Florida governor and Republican senatorial candidate Rick Scott arrives for a Get out the Vote Rally at AmeriKooler on November 05, 2018 in Hialeah, Florida. Governor Scott is facing off against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on election day. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida governor and Republican senatorial candidate Rick Scott (right) beat incumbent Democraitc Sen. Bill Nelson (left) Tuesday night

But the larger prize, a blue-wave handing control of the U.S. Congress to President Donald Trump's liberal detractors, was still a long way from being wished into reality.  

GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock failed to fendoff political newcomer Jennifer Wexton, losing the seat in Congress she has held for just two terms.

Wexton and other Demorcats managed to brand Comstock 'Trumpstock,' linking her with parts of the president's agenda that have grown unpopular in the left-trending suburbs of Washington, D.C.

A Republican has represented voters in Virginia's affluent 10th Congressional District for 60 of the last 66 years. But the Democrat-heavy base in the suburbs surrounding the ultimate government-run 'company town' – Washington, D.C. – has expanded in recent election cycles, devouring previously safe GOP territory year after year.

Democrats got their second win of the night in Florida, where former President Bill Clinton's Health and Human Services secretary, Donna Shalala, won a House race that was considered a coin flip on Tuesday morning. 

Tuesday's crucial contests are a referendum on the first two years of Trump's presidency and will determine how much – or how little – help he will have in Congress during the rest of his first term.

In exit polling published by ABC News and other outlets, Trump received 44 per cent approval for his job performance as president. Fifty-fity per cent disapproved. That's actually higher than the marks Trump had received in many national polls during the past six weeks.  

A 53-43 majority of voters told pollsters after casting their ballots that they would prefer to see Democrats control the House when the next Congress is seated in January.

Exit polls failed to predict the results of many key elections in 2016, including the presidency, as voters appeared to tell surveyors one thing while doing another.

'Warning: exit polls are like online dating profiles,' Robby Mook, who managed Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign, tweeted Tuesday. 'Things may not be as they appear. And they may break your heart.'

Gallup released a poll Tuesday morning that showed Americans by a 50-44 margin believe Republicans will retain control of both chambers of Congress. 

The famed polling organization has put that question to Americans 11 times since 1946. Its results had never failed to predict the outcome before Tuesday.

Voters filled in their midterm election ballots on Tuesday at Mockingbird Vally Soccer club in Louisville, Kentucky

Voters filled in their midterm election ballots on Tuesday at Mockingbird Vally Soccer club in Louisville, Kentucky

Democrat Stacey Abrams of Georgia would be America's first black female state governor if she defeats Republican Brian Kemp in Tuesday's election, buoyed by help from Will Ferrll, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama

Democrat Stacey Abrams of Georgia would be America's first black female state governor if she defeats Republican Brian Kemp in Tuesday's election, buoyed by help from Will Ferrll, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama

Twenty-nine-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a House seat in New York's 14th congressional district, making her the youngest woman ever to win a seat, after defeating a ten-term incumbent with an unapologetic message of socialism during the primary season

Twenty-nine-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a House seat in New York's 14th congressional district, making her the youngest woman ever to win a seat, after defeating a ten-term incumbent with an unapologetic message of socialism during the primary season

Every seat in the House of Representatives was up for grabs on Tuesday, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats. Voters also decided on 36 races for state governors.

Among them is a contest pitting Democrat Stacy Abrams against Republican Brian Kemp for Georgia's governor. Abrams, buoyed by support from Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama, would be the first black female state governor in American history if she wins.

In Kansas, Republicans took a tough loss when Kris Kobach, the state's secretary of state and a tight Trump ally, lost his bid for governor of the firmly red state to Democrat Laura Kelly.

Critical Senate races featured familiar faces like the victorious fire-breathing conservative Republican Ted Cruz of Texas, and also new faces like his Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke.

And New Yorkers sent 29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist, to the House of Representatives – making her the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress.

Democrats aimed to take over both the House and Senate in what pundits called a 'blue wave.' President Trump watched the results in the White House while the nation he leads considered whether to put a leash on him.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders reminded the press corps after the first polls closed that Trump had spoken at 30 political rallies in the past two months alone,'energiz[ing] a staggering number of Americans at packed arenas and in overflow crowds.'

The president hopes to continue 'defying midterm history and protecting the GOP’s majorities,' she said.

Voters in Midlothian, Virginia waited in a long voting line in the rain outside a polling station located at Robious Middle School

Voters in Midlothian, Virginia waited in a long voting line in the rain outside a polling station located at Robious Middle School

In the Senate a swing of just two seats would cost Republicans their gavel. But the realities of America's electoral map make it a harder task than flipping the House.

Democrats are defending 26 of the 35 contested Senate seats. Ten of those are in states Trump won by wide margins in 2016. 

Of the nine Republican incumbents trying to save their jobs, just four are considered 'safe.'

The first two winners of the evening were liberals in their own easy-layup elections. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders were both expected to gallop to new six-year terms, and did.

Indiana's Senate race is one that Trump considers a critical pickup opportunity; he traveled there twice in the past week. Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly is a particularly vulnerable incumbent in a state that gave Trump a 19-point victory over Clinton two years ago. 

Donnelly sought to position himself as a centrist, having reached Congress by defeating tea party-backed Republican Richard Mourdoch. 

Republican businessman Mike Braun has torn into Donnelly at every opportunity, and the president used his Twitter account to follow suit. 

Tennessee's Senate race is a different picture, with Republican Bob Corker's retirement presenting Democrats with a chance to steal a seat and Republicans putting up a Trump favorite in Rep. Marsha Blackburn. 

The president campaigned for Blackburn, who served on his transition team. She had a five-point advantage over her Democratic opponent, former Gov. Phil Bredesen, heading into Tuesday’s election, according to the average calculated by Real Clear Politics.

Early voting among young people is a wildcard, though, since pop star Taylor Swift offered Bredesen her endorsement. Nearly 100,000 young people, a nearly seven-fold increase from the last midterm in 2014, have already voted, according to The Tennessean.

The most expensive Senate race was a bitter Texas battle that saw conservative Republican Sen. Ted Cruz beat his challenger, Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Cruz led in the polls for weeks, but O’Rourke gave him enough of a political scare that he campaigned like a man who was afraid he might lose, holding 50 rallies in the past six weeks and bringing in his former 2016 rival Donald Trump. 

O’Rourke,a two-term congressman from the Texas-Mexico border region, exploded onto the national scene with his extensive use of social media and a record-setting $38 million raised in the third quarter, giving him a war chest presidential candidates would envy.

He could easily become a 2020 presidential contender, something he denies interests him.

One closely-watched race was in Texas, where Republican Ted Cruz – who fought Trump for the presidency in 2016 – won a close contest with Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke

O'Rourke, the 2018 Democratic Candidate for Senate in Texas, left his polling place with his family after voting on Tuesday

O'Rourke, the 2018 Democratic Candidate for Senate in Texas, left his polling place with his family after voting on Tuesday

If the Senate should go 'blue,' Trump would lose the practical ability to appoint more federal judges – including Supreme Court nominees – and replacements for cabinet members who are likely to walk away after two years in office.

Should Democrats win control of both chambers of Congress, an impeachment mood would sweep Washington, forcing the White House to play constant defense until 2020.

And that would be happening against a cultural backdrop framed by a series of voter initiatives – single-issue questions forced onto ballots through petitions or other exercises in more direct democracy. 

The president hinted on Monday that he senses the possibility of a quiet voter revolt that pollsters can't measure, similar to the one that sent him to Washington two years ago. 

He said at allthree of his final campaign day's rallies that Republicans might shock the world again no matter what the political press corps predicts.

'There is something going on, Ohio, that they’re not talking about,' he said in Cleveland after greeting about 6,000 people in a sea of red hats.

'There’s an electricity like people have not seen since a date in 2016. November,’ Trump said, adding later that 'we defied the pundits and the critics. We rejected them.'    

Progressive momentum? Jared Polis, Democratic candidate for Colorado's governorship, appeears headed to be the first openly gay man to hold that job

Progressive momentum? Jared Polis, Democratic candidate for Colorado's governorship, appeears headed to be the first openly gay man to hold that job

He also took credit for the resurgence of the midterm elections as a media phenomenon.

'You know the midterm elections used to be, like, boring, didn't they?' he asked his screaming fans. 'Do you even remember what they were? People say midterms, they say, "What is that? What is it?" right? Now it's like the hottest thing.'

Trump threw his weight behind efforts to hold the Senate, engaging in a whirlwind series of rallies that saw him stumping in 11 cities over five straight days.

His late efforts might be wasted in portions of 37 states and the District of Columbia, however, where voters can cast their ballots early.

At least 36 million Americans voted before Election Day, many of them before the president engaged at full-throttle. 

Trump downplayed that Monday in Ohio, suggesting that it won't be any more of a factor than it was in 2016.

'I remember they said, "Well, the people are sort of holding for Tuesday",' he said, recalling his victory two years ago. 'And did you show up on Tuesday!' 

The president's job approval rating ranges from 42 to 51 per cent nationally, and polls show an even wider swing in voters' party preference going into Tuesday's contests.

A CNN poll released Monday morning had Democrats leading Republicans by 13 percentage points when voters were asked which party's candidate they were likely to support in a congressional race.

A Politico poll released at the same time showed that gap was just 3 points, in a survey with a 2-point margin of error.

 

Beto O'Rourke LOSES to Ted Cruz by just 3 points and drops f-bomb in concession speech as Texas turns from safe Republican seat into nail biter for GOP

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won reelection Tuesday night, holding off a hard fought challenge from Democratic upstart Beto O'Rourke.

Early results showed O'Rourke running neck and neck with Cruz but the incumbent senator managed to pull off a victory.

With 79 percent of the vote in, Cruz was leading O'Rourke 51 percent to 48.4 percent. 

O'Rourke gave an impassioned concession speech to screaming fans where he told his hometown: 'El Paso, I love you so much' and then dropped the f-bomb as some networks carried his speech live.

'I want to thank this amazing campaign of people,' he said. 'All people all the time, all the time, in every single part of Texas, all of you, showing the country how you do this. I'm so f****** proud of you guys.' 

MSNBC was airing his speech when the obscenity occurred.

'Sorry for the F-bomb,' anchor Brian Williams said. 'We have no control of what's in the concession speeches.' 

Beto O'Rourke dropped the f-bomb in his concession speech after his loss to Ted Cruz

Beto O'Rourke dropped the f-bomb in his concession speech after his loss to Ted Cruz

O'Rourke with his wife Amy

O'Rourke with his wife Amy

Sen. Ted Cruz managed to hold a challenge from Beto O'Rourke

Sen. Ted Cruz managed to hold a challenge from Beto O'Rourke

Cruz has led in the polls throughout their matchup -but O'Rourke gave him enough of a political scare he campaigned like a man who was afraid he'll lose: holding some 50 rallies in the past six weeks and bringing in his former rival for the 2016 presidential nomination, Donald Trump. 

Democrats held on to faint hopes that record high early voting numbers - more Texans voted early in 2018 than voted in total in 2014 - would give the result they desperately hoped for in the most expensive Senate race in the 2018 midterms. 

But even a loss for O'Rourke could be a win. 

The two-term Congressman from the Texas-Mexico border has exploded on to the national scene. His extensive use of social media - even doing Facebook Lives in his car as he drives between campaign rallies and orders from Whataburger - has endeared his aw-shucks demeanor to Democrats across America.

He set a Senate fundraising record when he brought in $38 million in the third quarter - giving him a war chest presidential candidates would envy - but, more importantly, he's breathed new life into the Democratic Party in Texas, a state they have long hoped to turn blue thanks to its rising Latino population.

All this has resulted in O'Rouke being named as a possible 2020 presidential candidate, which he denies interest in, keeping a laser-like focus on his Senate bid while still maintaining his laid back attitude.

More Texans voted early in 2018 than voted in total for 2014, which O'Rourke has claimed would help him.

'I think the more people that show up, the better we do,' O'Rourke told CBS' '60 Minutes' on Sunday night.

'The people who are fired up right now are fired up to do something great for this country. That's my sense. I don't have a pollster, so I can't quantify this assumption for you. But the turnout that we're seeing is already off the charts,' he added.    

Beto O'Rourke poses for a photo with his family outside of a polling place before voting; his wife, Amy and three kids - Ulysses, 11, Molly, 10, and Henry, 7,

Beto O'Rourke poses for a photo with his family outside of a polling place before voting; his wife, Amy and three kids - Ulysses, 11, Molly, 10, and Henry, 7,

Nearly 4.9 million votes were cast in the 30 most populous counties in Texas when early voting ended Friday night, the Texas Secretary of State's Office reported. 

That tops the total statewide turnout from 2014 by 157,000 votes.

The top 30 counties are home to about 80 percent of all Texans.

But Cruz argued the math is in his favor.

Republicans in Texas hold the governor's mansion, majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, both U.S. Senate seats, and, of the 36 congressional districts in the state only 11 are held by Democrats.

A Democrat in Texas hasn't won statewide election Texas since 1994.

'If you look at the dynamics, we've got numbers on our side. There are a lot more conservatives than there are liberals. What the O'Rourke campaign has had on their side is intensity. The liberals who are in Texas are really, really mad. They hate President Trump. That anger is dangerous. I mean, that anger is mobilizing. It means they're gonna show up no matter what. As I've said, they'll crawl over broken glass to show up,' Cruz told '60 Minutes.' 

He conceded: 'Intensity is always potent. Intensity turns people out at the polls.'

Cruz wrapped up his campaign on Monday with a final stop at the spot where he officially launched his re-election bid: a Houston-area honky-tonk called the Redneck Country Club. 

'Every liberal in the state of Texas are going to show up and vote,' he warned the packed hall.

'We are going to win this race,' he added. 'And let me tell you how I know that: Because this is Texas. And in Texas it is in our DNA, it is in our blood to defend liberty.'

O'Rourke has made extensive use of social media during his upstart campaign - conducting Facebook Live videos from his car as he drives to campaign stops - while Cruz has used the more traditional approach of rallies and retail politics.

He raised an record breaking $38 million in the third quarter of his Senate campaign. 

'I think the way in which we are running it, without PACs, without special interests, without pollsters, without consultants, going to every county, all 254. At this really divided moment, everybody, knowing that they're invited to be part of this,' O'Rourke told CBS.

No big name Democrats - like former President Barack Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden - have appeared for O'Rourke.

'I'm not distancing myself. But I don't want anyone coming in from the outside. I want the people of Texas to decide this on, on their own terms,' O'Rourke told CBS News. 

Cruz brought in the big GOP - President Donald Trump - to campaign for him. 

The president slammed O'Rourke during the Oct. 22 rally and praised Cruz, his one time rival for the Republican presidential nomination. 

Trump called O'Rourke a 'stone-cold phony' as he mocked him for campaigning on his nickname Beto instead of his given name 'Robert'.

'And he pretends to be a moderate, but he's actually a radical, open-borders left-winger,' Trump contended, painting him as a proponent of a 'socialist take-over of health care' who wants to 'take away your guns'.

 

Socialist star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, romps home in New York – tilting her party to the left as she becomes youngest EVER woman in Congress

New York avowed Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become the youngest woman to be elected to Congress after defeating Republican opponent Anthony Pappas. 

The 29-year-old South Bronx native secured a House seat for New York's 14th congressional district on Tuesday.

Her victory was widely expected after Ocasio-Cortez scored an unanticipated upset over 10-term U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary in June with a low-budget campaign. 

She is one of a handful of Congressional candidates who identified as democratic socialists and has promised to try and push the Democratic party further to the left.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won the House seat for New York's 14th congressional district after defeating Republican Anthony Pappas on Tuesday

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won the House seat for New York's 14th congressional district after defeating Republican Anthony Pappas on Tuesday

The 29-year-old, who is now the youngest woman to be elected to Congress, spoke to her supporters during her election night party in the Queens

The 29-year-old, who is now the youngest woman to be elected to Congress, spoke to her supporters during her election night party in the Queens

Ocasio-Cortez won the support of the left by advocating for government-paid health care for all, a $15 minimum wage, free college tuition and the abolition of the federal department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

She also became a popular figure among celebrities and young voters which landed her on Stephen Colbert's late-night show.

On Tuesday night, failed New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon congratulated Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet calling her a 'powerful vision of what our country can should be.' 

Ocasio-Cortez had thanked her supporters in a tweet one minute before the polls closed.

'I am so thankful for every single person who contributed, amplified, and worked to establish this movement. Never forget the hard work it took to get us here. No matter what happens, this is what it takes,' she said. 

Her victory marks another astonishing achievement for a woman who was working as a bartender at the start of her campaign.

She championed her working-class and Puerto Rican roots as the daughter of a cleaner and a father who died in his 40s, embodying a different generation of politician. She also shuns corporate donors.  

Ocasio-Cortez compared the fight against climate change to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II, calling it a 'major existential threat' and has likened electing Democrats to ending slavery. 

Ocasio-Cortez had thanked her supporters in a tweet one minute before the polls closed

Ocasio-Cortez had thanked her supporters in a tweet one minute before the polls closed

On Tuesday night, failed New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon congratulated Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet calling her a 'powerful vision of what our country can should be.'

On Tuesday night, failed New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon congratulated Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet calling her a 'powerful vision of what our country can should be.'

Ocasio-Cortez holds a Puerto Rico flag as she greets supporters at her midterm election night party in New York City

Ocasio-Cortez holds a Puerto Rico flag as she greets supporters at her midterm election night party in New York City

But the right has branded her politics 'dangerous' and she has also taken hits from centrist stalwarts, former senator Joe Lieberman saying her primary win seemed 'likely to hurt Congress, America and the Democratic Party.'

Only time will tell whether the progressive Democratic wing that she embodies represents the future or a Tea Party-style spinoff as mainstream liberals scramble for ways to contain Trump.

'On any given day, no one can agree if she is the next Sarah Palin, the next Obama or a Venezuelan dictator,' summed up Vogue.

Pragmatists say she will eventually have to compromise her ideals. Debt-free college and universal health care sound appealing, but are expensive propositions.  

With New York's 14th district, encompassing parts of the Bronx and Queens, leaning heavily Democrat, she was believed to be a shoo-in for the House for this election. 

Ocasio-Cortez was born in 1989 to parents Sergio Ocasio-Roman, who was born in New York City, and mother Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, a native of Puerto Rico. 

 

GOVERNORS: Democrats LOSE bid to have first black Florida governor - but flip series of key races to take mansions in Michigan, Kansas and Illinois

Democrats have added a sting of governors' seats to their corner - a series of important pickups as the country prepares to go through the redistricting process.

But they lost the key state of Florida, where Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded to GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis, whom President Donald Trump heavily campaigned for.

And a contest in Georgia, where Democrat Stacey Abrams would the nation's first African American female governor if she wins, is too close to call.  

Thus far, Democrats have won gubernatorial mansions in Michigan, Kansas, Illinois , Maine, and New Mexico.

And Republicans' held the Ohio governor's mansion with Mike DeWine's win. 

Meanwhile, the GOP-held seat in Wisconsin is too close to call as Republican Gov. Scott Walker fights to hold on for a third term and the race has become a real nail biter. 

In Florida, Gillum told a crowd of supporters Tuesday night: 'It is quite a treat to see y'all are still here. We could not be prouder of the way we ran this race. We recognize we didn't win it tonight. We didn't win this transaction. … But what we believe in holds true today,' he said.

 Republican Ron DeSantis got major backing from the president and won by the tightest of margins - 49.85 to 48.93

 Republican Ron DeSantis got major backing from the president and won by the tightest of margins - 49.85 to 48.93

Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded to GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis, whom President Donald Trump heavily campaigned for 

Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded to GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis, whom President Donald Trump heavily campaigned for 

Democrat Stacey Abrams would the nation's first African American female governor if she wins
Republican Brian Kemp leads in Georgia but race is too close to call

Democrat Stacey Abrams would the nation's first African American female governor if she wins but Brian Kemp appears o be ahead in a race still too close to call

Gillum's race drew national attention and enthusiasm.

A victory would have made him the first black governor of a state that has seen racial strife in recent years.

However with 97 per cent of the vote counted, Gillum trailed DeSantis by less than a percentage point.

Gillum opened up a lead in pre-election polls that he maintained for weeks facing DeSantis, an oustpoken conservative who has been a regular Trump defender on Fox News.

Gillum, 39, told reporters Monday he had visited the more conservative Florida panhandle on Monday to 'let them know that you plan to work on their behalf also' if elected.

But he also worked to turn out young and minority voters, concluding his campaign with a final 'Bring it Home Midnight Rally' at Florida A&M, accompanied by rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

The contest featured racist robo-calls by an Idaho white supremacist group, a televised statement by DeSantis that voters could 'monkey this up' – though he denied it was a racist dog whistle, and pushback from Gillum in a televised debate.

'I'm not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist. I'm simply saying the racists believe he's a racist,' he said.

Trump labeled Gillum a 'socialist' and said Tallahassee, where Gillum is mayor, was 'one of the worst' cities in the country.

The president also called the Democratic mayor 'not equipped' to be governor and would 'destroy this state that I love.'

In Georgia, Republican Brian Kemp is leading Abrams, in a race that saw star power flood into the state - but he is just above 50 per cent and the Democratic candidate dramatically said early Wednesday that she was not conceding and would fight for every vote.

That sets up a potentially lengthy examination of outstanding ballots. If Abrams can get Kemp's lead to under 50 per cent, she gets a run-off.

Will Ferrell, Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama flew in to help Abrams.

Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump have campaigned for Kemp.

But the race has been besieged by accusations of voting problems as Kemp, the Georgia secretary of state, has claimed the Democratic Party of Georgia attempted to hack the state's voter registration system — yet has provided no evidence to support the charge.

The secretary of state's office is refusing to supply any details, as well, and the Democratic Party is denying the unverified allegation, calling it a 'political stunt.'

Additionally, Abrams has called on Kemp to resign as secretary of state over alleged voter suppression tactics that have made it more difficult for African-American voters to cast ballots.

Georgia is litigating its voter identification rules requiring information to be a precise match to the Social Security Administration's listing for an individual to cast a ballot in the mid-term election.

A federal judge in an injunction on Friday said that Georgia must ease up on the rules that bar individuals from casting a ballot if there's even a slight variation, caused sometimes by a data entry problem, such as a missing hyphen or spelling error.

Georgians who show proof of citizenship must be allowed to vote on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Eleanor L. Ross said.

Kemp's office says it has already been living up to that standard in early voting.

According to the Associated Press, more than 51,100 Georgians will be affected this election by the issue that could prevent them from casting a ballot, if they do not bring the proper documents.

In Wisconsin, Democratic governor nominee Tony Evers and Scott Walker are running neck and neck.

This was another state Trump visited, campaigning for Walker in Mosinee a week ago.

Trump praised the work Walker did to help Wisconsin, particularly with the FoxConn plant the president visited in the state. 

'There's no plant like it in the United States,' Trump said at the rally with Walker. 'This is truly one of the great plants, certainly in this country and it was done because of Scott Walker.' 

Three years ago, Walker was a rising GOP star talked about for president. But he lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential primary, his candidacy never really gaining traction. 

The president reminded him of their race when he campaigned for him.

'(Walker) ran against me in the primary, he was tough, he can be nasty,' Trump said. 'But I got him set up with an incredible company called Foxconn… they came to Wisconsin with the most incredible plan, has anyone seen this place? It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen.' 

Trump won Wisconsin by one point in 2016. 

In Michigan, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won

Billionaire J.B. Pritzker won in Illinois for Democrats; former President Barack Obama campaigned for him. In Michigan, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won

Democrat Janet Mills will become the first female executive of Maine

Democrats picked up the governor's seat in Maine, where state attorney general Janet Mills will become the first female executive of the state. 

She replaces term-limited Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who she clashed with on a number of issues in her attorney general role. 

In Illinois, billionaire J.B. Pritzker beat incumbent GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner. Former President Barack Obama was involved in this contest to lead his home state, campaigning for him on Sunday.

The wealthy Pritzker family owns the Hyatt hotel chain and were big contributors to Obama. 

Penny Pritzker, J.B. Pritzker's sister, served as Obama's Commerce secretary. 

In Michigan, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer defeated GOP Gov. Bill Schuette, ending eight years of Republican control in a state President Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016.   

Her running mate, Garlin Gilchrist, will be the state's first black lieutenant governor.

In one of the bigger upsets of the night, Democrat Laura Kelly defeated Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a close Trump alley.

Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham will become first Latina Democratic governor in New Mexico

Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham will become first Latina Democratic governor in New Mexico

The race was in a dead before the election, with Kobach either up by 1 point or in a tie with Kelly.

Kobach led a botched effort to find voter fraud in the 2016 election when he headed the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity after Trump charged - without proof - 3 million illegal immigrants voted.

The commission was quietly disbanded and never provided any evidence to the charge. 

And Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham defeated Republican Steve Pearce in New Mexico. Republican Susana Martinez is the outgoing governor.

Grisham is the first Latina Democratic governor of the state.

Overall, 36 states had gubernatorial elections this year and Republicans were defending 26 seats.

 

Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib make history as the first two Muslim women to win election in Congress

The House is getting its first two Muslim women and Massachusetts is getting its first black congresswoman while Arizona and Tennessee stand to elect their first woman senators in Tuesday's midterm elections.

Democrats Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan won their respective races and will represent their districts in the House of Representatives.  

Both women ran in strongly Democratic regions.

Tlaib, a Palestinian American, will take over the seat vacated by former Rep. John Conyers.

Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American, will take over the seat vacated by former Rep. John Conyers. She is seen above celebrating her victory in Detroit on Tuesday

Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American, will take over the seat vacated by former Rep. John Conyers. She is seen above celebrating her victory in Detroit on Tuesday

Ilhan Omar of Minnesota (seen above in Minneapolis on Tuesday) will also become the first Somali American to be elected to Congress

Ilhan Omar of Minnesota (seen above in Minneapolis on Tuesday) will also become the first Somali American to be elected to Congress

Omar will not only be among the first Muslim women elected to Congress. She is also the first Somali American to win election to national office, according to CNN.

Both Omar and Tlaib were endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America, the liberal wing of the Democratic Party that counts among its high-profile members another rising female star - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez easily won election in her district which spans parts of the New York boroughs of Queens and the Bronx.

She made national headlines in September when she defeated powerful incumbent Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary. 

The high-profile midterm cycle that produced a record number of women contenders and candidates of color meant several winners will take office as trailblazers, marking firsts for their race and gender.

What is already the most diverse Congress ever could become even more so after Tuesday's elections and will include several trailblazers.

Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley will represent Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District in the next Congress. 

Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley (seen above in Boston on Tuesday) will represent Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District in the next Congress. She is the first black Congresswoman to be elected in Massachusetts

Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley (seen above in Boston on Tuesday) will represent Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District in the next Congress. She is the first black Congresswoman to be elected in Massachusetts

Pressley stunned the political establishment in September, defeating a 10-term incumbent in the Democratic primary, and was unopposed on Tuesday.

And regardless of who wins in Arizona's competitive Senate race, the state will elect either Republican Martha McSally or Democrat Kyrsten Sinema as the state's first woman to serve in the chamber.

Also in the Senate, Republican Marsha Blackburn will become Tennessee's first woman senator.

Georgia governor's race candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, was in a fierce battle to become America's first black woman governor, and Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum was bidding to become the first black governor of Florida.

 

Michigan votes YES to legalize recreational marijuana with taxes from sales going to fund schools, roads and local governments, making it the 10th state to say yes to the cash crop

Michigan midterm voters have followed the precedent set by nine other states already legalizing marijuana for recreational use. 

The cash crop is expected to bring in enormous revenue for Michigan with marijuana and edibles subjected to a 10 per cent tax in addition to the state's regular six per cent sales tax. 

Those funds will be a boon to help fund schools, roads, local governments and FDA-approved research on the medical benefits of cannabis for military veterans struggling with PTSD and other conditions.

Michigan state officials showed the measure passed with 58 to 42 per cent with 55 per cent reporting, according to BuzzFeed

Michigan voters said yes to Prop 1 which legalized recreational sale and use of marijuana 

Michigan voters said yes to Prop 1 which legalized recreational sale and use of marijuana 

Michigan's Prop 1 now allows adults 21 and older to purchase, possess and use cannabis.

Additionally people can now legally grow up to 12 plants for personal use and up to 10 ounces can be kept at a place of residence. 

Just like the states that legalized before Michigan, businesses looking to operate dispensaries and the like will have to be state licensed marijuana.

On the other hand, North Dakota voters nixed their proposal, Measure 3. There were some potential pitfalls with the drafting of the measure, which lacked any provisions to regulate the marijuana industry in the state.

The voted down measure would have wiped away criminal penalties for possessing, growing, and selling marijuana, with the exception of selling to people under 21.

It also failed to impose a structure to license farmers or stores. 

'The victory in Michigan highlights just how widespread support is for marijuana policy reform, Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project told Forbes

'This issue does not only enjoy strong support on the coasts, but also in the Midwest and all throughout the country. '

'Marijuana has now been legalized for adult use in one out of every five states and medical use in three out of every five, so it is safe to say federal law is in need of an update,' Hawkins added. 

Canada took the cash crop to federally legal status last month after several cities had legalized it first.  

A Gallup poll released last month found that 66 percent of Americans, the highest level ever in the firm's nearly 50 years of surveys on the topic, support marijuana legalization. 

Thus far California, Colorado, Washington, Alaska, D.C., Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and now Michigan have, or are in the process of implementing their own recreational marijuana programs.  

 

Florida decides to restore felons' voting rights automatically, giving 1.5 MILLION convicts who were ineligible to vote the ability to cast their ballots if they completed their sentences

Florida has voted in favor of restoring felons’ voting rights automatically on Tuesday night.

The measure, which needed 60 percent to pass, garnered more than 64 percent of the vote supporting constitutional Amendment 4, known as the voting rights restoration initiative.

Those with felony convictions will now have their voting rights restored automatically if they've completed their sentences, including parole and probation. 

It doesn't apply to anyone convicted of murder or sexual assault. 

Currently, more than 1.5 million adults in the state are ineligible to vote because they have felony convictions. 

Florida has decided to restore felons' voting rights automatically, giving 1.5 million convicts who were ineligible to vote the ability to cast their ballots if they completed their sentences

Florida has decided to restore felons' voting rights automatically, giving 1.5 million convicts who were ineligible to vote the ability to cast their ballots if they completed their sentences

Before the result, Florida was one of the four states that did not restore voting rights to felons after serving their sentences. 

Supporters of the amendment have said the old process of applying for restoration of those rights is prohibitively difficult and arbitrary.

Its passage could reverberate beyond Florida into the 2020 presidential election due to the important role the state often plays in deciding close national elections, with a newly eligible 1.5 million voters coming into play.

At the beginning of 2018, Floridians for a Fair Democracy collected more than 799,000 certified petition signatures, or about 33,000 more than the group needed to get the measure on the ballot.

Shortly after taking office in 2007, then-Republican Governor Charlie Crist persuaded two of the state's three Cabinet members to approve rules that would allow the parole commission to restore voting rights for nonviolent felons without a hearing. 

Within a year, more than 100,000 ex-felons were granted voting rights.

But Republican Governor Rick Scott and the Cabinet ended automatic restoration of voting rights as one of Scott's first acts upon taking office in 2011.

Separately, Florida's process of restoring voting rights to felons is winding its way through an appeals court case. 

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled the state's system is unconstitutional because it is arbitrary and open to having applications approved or rejected for political reasons. 

He ordered the state to revamp its system, but Scott's administration appealed. The appellate court put Walker's order on hold while it considers the case.   

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