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Midterm results begin arriving as states report early tallies

politicsNov 3, 202633722

States have begun publishing midterm vote tallies as officials count ballots and post early results. Most congressional seats are noncompetitive, so control of Congress will hinge on a small number of battleground contests. The Cook Political Report labeled six Senate races true toss-ups; Democrats must win at least three of those plus their expected seats to regain a Senate majority. For the House, Democrats enter with 212 seats and need 218 to win control; analysts say Democrats are currently favored in enough districts to take the chamber without winning any of the 18 Cook toss-ups, while Republicans, favored in 195 seats, would have to sweep those 18 toss-ups and flip five Democratic-leaning districts to hold the House. Thirty-three regular Senate seats plus two special elections are on the ballot this year. Gubernatorial contests are being held in 36 states and three territories; before the election each party held 18 of those governorships and three incumbent governors are retiring. Because counting speed and race closeness vary by state, several key House and Senate races may take days to call as officials finish tabulating results.

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