Midterm Elections 2014: Live Updates - Live Blogs & Updates - ABCNews

Midterm Elections 2014: Live Updates

It’s Election Day 2014! With control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance, voters across the nation are heading to the polls to cast their ballots after a roller coaster midterm election cycle. There are 36 Senate seats up for grabs this year, 36 governorships and all 435 U.S. House seats. ABC News will be live blogging the results.

  • Welcome to the ABC News Election Day 2014 live blog. This is the place to keep track of all the results, news and analysis from our teams in Washington and at ABC Election Headquarters in New York City. We’ll also feature dispatches from ABC correspondents who have fanned out across the country. We’ll be keeping an eye on the battle for the Senate, the House and gubernatorial races. Updates will appear below automatically, there is no need to refresh.
    by Erin Dooley edited by Michael Falcone 11/4/2014 2:29:53 PM

  • Well, folks, thanks for following along with our live blog.

    In a devastating night for Democrats, Republicans took control of the Senate, and picked up several governorships and more than a dozen seats in the House, ABC has projected.  (Here are overviews of the night’s Senate, House, and Governors’ races.)

    Be on the lookout for updates and analysis from our political team tomorrow morning at abcnews.go.com/politics.

    And that’s a wrap.  

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 7:11:00 AM

  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 6:22:57 AM
  • The Empire State Building lit up red as Republicans win control of the Senate. #election2014 #abcvote
    by joshuahoyos via Instagram

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 6:10:15 AM

  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:57:08 AM
  • KANSAS GOV. BROWNBACK WINS REELECTION

    ABC's ALEX MALLIN:     Based on analysis of the vote so far, ABC has projected that Republican incumbent Gov. Sam Brownback has fended off a challenge from Democrat Paul Davis, after Davis reportedly called Brownback to concede Tuesday night.. In a race that drew national attention surrounding Brownback’s “experiment” with sweeping tax cuts in the state, Brownback was notably criticized for the cuts by both Democrats and moderate Republicans, many of whom rallied to Davis’ side as the state’s budget saw continually dire reports of revenue shortfalls. Brownback stood by the cuts despite the state’s credit rating being downgraded, and was joined on the campaign trail by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. 
    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:46:31 AM
  • ABC's MARYALICE PARKS: In Maryland, Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan is now projected to win the state’s highest office, based on ABC's analysis of the vote so far. Hogan, a businessman, will replace outgoing Democratic governor Martin O’Malley, representing a party switch for the state. Hogan defeated Democrat Anthony Brown.
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 5:35:07 AM

  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:34:26 AM
  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:30:12 AM


  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:29:49 AM
  • VERMONT GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST WILL LIKELY BE DECIDED BY STATE LEGISLATURE

    ABC's MIKAYLA BOUCHARD: In a surprising development, neither incumbent Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin, Chair of the Democratic Governors Association, nor Republican challenger Scott Milne is projected to reach the 50 percent needed to win the election.     The race will now likely be decided by the state legislature, which is currently controlled by the Democrats.

    Shumlin was expected to win the election handedly, coming in with much a stronger donor base and name recognition.The day that Milne filed his candidacy for the governorship of the Green Mountain State, he put his chances of winning the election at one percent. Milne has never held elected office and is the president of his family-owned business, Milne Travel.

    Shumlin is  seeking his third two-year term, as there is no term limit in the state.

    Incumbent Republican Phil Scott was separately elected Lieutenant Governor.

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:25:17 AM

  • GOV LE PAGE PROJECTED TO HOLD SEAT IN MAINE, BAKER PROJECTED TO WIN IN MASSACHUSETTS

    ABC’s MARYALICE PARKS: Massachusetts’s highest office will switch party hands again, based on analysis of the vote so far. ABC has projected Republican Charlie Baker will defeat Democrat Martha Coakley to take over from outgoing Deval Patrick, a Democrat. Meanwhile, in Maine. ABC has projected that incumbent Republican Governor Paul LePage will win a second term.

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:23:06 AM


  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:21:06 AM

  • ABC News projects that
    Republicans will gain between 14 and 18 seats in the U.    S. House. 

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:20:13 AM



  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 5:07:19 AM

  • FLORIDA GOV. RICK SCOTT PROJECTED TO WIN REELECTION

    ABC's ALEX MALLIN: Based on ABC's analysis of the vote so far, Republican Gov.     Rick Scott is projected to successful fend off his tough challenge from Democratic candidate Charlie Crist. In a brutal and expensive campaign that will likely be remembered for how unpopular both candidates emerged from it, Scott defeated his Republican-turned-independent-turned-liberal opponent Crist, ABC     New projects. 

    Crist attempted to seize on Scott’s sagging poll numbers in the state, while Scott looked to paint Crist as a candidate who would take any position just to get a vote. One of the more memorable exchanges between the two came when Scott refused to debate for nearly ten minutes over a fan that was set up below Crist’s podium. Carlos Lopez-Cantera will stay on as Scott’s lieutenant Governor.  




    by Erin Dooley edited by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 5:00:43 AM

  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 4:46:00 AM

  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 4:44:19 AM
  • REPUBLICANS WIN GUBERNATORIAL RACES IN ILLINOIS AND GEORGIA

    ABC’s ALEX MALLIN and MARYALICE PARKS: ABC News can project that Republican Bruce Rauner has defeated Democratic Incumbent Pat Quinn, in a campaign that doubled fundraising records in President Barack Obama’s home state. Rauner threw millions of his own fortune into the race running as a socially moderate anti-corruption businessman.

    And Georgia’s Governor Republican Nathan Deal is now projected to secure a second term and defeat Democratic challenger Jason Carter, in a race that was neck-and-neck heading into Election Day. Deal suffered from low approval ratings for most of his first term after facing ethical investigations related to campaign finance rules. Carter, grandson of former president Jimmy Carter and former state Senator, was able to run a successful campaign and kept the race exciting until the end. He pitched himself as a defender of the middle class.
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 4:39:06 AM
  • TILLIS PROJECTED TO DEFEAT HAGAN IN NORTH CAROLINA.
    ABC's BEN SIEGEL: Based on our exit poll and our analysis of the vote in so far, ABC News projects that  state House Speaker Thom Tillis will defeat Sen. Kay Hagan in a race Democrats hoped would be a bright spot on Election Night. Hagan’s seat is the seventh to flip to Republican control this cycle, padding the GOP’s new majority.

    Hagan, who entered office with the help of President Obama’s coalition of support  in 2008, did not receive the margins of support she needed from urban voters in Charlotte and Greensboro to counter Republican turnout in rural parts of the state. Both candidates ran intensely negative campaigns. Tillis, like Republicans across the map, depicted Hagan as a rubber stamp for President Obama and criticized her for missed Congressional hearings and personally benefitting from federal stimulus money through a company owned by her husband. Democrats localized the race, accusing Tillis of leading a conservative state legislature responsible for cutting public education funding and denying equal pay to women. The candidates, parties and outside groups spent more than $100 million on the race, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, making it the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history.




    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 4:38:30 AM

  • ABC News projects that Republicans will gain control of the Senate


    ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ: Republicans handed a major defeat to President Obama and Senate Democrats Tuesday night when they seized control of the Senate by flipping at least six seats from the Democratic to the GOP column.

    Based on an analysis of exit polls and the vote, ABC News has projected Republicans will pick up six seats in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia. Two incumbent Democratic senators have lost their seats -- Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Mark Udall, D-Colo. -- to two current young members of the House of Representatives -- 37-year-old Rep. Tom Cotton in Arkansas and 40-year-old Cory Gardner in Colorado.  In Iowa, Republican state senator Joni Ernst, who jumped onto the national stage after an infamous ad discussing hog castration, netted another seat for the GOP.

    by Erin Dooley edited by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 4:29:49 AM

  • FLORIDA MEDICAL MARIJUANA AMENDMENT PROJECTED TO FAIL

    ABC's ALI WEINBERG: Florida needed to clear 60% for this constitutionalamendment to pass – and it came close with 58%, but no cigar (or… joint?)Obviously, it was a tougher sell because of that high bar – also, the anti-medical marijuana camp spent most of the $4.7 million in TV ads that featured in the Sunshine State, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of Kantar Media/CMAG advertising data in late October. There is already a more limited medical marijuana law on the books in Florida, though – this amendment would have broadened the number of types of legal medical marijuana.  


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 4:26:16 AM


  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 4:24:06 AM

  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 4:22:29 AM


  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 4:20:27 AM
  • ROBERTS PROJECTED TO DEFEAT INDEPENDENT GREG ORMAN IN KANSAS SENATE RACE

    ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ: Based on our analysis of the vote in so far ABC News has projected Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas., will win the Kansas Senate race Tuesday night despite a strong last minute push from independent Greg Orman. Republicans needed to hold onto the seat in order to gain control of the Senate. The fate of Roberts’ Senate seat came into question when Democrat Chad Taylor dropped out of the Senate race in September, paving the way for Orman to jump in the polls.  Roberts, who has represented Kansas in Washington, D.C. since 1981, faced setbacks in the campaign over questions about his residency as well as concern from conservative voters about his track record in Washington, D.C.  Orman, a little known businessman, had declined to say which party he would caucus with should he win the Senate seat, but Republicans suspected he would align himself with Senate Democrats. 

     



    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 4:13:14 AM
  • HARRY REID SEES DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY CRUMBLING

    ABC’s JEFF ZELENY: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid believes the Democratic majority will fall tonight, a top Democratic aide tells ABC News.

    “Eyes wide open,” the aide says, describing Reid’s reaction tonight as the seats continue to fall. “Obama final approval in Colorado is 38 percent. What else can you say?”

    But this aide tells ABC News that even if Democrats fall to the minority party, “He’s not going anywhere.”
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 3:54:25 AM

  • PERDUE HOLDS OFF NUNN IN GEORGIA SENATE BATTLE

    ABC’s ARLETTE SAENZ: Based on preliminary exit poll data, ABC News can project that Republican David Perdue, a former CEO of Reebok and Dollar General, won the Georgia Senate race, clearing the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a January run-off.  He bested Democrat Michelle Nunn, daughter of well-known former Sen. Sam Nunn, and Amanda Swafford, the Libertarian candidate who could have acted as a spoiler in the race. Throughout the campaign, Perdue touted his business experience on the trail, but faced criticism after a leaked deposition showed he said he spent most of his career outsourcing jobs abroad. Perdue will replace outgoing Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss. 


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:53:07 AM
  • ARKANSAS, NEBRASKA MINIMUM WAGE MEASURES PASS

    ABC's ALI WEINBERG: Minimum wage ballot initiatives are hugely popular so it’s no surprise any of these are passing. It will be interesting to see how much Democratic turnout was up this cycle versus previous years when minimum wage wasn’t on the ballot. In Arkansas, the bill takes place over three years, increasing the minimum wage raise wage from $6.25 to $7.50 in 2015, $8 in 2018 and $8.50 in 2017. Nebraska’s initiative will increase wages 75 cents to $8 in 2015 and $9 in 2016.
    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:52:14 AM


  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 3:49:08 AM
  • AMERICAN IDOL'S CLAY AIKEN LOSES HOUSE BID 

    ABC's ALI DUKAKIS: No longer “Invisible” as he once lamented in a hit single, 2003 American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken won’t be adding a congressional seat to his resume. Insisting he’s hung his hat up from the music business -- shy of a spontaneous breakout in song on the campaign trail -- the former crooner reportedly decided to run against Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers to combat deep disenchantment with Congress both in his district and across the country.


    With 97 percent of votes counted and with a margin of  59-41, ABC News projects Ellmers will return to Congress after this year’s Lame Duck session comes to a close. Aiken was not able to reverse the tides in the district where Ellmers dethroned seven-term Democratic incumbent Bob Etheridge in 2010.


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:46:52 AM


  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:41:50 AM
  • WALKER PROJECTED TO WIN WISCONSIN 

    ABC's JOHN PARKINSON: In one of the most closely watched races of the midterm election, Wisconsin incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker has defeated Democratic challenger Mary Burke, ABC News projects.

    Walker, a possible contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, wins his third gubernatorial election in four years – becoming the first governor to achieve the feat in U.S. history. On October 28 in Milwaukee, President Obama made a rare campaign appearance with Burke, a former business executive and commerce secretary under former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. Her loss is a major disappointment for state and national Democrats, who were hoping to take Walker out of the 2016 presidential conversation before it began. 

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:37:09 AM


  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:30:10 AM


  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 3:27:34 AM
  • GARDNER PROJECTED TO DEFEAT UDALL IN COLORADO SENATE RACE 

    ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ    :     Based on our analysis of the vote in so far, ABC News projects that Rep. Cory Gardner, a rising Republican star, has defeated Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in Colorado, where universal mail-in ballots and a large bloc of Hispanic voters added uncertainty to one of the tightest Senate races in the country. Udall, the son of the late Arizona congressman Mo Udall, lost control of the race this fall amidst criticism that his campaign focused too closely on Gardner’s past positions on women’s health.  In March, Gardner said he no longer supported personhood amendments, which doctors say would limit access to birth control and make abortions illegal. He later voiced support for over-the-counter birth control.

    Nearly half of all ads in the race mentioned  abortion, according to CMAG/Kantar Media, which tracks television ad spending. Though more Republicans returned ballots than Democrats in the final days of the race, Democrats—whose get-out-the-vote operation in 2010 powered Sen. Michael Bennet to a narrow victory and served as the blueprint for their national operation this year—were optimistic they could make up the difference.



    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:27:27 AM
  • RAHALL LOSES BID FOR TWENTIETH TERM 

    ABC’s JOHN PARKINSON: Republican challenger Evan Jenkins has knocked off 19-term House Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall, scoring perhaps the GOP’s biggest upset over a vulnerable incumbent in West Virginia’s 3rd congressional district, ABC News projects. Rahall, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, is losing 55-45, with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Even though Rahall outspent Jenkins by a two-to-one ratio, Rahall suffered as the final congressional Democrat standing in West Virginia, where he has been a common GOP target through the years. Jenkins, a state senator, switched political parties when he launched his congressional campaign, in the Mountain State to take on the unpopular incumbent.


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:17:54 AM
  • Sen. Mark Pryor, the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his Senate seat to a Republican, Rep. Tom Cotton, tonight thanked his supporters on Twitter: 

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:15:54 AM


  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:08:48 AM



  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:03:39 AM

  • It’s just after 10 p.m. EST, and polls are closing in Iowa, where senatorial candidate Bruce Braley, D, has gone head-to-head with the hog-castrating Joni Ernst, R. Also closing: Montana and Nevada.


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:03:21 AM

  • DAINES PROJECTED TO WIN MONTANA SENATE RACE AGAINST AMANDA CURTIS

    ABC's BEN SIEGEL: Based on our exit poll and our analysis of the vote in so far, ABC News projects that Republican Congressman and businessman Steve Daines will win the Montana Senate race against state Rep. Amanda Curtis. Republicans were widely expected to pick up the seat held by Democratic Sen. John Walsh, and have now flipped four Democratic seats. Walsh, a former lieutenant governor and retired National Guard colonel, bowed out of the race in August following a New York Times report that he plagiarized his 2007 master’s thesis for the Army War College.  Montana Democrats replaced Walsh with Curtis, a 34 year-old teacher with a nose ring and YouTube video blog. Curtis, with her background in labor activism and support for gun control, was not expected to win in Montana. 

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 3:02:06 AM

  • HOW BIG WOULD A VIRGINIA UPSET BE? 

    ABC's CHRIS GOOD and SHUSHANNAH WALSHE: It’d be really big—the upset of the night.

    Against all expectations, Republican Ed Gillespie (49%) leads Democrat Mark Warner (48%) with 86% of the expected vote counted in Virginia’s Senate race. Everyone, including ABC News, rated Warner as the likely winner here, and no major prognosticators rated the race as a tossup. The last reliable poll, conducted in late October, showed Warner ahead by nine percentage points.

    Most strikingly, Warner won his last race by more than 30 percentage points, beating Jim Gilmore 65 percent to 34 percent. Democrats Tim Kaine (’12) and Jim Webb (’06) won Virginia’s last two Senate races, by much closer margins, but still: Democrats have been on a roll in Senate races in Virginia, and no one expected Warner to stop that trend.



    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 2:59:47 AM


  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 2:54:44 AM

  • TISEI PROJECTED TO LOSE IN MA-6

    ABC’s JOHN PARKINSON: Democrat Seth Moulton has defeated Republican Richard Tisei, who was hoping to become the first openly-homosexual non-incumbent Republican elected to the House of Representatives, ABC News projects.     With 52 percent of the vote counted, Moulton leads Tisei 56-39. Rep. John Tierney defeated Tisei in his first campaign for the House in 2012 and the political rivals had looked toward a rematch this fall before until Tierney was defeated by Moulton in their primary. Moulton, a Harvard-educated Democrat and former Marine Corps officer, served four tours of duty in Iraq.     House Republicans may still get their first openly-gay non-incumbent Republican elected to the House if Carl DeMaio can knock off incumbent Democratic Rep. Scott Peters. 

    by Erin Dooley edited by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 2:51:24 AM
  • LOUISIANA SENATE RACE WILL PROCEED TO RUNOFF BETWEEN LANDRIEU AND CASSIDY, ABC PROJECTS. 

    ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ and JORDYN PHELPS:      The Louisiana Senate race is heading into a December run-off as no candidate was able to secure 50 percent of the votes Tuesday.

    Based on preliminary exit polls, ABC News projected Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., will face-off against Rep Bill Cassidy, R-La., in the run-off.

    Campaign committees and outside groups have already reserved airtime ahead of an expected run-off.  The National Republican Senatorial Committee has set aside $3.3 million to run ads in the month ahead of the December run-off.  The Koch-backed group FreedoM Partners has also reserved $2.1million in television advertisement time ahead of an anticipated run-off in the
    Bayou State.




    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 2:48:55 AM
  • CO PERSONHOOD BALLOT INITIATIVE PROJECTED TO FAIL 

    ABC's ALI WEINBERG: This is the third time a personhood amendment in Colorado has failed – attempts in 2010 and 2008 did too. But according to the reported precinct data so far, this is the CLOSEST it’s ever come to passing with 37% yes. If it had passed, the implications for abortion in the state would have been potentially far-reaching: it would have given legal rights to all unborn fetuses, meaning it wouldn’t have banned any type of abortion outright but would have given anti-abortion activists a way to accuse anyone having an abortion of murder. 
    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 2:40:32 AM
  • ILLINOIS MINIMUM WAGE ADVISORY PROJECTED TO PASS

    ABC's ALI WEINBERG: ABC is projecting Illinois Issue 1, a nonbinding advisory vote that would indicate voters’ preference to raise the state’s minimum wage to $10, as passing. Even though the state is not compelled to implement the ballot measure, putting a minimum wage question on the ballot is a surefire way to drive more people (usually Democrats) to the polls who might otherwise stay home in a midterm election. 
    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 2:25:19 AM

  • GREG ABBOTT PROJECTED TO DEFEAT WENDY DAVIS IN TEXAS

    ABC's ALEX MALLIN:     Based on our exit poll, ABC News projects that Republican Greg Abbott has defeated Democrat Wendy Davis in the race for Texas Governor. The race to replace Gov. Rick Perry was thrust into the national spotlight after Davis emerged as a star after her her 11-hour filibuster to block an anti-abortion bill last summer. From the beginning, however, Davis faced a long uphill climb. The Lone-Star state hasn’t elected a Democratic governor since 1990, and Abbott made a name for himself among conservatives after battling to the Supreme Court to keep the Ten Commandments on display on the grounds of the State Capitol complex in Austin.  



    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 2:05:20 AM

  • It’s 9 p.m. EST, and polls are closing in Louisiana, where incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu is fighting to secure more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff between one of the many Republicans running against her, including Bill Cassidy and Rob Maness. Polls are also shutting down in Colorado, where Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall is running for re-election against Republican challenger Cory Gardner; in Kansas, where incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts is trying to fend off independent Greg Orman after Democrat Chad Taylor was removed from the ballot in September; and in Wisconsin, where gubernatorial candidates Mary Burke and Scott Walker are going head to head. Also closing: Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 2:00:44 AM


  • by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 1:49:27 AM
  • ABC’s JONATHAN KARL: ABC News has learned President Obama has invited the Congressional leaders – both parties, both chambers -- to the White House Friday to talk about the path forward after the election.
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 1:45:41 AM
  • SHAHEEN PROJECTED TO WIN NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATE RACE 

    ABC's BEN SIEGEL: Based on our exit poll and our analysis of the vote in so far, ABC News projects that New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has won re-election against Republican candidate Scott Brown.

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    Brown, a former Massachusetts     senator, shocked the political world in 2010 by winning the seat long held by the late Ted Kennedy.      He was defeated in 2012 by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. He would have been the third senator in American history to represent two states.

    Brown jumped into the race against Shaheen, a former governor and state     senator, in April.     He’s faced down accusations of being a “carpetbagger,” and tied Shaheen to President Obama’s agenda and leadership on the U.S. response to the spread of the Ebola virus and terrorist group ISIS. Shaheen has portrayed herself as an advocate for New Hampshire rather than her party, and focused her campaign on women’s health and equal pay.  Over the weekend, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made her last campaign stop of the 2014cycle in New Hampshire to stump alongside Shaheen.




    by Erin Dooley edited by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 1:42:25 AM
  • DEMOCRAT MARK PRYOR PROJECTED TO LOSE ARKANSAS SENATE RACE

    ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ: In a stunning blow to Democrats, ABC News can project Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., will win the Arkansas Senate race Tuesday night, based on preliminary exit poll results. Cotton is projected to unseat two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor, the first Senate Democrat to lose their seat this election cycle. This is the second seat Republicans have picked-up Tuesday night.

    Pryor’s loss is a major upset to Democrats who were hoping to hold onto the seat and keep Republicans from taking control of the Senate. Pryor comes from a popular political family in the state.  His father, David Pryor, represented Arkansas in the U.S. Senate and served as the state’s governor.  The family maintains close ties with the Clintons, a connection that prompted former President Bill Clinton to campaign on Pryor’s behalf on multiple occasions.

    But Cotton, a one term congressman and former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was able to break through Pryor’s deep political connections in the state. Throughout the campaign, Cotton, 37, repeatedly tied Pryor to President Obama, whose favorability has reached an all-time low, and stressed issues related to national security, including how the administration’s is dealing with ISIS, on the campaign trail.


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 1:30:38 AM
  • WHAT'S GOING ON WITH VIRGINIA? 

    ABC’s CHRIS GOOD: With 43% of precincts reporting, Gillespie (52%) is beating Warner (46%) in a race no one thought would be competitive. So what’s going on?

    Here are some reasons to think Warner might not be in so
    much trouble:

    Only 7% of the vote is in in Fairfax, VA’s largest county, by far. It accounted for 14.4% of the vote in Virginia in 2006, the last Senate midterm in the state. Webb beat Allen there by 75k votes.

    Arlington, another big D county, only has 21% in.

    With 88% of the vote counted in Chesterfield County, which encompasses the suburbs south of Richmond, Gillespie (52.8%) is underperforming Allen ’06 (58.4%) and Allen ’12 (51.8%). Turnout is up there slightly, but probably not enough to make a big difference.

    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 1:27:07 AM
  • STATE BOARD DENIES CHARLIE CRIST’S MOTION TO EXTEND VOTING TIMES

    ABC’s ALEX MALLIN: The Florida State Board of Elections has denied Florida Democratic challenger Charlie Crist’s motion with the Circuit Court for the 17th Judicial Circuit to extend voting hours in Broward County that includes Fort Lauderdale. The area is understood to be a Democrat stronghold and is represented by Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. BACKSTORY: liveblog.abcnews.go.com
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 1:17:24 AM


  • by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 1:16:49 AM
  • AN INCUMBENT GOVERNOR PROJECTED TO GO DOWN IN PENNSYLVANIA

    ABC’s MARYALICE PARKS: Based on ABC’s analysis of preliminary exit poll results, Democrat Tom Wolf is projected to beat incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in an historic election. It will be the first time in 40 years (since the state began permitting two gubernatorial terms) that a sitting governor in Pennsylvania seeking re-election has been defeated. Gov. Corbett was one of the most vulnerable governors this campaign season. Wolf, a wealthy businessman and former Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, enjoyed a sizeable lead in the polls this fall after invested $10 million of his own money in a crowded primary.
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 1:09:34 AM

  • Video: Breaking Down What Happened in Kentucky

    ABC News

    ABC’s Jeff Zeleny and ABC News political analysts Nicolle Wallace, Donna Brazile and Bill Kristol discuss a projected win for Mitch McConnell.

    by Michael Falcone edited by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 1:03:25 AM

  • It’s 8 p.m. EST, and polls are closing in New Hampshire, where incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is up against former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, and in Florida, where Govs. Charlie Crist, a Republican-turned-Democrat, and Rick Scott, a Republican, are both vying for the governorship. Also closing: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.


    by Erin Dooley 11/5/2014 1:02:29 AM
  • ABC’s JEFF ZELENY: In Kentucky, Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes just called Sen. Mitch McConnell to concede. An aide described the call to ABC News as “cordial,” yet brief … after a poisonous and bruising campaign.
    by Michael Falcone 11/5/2014 12:55:37 AM
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