Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy confirmed that Republicans will regain control of the House of Representatives, although the conservative wave in the U.S. midterm elections appeared to be more limited than expected. In a speech delivered shortly after midnight on a tense election night with votes still being counted, McCarthy stated, "It is clear we will regain the House."
Both parties achieved victories in some of the most competitive races of the U.S. Congressional midterm elections held yesterday, with many incumbent Democrats winning seats in the House and Republicans securing an open Senate seat in Ohio. It is still early to determine the winners in races that could decide control of Congress. Despite polls closing across the country, estimates from NBC News indicated Republicans winning 219 seats with a margin of error of 13 seats, noting that the party needs 218 seats to control the chamber.
Millions of Americans are awaiting the midterm election results in what is a pivotal moment that involves voting on several levels, which will determine President Joe Biden's maneuverability until the next presidential elections set for 2024, in which former President Donald Trump may run. Polling places in parts of Indiana and Kentucky closed at 6:00 PM (11:00 PM GMT). However, it may take long hours or even a few days to determine who has the majority in Congress.
Polling places on the East Coast opened at 6:00 AM (11:00 AM GMT) on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, according to national election traditions in the United States. More than 40 million people voted during early voting across the country, in an election that will renew all House seats and a third of Senate seats, as well as a range of local offices.
Many Republican Senate members won easily in the U.S. midterm elections. With polling places closing in six states, initial results will not change the balance of power in the Senate currently controlled by Democrats. Edison Research predicted current Republican Senator Tim Scott in South Carolina and Todd Young in Indiana to win. Fox News also predicted Republican Rand Paul in Kentucky and Democrat Peter Welch in Vermont to win.
Republicans were favored to win the five seats they need to control the House, but control of the Senate may be limited to intense races in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona. In an official result according to NBC, Democrat John Fetterman won in Pennsylvania against Republican Mehmet Oz. There is also competition for the governor's position in 36 states, and final results are unlikely to appear soon.
### Massachusetts
Democratic Massachusetts elected Maura Healey, who publicly identifies as a lesbian, as its governor in the midterm elections, becoming the first openly gay governor in U.S. history. Healey, 51, easily defeated her Republican opponent Jeff Diehl, according to NBC and Fox. The organization Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for LGBTQ rights in the United States, celebrated Healey's victory. Interim President of the organization, Kelley Robinson, stated, "Massachusetts has embraced a program of equality and inclusion by electing a champion for equality."
Healey's victory returns the governorship to Democrats after eight years of Republican control led by Charlie Baker, who chose not to run for a third term. Healey, who will also become the first woman to serve as governor of Massachusetts, is expected to deliver a crushing defeat to her challenger Diehl, who was supported by former President Donald Trump. This outcome was expected, as Healey, the state's Attorney General since 2014, was ahead in polls before the election.
The current midterm elections mark the first time that LGBTQ candidates have run in all fifty U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, reflecting the rising electoral power of the LGBTQ community in the United States. Democrat Tina Kotek, who is also openly gay, is in a tough race in Oregon for the governor’s position. Approximately 90 percent of the LGBTQ candidates in this election belong to the Democratic Party.
### Florida
Media forecasts indicated that Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential election, would be among the first winners in the midterm elections. ABC and CNN predicted DeSantis, 44, would win over Democratic opponent Charlie Crist to continue as Florida's governor for a second term. DeSantis has recently emerged among conservative political circles as a serious contender against former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential elections.
DeSantis gained national attention for opposing strict measures intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, and he has been at the forefront in criticizing growing acceptance of LGBTQ rights. Earlier this year, DeSantis also signed a law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, joining a national conservative campaign to restrict abortion rights. In another conservative-leaning action, DeSantis sent dozens of undocumented immigrants to the wealthy resort island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, prompting Republicans to file a lawsuit against him.
Although DeSantis has not announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections, he has kept his options open by refusing to commit to completing his second term as governor. Crist, 66, served as Florida's governor from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican before switching to the Democratic Party, winning in a House election under that party, before resigning to run for governor again.
### A Candidate from Generation Z
Maxwell Frost, 25, became the first member of Congress from Generation Z with his victory for a seat in the House of Representatives as a Democrat, defeating Republican Calvin Wimbish shortly after polls closed. Frost tweeted, "We won," adding, "We made history for Floridians, Generation Z, and everyone who believes we deserve a better future."
Generation Z follows the Millennial generation, consisting of those born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2010s, characterized by their adeptness with technology. Frost, an African American who was raised by a Cuban-born adoptive mother, will join a majority of lawmakers who are older, predominantly White, and with gray hair in the U.S. House, where the average age is 58.
Frost stated to AFP in Orlando last month during his campaign, "We need this representation in Congress to have a government that resembles our country and understands what this country is going through." He worked as an Uber driver during the campaign to cover his expenses, aligning with progressives in the Democratic Party, focusing his campaign on social justice and combating climate change. He indicated he would use his position in Washington to seek solutions to gun violence in the United States. Frost was 15 years old in 2012 when he was shocked by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and, like many of his peers, decided to engage in civic activism afterward.
Frost later became a representative for March For Our Lives, a student-led organization that held a massive protest in 2018 against gun violence. In New Hampshire, another Generation Z candidate, Caroline Levitt, 25, is also running for Congress but from the opposite side, as she considers herself a proud supporter of former President Donald Trump while advocating for tax cuts and stricter border policies. As of now, Republican Madison Cawthorn, who is 27 years old, is the youngest member of Congress.
### New York
Democrats managed to retain the governorship of New York, which is considered one of their strongholds, although the elections there saw intense competition. Incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, who replaced Andrew Cuomo after a scandal led to his ousting, won against her Republican opponent Lee Zeldin, as reported by ABC and NBC. Partial results published by The New York Times indicate that Hochul (64), from northern New York, secured 55 percent of the votes against 45 percent for her Republican opponent, who is 42 years old and was supported by Donald Trump.
Few expected before Tuesday's elections that New York City and the state, considered progressive strongholds, would shift from Democratic to conservative Republican control.
### Arkansas
On another note, Sarah Sanders, former spokesperson for Donald Trump at the White House, was elected as governor of Arkansas, a Republican state, according to media projections. Polls had favored her victory in this state, where her father, Mike Huckabee, a significant figure in American politics, served as governor from 1996 to 2007. During her campaign, Sarah Sanders criticized President Joe Biden and his "radical leftist" policies, pointing to rampant inflation, "open borders," and "rising violent crime." She stated she is ready "to join the strong conservative coalition defending our freedoms."
When she was the White House spokesperson, she was constantly asked about Trump's attacks on the media. She is a mother of three and often discussed her family and faith in front of reporters. Upon leaving her position in the summer of 2019, Donald Trump praised her fighting spirit and asserted she would be "fantastic" as governor of Arkansas.
### Ohio
Republican J.D. Vance, supported by former President Donald Trump, was elected to the Senate from Ohio according to media estimates, marking a major disappointment for Democratic President Joe Biden. This former military officer and author of a bestselling book about the white working class defeated Democrat Tim Ryan for a seat previously held by a Republican.
### What Happened in Arizona?
Voting machines malfunctioned in 20% of polling places in Arizona on Tuesday, prompting election crews to reassure voters in a county that became a focal point for claims of voter fraud in the 2020 elections. Officials in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, stated that a minority of the 223 polling places faced difficulties.
Bill Gates, chairman of the board of supervisors in Maricopa County, confirmed that “about 20% of the locations are experiencing problems,” emphasizing that the malfunctioning machines would not affect the integrity of the elections. He noted that ballots which could not be scanned electronically would be placed in a “secure box” to be transported later to a county facility for scanning.
Masked observers, some armed, guarded early voting boxes in an effort they claim is aimed at preventing fraud, despite a court order barring them from getting close to these boxes. Republican voters viewed the voting machine outages on Tuesday as evidence of ongoing fraud. One voter, requesting anonymity, remarked, “It’s happening again.” Donald Newton, 82, expressed fear of a repeat of the alleged fraud from the 2020 presidential elections, stating, "This machine should have been tested" and ready since last week.
