Georgia Senate race heads to runoff, Dow slips, and history has been made in some American states

John James (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Republicans won a newly created congressional district in the Detroit suburbs of Michigan on Tuesday, boosting the party’s effort to take control of the House of Representatives. 

Republican nominee John James was crowned the victor in the contest for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, The Associated Press projects.

James, who was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020, bested Democratic nominee Carl Marlinga.

The contest was seen as a bellwether for Republican efforts to make in-roads with suburban voters. 

Michigan’s 10th Congressional District is centered around Michigan’s Macomb and Oakland counties, major suburbs of Detroit. Former President Donald Trump narrowly carried the district against President Biden in 2020, according to Michigan’s independent redistricting commission.

While the district leaned Republican on paper, Marlinga was seen as a competitive challenger. A former probate court judge, Marlinga previously served as Macomb County’s district attorney for nearly 40 years. 

Fox News Bradford Betz and Haris Alic contributed this update.

Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock will face off against his Trump-endorsed GOP challenger, Herschel Walker, on December 6 in a runoff election. 

The Georgia Secretary of State announced Wednesday that the Peach State's Senate race will advance on to a runoff election as neither candidate has been able to reach 50% of the vote. 

As it stands, Warnock currently leads Walker by a razor-thin margin, 49.4% to 48.5% . The Fox News Decision Desk confirmed shortly after that Secretary's announcement that the race will go to a runoff.

Georgia is unique from other battleground races in that a candidate must reach a simple majority — at least 50% of the vote — to declare victory. Read more below for Fox News Digital's breakdown on the upcoming Georgia runoff.

POLITICS

What is a runoff? Everything you need to know about the Georgia Senate candidates

As Georgia's Senate race advances to a runoff election, Fox News Digital breaks down what you need to know about runoffs and the candidates vying to fill the Peach State's Senate seat.

Republican nominee Zach Nunn has unseated incumbent Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, The Associated Press projects, flipping a key House seat as the GOP fights to regain a majority in the House.

Axne was first elected to her seat in 2018 winning by narrow margins against the GOP incumbent. Axne is currently the only Democratic member of the Iowa congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.

Despite President Biden's lackluster approval rating in national polls, Axne welcomed Biden on the campaign trail in a virtual fundraiser held in October — though that has not stopped her from distancing herself from some of her party's policies, such federal spending on COVID-19 aid.

Nunn, the Republican nominee in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional district, is a U.S. Air Force who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. 

Axne made abortion a cornerstone of her campaign, pledging to codify Roe v. Wade if elected and frequently criticizing Nunn for a past debate in which he supported no exceptions for abortions — though the State Senator has walked back those positions and now supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and medical emergencies.  

Fox News' Sophia Slacik contributed this update.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy issued a letter to his Republican colleagues in the House on Wednesday and asked for support as he announced his run for speaker of the House.

"First, congratulations on your election in a critical and pivotal year," he wrote. "Over the past century, Republicans had flipped the House from Democrats just four times: 1946, 1952, 1994, and 2010. Only twice did that flip occur in four years or less. While a number of races remain outstanding, I can confidently report that we will join that list, build on our significant gains from last cycle, and achieve our goal of taking back the House."

Kevin McCarthy told his GOP colleagues Wednesday that there is "no time to waste" to get "America back on track." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"This is no small feat," he added. "We have ended one-party Democrat rule in Washington by effectively prosecuting the case against their failed policies while detailing our plan for a new direction with the Commitment to America. Even so, I trust you know that earning the majority is only the beginning. Now, we will be measured by what we do with our majority. Now, the real work begins. That is why I am running to serve as Speaker of the People’s House and humbly ask for your support."

In closing his letter, McCarthy said it was up to each elected Republican "to demonstrate leadership on the issues that matter most and do what is required to get America back on track."

"There is no time to waste," he said.

The Associated Press projects that incumbent Rep. Matt Cartwright has defeated Republican challenger Jim Bognet in the race to represent Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District.

Bognet, the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate, made his second run for congress this cycle against Cartwright, after losing to the Democrat by around 3.5 points in the 2020 race that took four days to certify.

Cartwright has represented the district in Congress since 2013.Cartwright was first elected to serve in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District in 2012. Before his time in Congress, he was an attorney at Munley, Munley & Cartwright, where he worked for 25 years.

Cartwright was re-elected in 2016 and 2020 despite Trump turning the district red in the presidential elections.

Throughout the 2022 campaign, Cartwright emphasized his bipartisan support, calling himself "the most bipartisan Democrat in Congress" in an October debate against Bognet. 

In August, Cartwright put out an ad labeled "Agree," featuring a Biden supporter who discussed Cartwright’s capping of drug prices and a Trump supporter praising Cartwright for bringing jobs back from China.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady and Alexandra Orbuch contributed this update.

Voters in Missouri and Maryland on Tuesday voted to legalize recreational marijuana, further loosening state pot laws for more than 12 million Americans, even though the drug is still illegal at the federal level and is classified as a Schedule 1 substance.

Five states, including four deep-red states, had ballot measures that if passed would allow people over 21 to possess and use marijuana. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Maryland overwhelmingly approved the legalization of marijuana — 65% of voters were for it after two-thirds of the state's votes were counted by early Wednesday morning.

On the ballot, voters were asked, "Do you favor the legalization of the use of cannabis by an individual who is at least 21 years of age on or after July 1, 2023, in the State of Maryland?"

Missouri's ballot measure was extremely close, as votes were counted late Tuesday. However, with 99.9% of votes in early Wednesday, it passed with 53% support. That ballot measure will remove bans on the "purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacture, and sale of marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of twenty-one."

The Show Me State's initiative will also impose a 6% tax on retail sales of recreational marijuana.

This update was provided by Fox News' Tyler Olson.

Read more about certain states that refuted measures legalizing marijuana.

Republicans Wednesday are struggling to make sense of lackluster election returns after months of predictions about a "red wave," while finger-pointing and questions about the party's future abound.

The blame game is already erupting between the pro-Trump and anti-Trump wings of the party. Other Republicans, meanwhile, say they're simply confused about what happened at the ballot box.

A spokesperson for former President Donald Trump told Fox News Wednesday there should have been more support for Trump-backed Senate candidates Don Bolduc in New Hampshire and Blake Masters in Arizona. AP)

"Clearly something was off, I mean a target was missed," a House GOP aide told Fox News Digital early Wednesday morning. "Was it polling, was it the issues that we thought people cared about?"

"The question that should be asked,  assuming Republicans still take the House, is ‘What is our mandate and what do we do?’" the aide said. "That's what's probably going to keep me up tonight."

Republicans are expected to take the House, though with a smaller majority than expected. The Senate remains a toss-up, with results in Georgia, Nevada and Arizona so far unclear.

But that isn't stopping internal recriminations. Trump's opponents say the former president and his claims about the 2020 presidential election were likely a drag on the party that had advantages in a poor economy and low approval ratings for President Biden.

This update was provided by Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich, Mark Meredith, Tyler Olson, and Chad Pergram.

Jim Messina, the White House deputy chief of staff and campaign manager for former President Obama, reacted Wednesday to the midterm election results and the issues that affected independent voters.

"Look, lots of Democrats this morning are saying that's a lot better than we could have expected," Messina said. "One again, the polls were wrong for the fourth consecutive cycle."

"The bigger last night was democracy," he added. "We had massive turnout all over the place. That is incredibly interesting and important. People criticize Biden for steering into the democracy argument and it clearly worked with his base."

Messina said he "absolutely" believes that abortion is a deciding factor in some of the races that have yet to be called.

"I think it's partially why you saw this big, unknown wave of Democratic women voting," he said.

Fox News contributor and Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen sounded off Wednesday on the results from the 2022 midterm elections, insisting that Republicans "squandered" an opportunity to defeat their political opposition.

"Florida was the silver lining in what was otherwise a very, very dark night," Thiessen said during an appearance on "America's Newsroom."

Thiessen said voters gave the GOP a "wake up call" Tuesday night and insisted that the Republican Party did not give voters a "viable" option in several key races.

"The Republican Party did not give [voters] a viable alternative to vote for," he said. "They were begging for a viable alternative and we didn't. In Florida, we did, we gave them viable alternatives in Florida. It's in the other states that we didn't."

"As a result, we squandered a historic opportunity," he added.

Republican Derrick Van Orden has won the open House seat in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District after defeating Democratic candidate Brad Pfaff, flipping the seat red for the first time in 26 years.

The House district was left open by the retirement of longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind following 26 years in Congress.

Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL and Trump-endorsed candidate, previously challenged Kind in his bid for re-election in 2020, but the Democrat won by a narrow 3-point margin.

Pfaff is a state Senator in Wisconsin and former U.S. Department of Agriculture official under the Obama administration with ties to the farming community in Wisconsin. 

Van Orden received criticism for being present at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, where protestors breached the building, which Pfaff frequently brought up to attack his Republican opponent.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady and Brandon Gillespie contributed this update.

Democrat Pennsylvania Lt. Gov John Fetterman (left) and Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz, whose Senate race was among the most contested in the country (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz has called Democrat John Fetterman to concede the Pennsylvania Senate race, Fox News has learned.

The Fox News Decision Desk called the race for Fetterman early Wednesday morning, and Oz made the call to his opponent just hours later, the Democrat's spokesman told Fox. The Senate race was among the most important battles in the country for the midterm cycle, with Pennsylvania being one of a handful of states that will determine control over the Senate. 

"This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator," Oz wrote in a statement. "Campaigning throughout our great Commonwealth was the honor of a lifetime, and I will cherish the memories and the people I met. Pennsylvanians showed up with passion and a vision for a bright future that I found inspiring every day. I want to thank my supporters, so many of whom worked tirelessly to spread our message and support me and my family."

Read more: Mehmet Oz calls John Fetterman to officially concede Pennsylvania Senate race

Voters in Republican-leaning Kentucky  have rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have denied any right to abortion.

The result of Tuesday’s election comes months after the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion in a decision that has led to near-total bans in a dozen states, including in Kentucky.

The ballot question had asked Kentuckians if they wanted to amend the constitution to say: "To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion."

The outcome highlights a gap between voters and the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature, which added the proposed amendment to the 2022 general election slate a year ago in a move some thought would drive more conservative voters to the polls.

While seen as an important win for abortion-rights advocates, the amendment's defeat will have no practical impact on the right to an abortion if a sweeping ban on the procedure approved by lawmakers survives a legal challenge presently before the state Supreme Court.

Read more: Kentucky voters reject constitutional amendment declaring no right to abortion

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks during an election night watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Atlanta. | Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks during an election night watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson | AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The United States Senate race in Georgia does not have a clear winner as neither incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock nor his Republican challenger Herschel Walker have claimed an outright majority of the vote so far. 

As of Wednesday morning, the race is too close to call, according to the Fox News Decision Desk, with more than 3.8 million ballots cast and Warnock leading Walker by approximately 35,000 votes. Warnock holds 49.42% of the vote, with 1,935,464 votes in his favor, and Walker has 48.52% with 1,900,168 votes. Third-party candidate Chase Oliver has 80,895 votes with 97.94% of precincts reporting. 

"We're in a fight," Walker told the crowd at his election party Tuesday night. He urged his supporters to "hang in there a little bit longer" as the remainder of the vote is counted.  

"We got more to say," Warnock told supporters at his campaign's watch party. 

"We always knew that this race would be close. And so, that's where we are," he said. "So y'all just hang in there. I'm feeling good." 

Georgia law requires a candidate to surpass 50% of the vote to win an election, and a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be held on Dec. 6 if no candidate meets that requirement. 

Read more: Warnock, Walker tell supporters to hang tight with race too close to call

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., speaks during a campaign rally in support of the statewide Massachusetts Democratic ticket, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

Massachusetts votes are in, and Democrats held all nine House seats following Tuesday’s midterm election.

Republicans looked to  take the majority in the House after Democrats have held it since 2018, but the GOP were unable to flip any seats in the New England state. 

The closest race was fought in Massachusetts’ 9th Congressional district, where Bill Keating faced off with Republican challenger Jesse Brown. 

Though Keating was still able to swing a more than 19-point victory over Brown, who secured roughly 40% of the district's vote compared to Keating’s nearly 60%.

The next closest race was in the state’s first district, where Richard Neal beat out Republican candidate Dean Martilli by more than 23% of the district’s votes. 

Rep. Ayanna Pressley,  an incumbent candidate, secured the biggest margin of victory over her Republican challenger Donnie Palmer by landing nearly 85% of her district’s vote opposed to his 15% – a more than 69% difference in vote totals.

Read more: Democrats sweep Massachusetts House midterm races, holding 9 seats

Republican Katie Britt speaks to supporters at her election night watch party after winning the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, on Nov. 8 in Montgomery, Alabama. (AP/Vasha Hunt)

Republican Katie Britt has made history by becoming the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama. 

The self-described 40-year-old "mama on a mission" is projected by Fox News’ Decision Desk to defeat Democrat Will Boyd after, so far, capturing around two thirds of the vote. 

"You are going to see headlines about me being the first woman ever elected to the United States Senate from this state of Alabama. You’ll hear that I may be the youngest Republican woman in history elected to the U.S. Senate," Britt told supporters in Montgomery. "Or maybe that I’m the only Republican female with school-aged children in this Senate -- these are all kinds of firsts." 

"I am humbled, I am honored and grateful. I want you to know I understand what a tremendous responsibility these milestones carry and I do not take that lightly," she added.

Read more: Republican Katie Britt becomes Alabama's first female elected senator

Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams lost to Gov. Brian Kemp for the second time on Tuesday, but indicated that she does not plan on exiting the political arena.

Abrams gave a concession speech on Election Night  after results showed that she had lost to Kemp in a race that was not particularly close.

"Tonight, I am doing clearly what is the responsible thing, I am suspending my campaign for governor," she said, according to The Hill. "I may no longer be seeking the office of governor, but I will never stop doing everything in my power to make sure the people in Georgia have a voice."

Abrams famously declined to formally concede to Kemp in 2018 after a narrow defeat, claiming at the time that the election was rigged by voter suppression. This time around, she made no such claim and only looked to the future.

"While I may have not crossed the finish line, that doesn’t mean that I won’t stop running for a better Georgia," she said. "Even though my fight — our fight — for the governor’s mansion came up short, I’m pretty tall."

The people of the state of Michigan voted in favor of a new measure that protects abortion and other decisions related to reproduction and pregnancy.

Proposal 3 amends the state constitution by adding rights to abortion and contraception. It states that everyone has a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom," defining this as including -- but not being limited to -- "prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care."

The measure also allows the state to regulate abortion after the time a fetus becomes viable.

The approval of the proposal came months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which gave states the power to protect or ban abortion. The decision in June lead to near-total bans in a dozen states and was a hot topic leading up to the midterms.

The passing of the proposal puts a definitive end to a 1931 ban on abortion that had been blocked in court, but could have been reviewed.

Opponents to the measure said protecting abortion rights could have far-reaching effects on other laws in the state, such as one requiring parental notification of an abortion for someone under age 18.

Legal experts said changes to other laws would only happen if someone sued and won, a process that could take years and has no certainty of success, The Associated Press reported.

Republican candidate for New York's 3rd Congressional District George Santos campaigns outside a Stop and Shop store, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Glen Cove, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Republican George Santos flipped New York’s 3rd Congressional district Wednesday and secured another House seat for the GOP. 

Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman, who was vying to fill the Long Island seat after Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi announced he would be retiring to take a stab at New York governor.  

Suozzi came in a distant third in the Democratic primaries in the governor’s race, but Santos secured his place in Congress by running on cutting taxes, boosting border security and rallying against cashless bail. 

The Associated Press called the race shortly after 1:30 a.m. once the Republican held a lead of 54.2% of the vote over Zimmerman’s 45.8%, with 90% of the votes already counted.

The Santos-Zimmerman race was the first time two openly gay men ran against each other in a congressional election.

Santos took to Twitter to champion his success and said, "We did it! NY03 has spoken!" 

Arizona gubernatorial candidates Katie Hobbs, left, and Kari Lake, right, are facing each other in the 2022 election. (Reuters)

With a 50-50 Senate  heading into the election, record campaign spending, and 35 seats up for grabs, the battle for control of the U.S. Senate came down to tight races in states across the country. Republicans were defending 21 seats versus 14 held by Democrats. 

As states in several pivotal states continued counting votes, Election Night 2022 came to a close with control of the upper chamber unclear.

Key governor’s races – with major implications for election administration, abortion and education – came down to the wire as well.

The Fox News Voter Analysis, a survey of more than 90,000 voters nationwide, conducted October 31 through November 8. It highlights the central themes and demographic groups that defined these important races.

Read more for analysis of this year’s Senate races, including too-close-to-call contests in Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Georgia.

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., was elected Tuesday to be Vermont's newest senator. (Photo by Brian Stukes/Getty Images for Protect Our Care)

The state of Vermont elected Rep. Peter Welch to be its next U.S. senator, making him only the second Democrat to hold that office in the state’s history.

Welch won the election with approximately 67% of the vote to Malloy's 27%, with 99% reporting.

Beginning with Sens. Solomon Foot and Jacob Collamer in 1854, Vermont was a devout Republican stronghold state. The Green Mountain State had not elected a Democrat to the Senate until Patrick Leahy was first elected in 1974. Leahy announced in November 2021 that he would not run for what would have been a ninth term, opening a path for Welch.

Vermont’s other senator, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is a self-described democratic socialist who caucuses with the Democrats, but he is a registered independent.

Vermont voters also chose Tuesday their first woman to serve in the state’s Congressional delegation. The state is the only one in the country that has never sent a woman or a member of a minority group to represent it in Congress.

Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Alex Wong/Getty Images | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The progressive House members collectively known as the “Squad” easily won reelection in their respective elections on Tuesday.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., were all projected by The Associated Press as winning by wide margins.

Bowman, who represents New York's 16th Congressional District comprising parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, had the slimmest margin of victory and yet still was leading 65%-34% against Republican challenger Miriam Flisser, with more than 91% of results reporting.

Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Tlaib were the founding members of the "Squad," who gained notoriety as freshman lawmakers after the 2018 election for pushing the Democratic House conference to the left. Bush and Bowman joined the informal group after winning election in 2020. 

"Thank you to every member of our community and every grassroots supporter for entrusting me with the great responsibility of representing NY-14 in Congress," Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a victory message on Twitter. "We do this with small dollars, every time. I remain grateful to all of you who make a new kind of governance possible."

Homer Wesson, right, votes at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation at 3448 Evans Street on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. The birthplace of Malcolm X is located on the foundation's property.

The people of the state of Nebraska voted Tuesday to have a voter identification rule in place for future elections.

The measure made the ballot due to Marlene Ricketts, mother of Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts and the initiative's main financial backer.Ricketts claimed the 2020 election revealed that "people had concern about the integrity of our voting systems." However, there was no evidence of widespread fraud in Nebraska, which supporters acknowledged. They contended the law was needed to prevent future abuse. 

Two thirds of states already require some sort of identification to vote, but not necessarily a photo ID.

Nebraska legislators would be expected to flesh out the details of the requirement. So far, it is expected that people voting by mail —would have to provide their date of birth and either a driver’s license number, state identification number, last four digits of their Social Security number.

Republicans had been pushing for Nebraska to take this step for years, while Democrats have claimed that voter ID measures are meant to decrease turnout from minority voters – who tend to vote for Democrats – because they may have difficulty getting an ID.

Promise of a GOP red wave in the midterm elections did not pan out Tuesday night as Democrats beat back Republicans in close races across the country, leaving both the House of Representatives and the Senate up for grabs.

Republican Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas, who won a shocking special election earlier this year but lost on Tuesday, said her party needed to face reality.

"The RED WAVE did not happen," tweeted Flores. "Republicans and Independents stayed home. DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULTS IF YOU DID NOT DO YOUR PART!"

Conservatives have already begun pointing fingers at former President Donald Trump for the lackluster performance. Many of Trump's endorsed candidates lost their races in key battleground states.

Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has been re-elected for the state’s top job for the second time Tuesday, which will make him the state’s longest serving governor if he completes another full term.

Governors serve a period of four years per term before being required to seek re-election or retire if they have already been elected twice.

But McMaster will have served 10 years by the time he finishes up his governorship, making him the state’s longest-serving governor.

McMaster’s unusually long tenure is down to the fact that he was tapped to fill in for former Gov. Nikki Haley in January 2017 when she was chosen by Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

He was elected for his first full term in November 2018.

The South Carolina governor faced some opposition from Democratic challenger Joe Cunningham.

Though Cunningham was only able to achieve 40.6 percent of the state’s vote while McMaster secured just over 58 percent. 

Despite widespread voter discontent and frustration, particularly over the economy, the 2022 midterm elections stretched late into the night without a clear indication of Congressional control. 

Senate control came down to races in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania – while the potentially decisive contest in Georgia appeared headed for a runoff. 

As states continued counting votes in pivotal swing districts, control of the House remained unclear as well. Political history did not favor the Democrats, as the sitting president’s party has lost seats in the House in all but three midterms over the last century. 

As in recent elections, voters divided sharply by gender, education, and type of community. Men backed Republican candidates for Congress by 10 percentage points, women broke for Democrats (+4 points). Noncollege voters (+10 points) and rural residents (+28 points) went for Republicans, college graduates (+9 points) and city dwellers leaned Democratic (+30 points).

The Fox News Voter Analysis (FNVA), a survey of more than 90,000 voters nationwide, highlights the election’s main themes and central demographic groups – and, when compared to FVNA results from the 2018 and 2020 elections, shows key changes that generally favored the GOP. 

Republicans got strong base support, particularly from White evangelicals, rural voters, Whites without a college degree, and conservatives. 

Most demographic groups shifted rightward compared to the 2020 election. Some of the most consequential shifts came among groups that backed Biden two years ago. Women, for instance, voted for Biden by 12 points in 2020 and for Democrats this year by just 4 – an 8-point shift to the Republicans. Other notable GOP gains included voters under age 30 (12-point shift), Black voters (+15 points), Hispanics (+10 points), college graduates (+11 points), moderates (+11 points), and suburban voters (+9 points). 

Several Massachusetts incumbents successfully won re-election during Tuesday’s contests, the Associated Press called early Wednesday morning.

Reps. Richard Neal, Lori Trahan, Seth Moulton, and Bill Keating, all Democrats, won their respective contests. 

Neal won re-election in Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District. He is the Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee.

Trahan won re-election in the 3rd district. 

Moulton won re-election in the 6th district.

And, Keating won re-election in the 9th district.

Moulton took to Twitter shortly after his race was called, thanking supporters for their “continued confidence.”

“Thank you for your continued confidence in me. I will work harder than ever to decrease inflation, bolster national security, protect reproductive rights, and ensure that the interests of the 6th district are represented in Washington,” he tweeted.

The Democrats were each favored in their respective races and Democrats won all nine congressional districts in the state. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., answers questions during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Republicans may be heading for a majority in the House of Representatives, somewhere in the 220s for next year. Such an outcome would have House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy eyeing an expected run to become the chamber's next leader, taking the gavel away from current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The entire House elects the Speaker. The successful candidate must have an outright majority of the entire House. In other words, 218 votes if the House is constituted at 435. The Speaker is not just who won the most votes.

Heading into Tuesday, McCarthy probably had a range of 7-10 Republicans who would not support him for Speaker no matter what. That number could grow.

McCarthy may be able to command the votes so long as he can keep former rival Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on his side (remember, Jordan ran against Kevin McCarthy for Leader in 2018) and if the California Republican stays within the good graces of former President Trump.

The House must vote repeatedly until it elects a Speaker. A vote for Speaker has not gone to a second ballot since 1923. 

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Getty Images)

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has defeated her GOP challenger Tom Barrett in the race to represent Michigan's 7th Congressional District in the House, the Associated Press projects.

Both Slotkin and Barrett have experience with U.S. Military operations. Slotkin served as a CIA analyst and served three tours in Iraq alongside the military, while Barrett served in the Army and has served deployments in Iraq, Kuwait, Guantánamo Bay, and South Korea.

Throughout the race, Slotkin, who is seen as one of the more vulnerable House Democrats seeking re-election, attempted to maintain her distance from President Biden felt by those in Michigan and around the country.

Slotkin, who currently represents Michigan's 8th Congressional District, and Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., skipped President Biden's September trip to Detroit.

Asked in October during an appearance on NBC News' "Meet the Press" whether she would support President Biden in 2024 if he sought re-election, Slotkin said she would support "the sitting president" if he chooses to run because that followed precedent. But she quickly called for new leadership "across the Democratic Party."

Fox News' Kyle Morris and Lawrence Richard contributed this update.

Senator Lindsey Graham appears on an NBC interview. (NBC screenshot)

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed disappointment Tuesday night at the lack of Republican wins in the midterm elections. 

"Definitely not a Republican wave, that is for darn sure," Graham said in an interview on NBC News. "I think that we are going to be at 51,52 when it is all is said and done in the Senate."

NBC anchor Lester Holt asked whether the Republican Party’s mediocre performance in the midterm was a result of the "Donald Trump effect," where association with the former president may have hurt Republican candidates. 

Graham responded "not really," still suggesting that the midterm was a "referendum on Biden," adding "If we take back the House, and we get the Senate majority, that is a very good night. A wave would have been New Hampshire and Colorado."

Read more about Graham's reaction to the election results.

This update was provided by Fox News' Alexander Hall.

Democrat Emilia Sykes, a four-term state lawmaker, won the election for Ohio's 13th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press, defeating Republican Madison Gesiotto Gilbert. 

The 13th district was one of the most competitive House races in Ohio, leaning slightly in President Biden's favor during the 2020 election.

Sykes defeated Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, an attorney and conservative commentator who was endorsed by former President Trump.

Sykes, whose parents both served in the state legislature, stepped down last year as leader of the Ohio House Democratic caucus to enter the race. 

"I entered this race because I believe that Ohioans deserve good-paying union jobs, affordable and quality health care, and safe communities," Sykes said in a statement after her victory. "Today, the voters made a clear choice."

Fox News' Paul Best contributed this report.

U.S. Capitol (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Here are the outstanding Senate races yet to be called by Fox News' Decision Desk that could determine the balance of power in Congress' upper house.

A party must reach 51 seats in order to secure a majority in the 100-seat body. A split of 50-50 will leave Democrats in control with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote.

Wisconsin

Incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is hoping to fend off a challenge from Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in a race where both sides have focused heavily on policing and crime.

Georgia

Republican Herschel Walker is looking to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in one of the most highly-watched races of this election cycle. If no candidate obtains 50% of the vote, then the two candidates will head to a runoff election.

Nevada

Republican Adam Laxalt is hoping to flip this seat from Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who is seeking a second term. Polling has shown the race in a dead-heat, with Laxalt being slightly favored.

Arizona

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is looking to fend off a challenge from Republican Blake Masters in a race that tightened in the final weeks leading up to Election Day. National security was major issue for both campaigns with both sides sharply criticizing the Biden administration over its handling of the border crisis.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declared victory on Tuesday saying that Republicans had secured enough seats to flip control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I want to thank the millions of supporters across this country," said McCarthy, R-Calif. "It is clear we are going to take the House back."

McCarthy told a throng of supporters at a victory party in Washington, D.C, that the feat was possible because of the diverse array of candidates Republicans had recruited this cycle.

"If you believe in freedom, hard work and the American dream these results prove there is a place for you in the Republican Party," said McCarthy. "We are expanding this party."

This update was provided by Fox News' Haris Alic.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon has won re-election for the U.S. House seat in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, defeating State Senator Tony Vargas, the Associated Press projects.

Bacon was first elected to Congress after unseating incumbent Rep. Brad Ashford in 2016 by just over 1%, defeating him by a margin of 48.9% to 47.7%.

Despite Nebraska's 2nd District voting for President Biden by over 20,000 votes in 2020, voters in the district re-elected Bacon by a margin of 50.8% to 46.2% for the Democrat, Kara Eastman.

Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District is considered the state's only competitive U.S. House seat. 

Both of the state's other two Congressional districts are occupied by Republicans.

Fox News'  Bradford Betz and Adam Sabes contributed this update.

The Associated Press projects that longtime GOP Rep. Steve Chabot has been unseated by Democrat Greg Landsman, a battleground win for the Democrats in Ohio's 1st Congressional District. 

Chabot has represented Ohio's 1st District since 1995, despite a brief interlude in 2008 when he was unseated for a single term before reclaiming the House seat in 2010.

Democrats have criticized Chabot for voting against certifying President Biden’s 2020 election win over then-President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the January 6th riot on the U.S. Capitol.

Landsman is a fifth-term member of the Cincinnati City Council and a former public school teacher.

Republicans sought to tie Landsman to President Biden's policy agenda and have claimed that he is "too liberal" for the district; Chabot has said that his constituents "can't afford" Landsman.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie and Sophia Slacik contributed this report.

Jennifer-Ruth Green and Rep. Frank Mrvan (Fox News and Getty Images)

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan has defeated his GOP challenger, Jennifer-Ruth Green, in the race to represent Indiana's 1st Congressional District in the House, The Associated Press projects.

The race between the two candidates pitted Green, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, against Mrvan, a Democrat who formerly served as the North Township Trustee and represented the district in Congress since 2021.

The race also featured a great deal of controversy when the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed Mrvan, who is White, over Green. "The hypocrisy in this decision is so incredibly clear," Green said during an October appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

"We see this is about power and about policy. This is about process. This is not about progress," Green added.

Fox News' Kyle Morris contributed this report.

Democrat Hillary Scholten will win the race for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, The Associated Press projects, flipping a seat from red to blue in a tough election year for Democrats. 

Scholten beat GOP opponent John Gibbs for the seat, which is open after Gibbs topped incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., in a primary. Meijer voted to impeach former President Donald Trump last year, leading the former president to endorse Gibbs' run nearly a full year before Election Day.

Gibbs also picked up some unexpected support in his primary from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which spent money to support him over Meijer.

The DCCC and other Democratic groups boosted candidates like Gibbs, who backed Trump and made false claims about the 2020 presidential election, with the expectation those candidates would be easier to beat in a general election. 

Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed this report.

Hispanic voters made a significant shift in the midterm election away from Democratic candidates compared to 2020, according to Fox News Voter Analysis.

The Fox News Voter Analysis election survey suggested Hispanic voters are shifting towards supporting the Republican Party and away from Democrats. (Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Fox News Voter Analysis election survey showed that 56% of Hispanic voters cast their ballot for the Democratic candidate in their congressional district, an 18-point difference compared to the 38% of Hispanic voters who voted for a Republican candidate. In 2020, 63% Hispanic voters backed President Biden compared to the 35% who voted for former President Donald Trump, a 28-point margin.

Much of the movement appeared to come among Hispanic men who voted for Democratic candidates by a margin of 51% to 44%. That was a shift relative to 2020 when 59% of Hispanic men voted for Biden compared to the 38% who backed Trump.

Hispanic women also shifted support toward Republicans, voting in favor of Democratic candidates by a 26-point margin of 60% to 34% in the midterm election. The same demographic voted for Biden by a margin 34 points with 66% supporting the president.

"I think that this could be a paradigm-shift election, where Republicans are not only making inroads with the Latino vote, but they’re now making inroads with the African-American vote," John Anzalone, a former top pollster for Biden's campaign, told The Wall Street Journal ahead of the election.

This update was provided by the Fox News Polling Unit.

Read more about the inroads Republicans have made with Hispanic voters.

Democratic incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas won re-election on Tuesday in New Hampshire’s first congressional district by defeating Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt.

Incumbent Pappas, the first openly gay member of Congress from New Hampshire, formerly served in the New Hampshire state House of Representatives and on the New Hampshire Executive Council. 

He has represented this district since 2019. Pappas' GOP opponent, 25-year-old Leavitt, is a former assistant press secretary for the Trump administration and former communications director for House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.

Inflation was a centerpiece of the race, as Leavitt blamed household budget concerns and high electricity bills on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Biden’s agenda.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady contributed this update.

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Angie Craig will win re-election against retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and Republican candidate Tyler Kistner in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, The Associated Press projects.

Throughout the hotly-contested campaign for the toss-up Minneapolis suburban district, Craig argued Kistner was too extreme for a toss-up district and leaned into her positions supporting abortion and more-restrictive gun control measures.

She also criticized Kistner for his support of former President Trump. "You're pro-life, you're pro-Trump and you're pro-guns," Craig remarked during an October debate with Kistner.

"Now, you get up here and you pretend to be the boy next door, but you are too extreme for Minnesota's 2nd District," she said.

Kistner, on the other hand, focused on economic issues facing Minnesotans including inflation and high gasoline prices. He said he was against abortion, but supported exceptions for rape and incest and when the health of the mother was at risk.

"Congress needs to serve our children and future generations with schools that educate, not indoctrinate," Kistner said during the campaign. "And we also need to serve hard-working everyday Americans with an economy that grows while cost of living and gas prices don’t."

Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed this report.

Fox News contributor and Republican strategist Karl Rove said Tuesday that Republicans would likely come out of the midterm elections with fewer seats in the House than anticipated, but still with "reasonable" gains. The numbers projected for control of the House is not what was projected or what Republicans hoped.

Rove argued "there never was going to be" a "red wave" because of the gains Republicans already made in previous elections, as well as the "natural ceiling" in terms of number of seats the party could ever expect to reach. Rove stated this is so far a reasonable number for this year, but will not be the red wave that was expected. He states that due to redistricting, Republicans will likely be somewhere in the 230s in Congress.

Rove also discusses some of the key states and his take on the 2022 election so far.

Fox News can now project that Democrat Janet Mills will remain the Governor of Maine. She beats GOP candidate and former Governor Paul LePage.

Mills, who became Maine’s first female governor, previously served as the state’s attorney general before securing her position in 2018.

LePage, the former mayor of Waterville, Maine, served two terms as governor beginning in 2011, before being ousted by Democrat incumbent Mills in the 2018 election.

The pair faced off in four debates this fall, sparring over crucial midterm issues like inflation, education, abortion and COVID-19. 

"I have been there. I've done it once, I can do it again. I am the guy that's got a business background," LePage said touting his economic records as governor during the final debate.

Fox News' Bradford Betz , Aubrie Spady and Alexandra Orbuch contributed this update.

Republican Monica De La Cruz narrowly beat her Democratic opponent Michelle Vallejo in the race for the newly-drawn 15th Congressional District in Texas, The Associated Press projects, marking a key win for the GOP in a race where border security was a top campaign issue.

The seat was recently redrawn following the 2020 Census, and includes a region of South Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley.

The race was seen as the most competitive race in Texas and saw a clash between two competing narratives — Texas turning blue and Hispanics leaning Republican.

Both candidates had embraced their respective bases. De La Cruz had touted the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and ran on issues like border security, pro-life issues and rejecting "woke culture."

"South Texas is not woke, but they are awakened," De La Cruz said in an interview with Fox News Digital last month.

Fox News' Adam Sabes and Adam Shaw contributed this update.

The Associated Press projects that Rep. Mayra Flores, the first Mexico-born congresswoman, has been unseated by her Democratic opponent, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, concluding a short tenure in the House that follows a high-profile special election victory in June. 

"The RED WAVE did not happen. Republicans and Independents stayed home. DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULTS IF YOU DID NOT DO YOUR PART!" Flores, R-Texas, tweeted Tuesday night.

Despite Flores' win earlier this year, the newly-elected congresswoman was in for an uphill battle to hold onto her seat since day one, as her district was redrawn to include greater swaths of Democrat-voting San Antonio.

In Flores' special election race, the congresswoman ran under previous district lines where Biden won by +4 percentage points in 2020, however under new district lines, the +16 Biden district is far more friendly to Democrats than before. 

Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar will win re-election Texas' 28th Congressional District, The Associated Press projects, defeating Republican challenger Cassy Garcia.

As the only remaining pro-life Democrat serving in the House, Cuellar, who been in Congress since 2005 and presented his views in a moderate fashion, is viewed among many of his Democratic peers as an outcast.

In the Democratic primary to represent the district, Cuellar was faced with a challenge from Jessica Cisneros, who espoused views that were anything but moderate and received endorsements from the likes of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Nonetheless, Cuellar narrowly defeated Cisneros in the primary election, garnering 22,901 votes to Cisneros' 22,612.

Fox News' Kyle Morris contributed to this update.

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem emerged from Tuesday's gubernatorial election triumphant, energized, and with crosshairs trained on President Biden, declaring her intention to build on the achievements of her first term and asserting that South Dakota is the model of successful Republican governance.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem defeated Democratic state lawmaker Jamie Smith in Tuesday's election. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Noem comfortably sailed to re-election  Tuesday, defeating Democratic state House Minority Leader Jamie Smith. Addressing supporters gathered at the Downtown Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux Falls, the governor's victory speech drew a stark contrast between her record in South Dakota and "Joe Biden's America." She extolled the virtues of limited government, freedom, and opportunity while savaging the "extremist agenda" of Democrats in Washington, D.C., calling Biden a "figurehead" controlled by the radical left.

"Americans across the country are looking to South Dakota as a Shining City on the Hill. In states across the country tonight, they’re electing Republican Governors because they want their state to look more like South Dakota," Noem said.

A rising star in the Republican Party, the 50-year-old Noem earned national appeal within the GOP by opposing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that would have closed businesses and schools. On the campaign trail, she's attributed South Dakota's thriving economy to her decision-making, observing that her state has the fastest growing incomes of any state in the nation and is experiencing rampant population growth.

This update was provided by Fox News' Chris Pandolfo.

Read more of what Noem had to say following her election victory on Tuesday.

The Associated Press projects that Republican state Senator Jen Kiggans has unseated Democrat incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria, flipping Virginia's 2nd Congressional District red in one of the most competitive House races of the 2022 midterm elections.

The Virginia race for months has been considered a "toss-up" competition between the two military veterans.

Just two weeks before election day, a Wason Center poll turned up the heat in the already competitive race, revealing that the two candidates were evenly tied, 45% to 45% in voter support.

Luria, a retired naval commander, initially won the seat in 2018 and flipped the seat blue in a big win that cycle for the Democratic Party. The Democrat is also a member of the Jan. 6 committee that was formed to investigate the January 2021 Capitol riot.

Kiggans, former Navy helicopter pilot, served as a state Senator in Virginia since 2020, representing parts of Virginia Beach City and Norfolk City.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie and Aubrie Spady contributed to this post.

Ohio Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur has won re-election against Republican challenger JR Majewski, The Associated Press projects.

The Ohio Democrat ran on a platform of creating jobs and affordable housing, highlighting President Biden’s infrastructure bill, Wall Street accountability, and campaign finance reform to repeal the Citizens United court decision.

Kaptur also highlighted her legislative wins and broke from other Ohio Democrats in that she embraced Biden’s presence on the campaign trail while others shied away.

However, that embracement was not for long, as in August, Kaptur began to advertise her "fighting back" against the Biden administration in Congress and that she "doesn't work for Joe Biden."

Majewski’s "America First" platform was centered around conservative policies, including voter identification, taking on Big Tech, and energy independence, and gave Kaptur a run for her money in the Ohio race.

Fox New's Houston Keene authored this report.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn campaigned for Georgia Senate GOP candidate Herschel Walker. (Sen. Marsha Blackburn)

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn is predicting a "good night" for the Republican Party just hours after polls started closing on the East Coast, citing high enthusiasm from previously unengaged voters.

Blackburn, who is speculated to be a potential 2024 presidential contender, has been traveling across the country to stump for GOP candidates, including Kari Lake in Arizona, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Adam Laxalt in Nevada, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa, Donald Bolduc in New Hampshire and Tedd Budd in North Carolina.

"I think what you're you're seeing is going to turn out to be a good night for the country and a good night for the Republican Party," Blackburn told Fox News Digital on election night. "And people have shown up at the polls. They have cast their vote. The issues of inflation, crime, parental right to border - securing that border. All of these are issues that have played into the decisions that voters have made."

"I think what you're going to see is Republicans take control of both the House and the Senate," she said.

Blackburn, who isn't up for re-election until 2024, told Fox News Digital that inflation and the border are top issues on voters' minds.

This update was provided by Fox News' Kelly Laco.

Read more of what Blackburn had to say on Election Day.

Democrat Seth Magaziner has defeated Republican nominee Allan Fung in the race to represent Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, The Associated Press projects.

Fung, the former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island and the first mayor of Chinese ancestry in the state, previously ran for governor in the state's 2014 and 2018 gubernatorial races, and sought to make more history by breaking the Democrats' win streak in the district.

He received a number of high-profile endorsements as the campaign progressed, including from former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and National Republican Congressional committee chair Rep. Tom Emmer, who all joined him on the campaign trail earlier in the race.

Millions of dollars were poured into the race for Fung, who describes himself as a moderate but fiscally conservative Republican.

OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR'S RACE CALL

Republicans can also breathe a sigh of relief in Oklahoma. Our Decision Desk can project that incumbent Republican Governor Kevin Stitt will hold for another term, defeating his Democratic rival Joy Hofmeister.

A first-term governor, Stitt's time in office has been rocked by feuds with tribal nations and members of his own party, finds himself in a surprisingly tough reelection campaign against Democrat Joy Hofmeister.

Hofmeister, 58, the two-term state superintendent of public schools who switched parties to run against Stitt, has been blasting Stitt for his voucher-style plan to divert public education money to private schools.

She launched a 50-stop bus tour through 27 counties in the last week of the campaign to hammer the message, emerging from the coach to the 1970 Three Dog Night hit "Joy to the World."

Stitt boasts of record-level state savings and funding for public schools under his watch, and the state's rapid emergence from pandemic-related closures that helped the economy rebound quickly and keep the state's unemployment rate low.

Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger was re-elected to the House of Representatives Tuesday night according to The Associated Press, beating GOP opponent Yesli Vega to serve a second term representing Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in what was a competitive race. 

Spanberger, a former CIA officer, was first elected to Congress in 2018.

Vega was endorsed by former President Donald Trump — support Spanberger warned Virginians about, saying voters are "exhausted" by Trump’s "division, lies and hyper-partisanship."

Vega, a military spouse and former police officer who currently serves on the board of supervisors in Prince William County, accepted Trump’s endorsement, but didn’t focus on it, stressing that she had received many endorsements and saying that the race was "between myself and my opponent, not anybody else."  

Spanberger also seemingly distanced herself from President Biden, who has seen plummeting approval ratings, despite winning Virginia over Trump in 2020. Spanbeger, instead, hit the campaign trail with Virginia’s Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

President says he has been calling to congratulate various Election Night winners and is encouraging those voters still in line to vote to remain in place.

"Just got off the phone with some of tonight’s winners — including some folks I saw on the road this year. If you’re in line to vote, remember to stay in line!" he tweeted.

The tweet included a photo of himself on the phone at the White House.

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in New York on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky / AP Newsroom)

Majorities of voters blamed President Biden for rising consumer prices and said the issue was the single most important issue for them when casting their ballot in the midterm election, according to Fox News Voter Analysis.

The Fox News Voter Analysis election survey showed that 51% of voters nationwide characterize increasing prices for gas, groceries and other goods as the single most important factor in deciding how to vote. Another 42% said rising prices are an important factor, but not the most factor.

Of the voters who said inflation is the largest factor, 63% backed the Republican candidate in their House district while 33% voted for the Democrat.

In addition, 54% of voters said Biden's policies were more to blame for inflation and 81% of them went for the Republican. Among the 46% blaming factors beyond Biden’s control, 83% supported the Democrat.

Ahead of the election, Republicans across the country made inflation a major part of their platform. Democrats including Biden largely argued that inflation is slowing down and Republicans' plans would make it worse.

This update was provided by Fox News' Thomas Catenacci.

Read more about how voters feel Biden has largely contributed to the rise of inflation .

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. congressman Beto O'Rourke listens to his staff during his campaign kick off event in McAllen, Texas, Nov. 17, 2021. (REUTERS/Veronica G. Cardenas)

The third time was not the charm for Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke on Tuesday as voters in the state got a front row seat to see his latest attempt at higher office come crashing down.

O'Rourke, a former congressman, fell short in his race to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott the Fox News Decision Desk projected, marking his third loss in just four years after running for U.S. Senate in Texas in 2018 and president in 2020.

Although O'Rourke was highly touted by Democrats in each of his campaigns, he consistently failed to gain traction with voters following his 2018 run for Senate, and ultimately became parody-worthy for Saturday Night Live over his perennial, lackluster runs for office.

Read more about Beto O'Rourke's failed campaigns.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham reacted Tuesday to the Fox News Decision Desk's projection that GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis defeated Democrat Charlie Crist.

"Florida is still the model for the country, I think," Ingraham said. "The coalition of new voters, younger voters, Latino voters..."

Ingraham said DeSantis' victory over Crist and incumbent GOP Sen. Marco Rubio's victory over his Democratic challenger, Rep. Val Demings, was a "tour de force" performance.

"To me, that is a great light for the Republican Party," she said. "They know how to count votes, tabulate absentee ballots, and count mail in ballots so it can work."

"It worked in 2020 and it seems to be working now for the Republicans and the state has some certainty.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to supporters Tuesday night following his major re-election victory over Charlie Crist in the 2022 midterms.

"You know, over these past four years we've seen major challenges for the people of our state," DeSantis said. "We saw freedom and our very way of life, and many other jurisdictions in this country, wither on the vine. Florida held the line."

"We chose facts over fear. We chose education over indoctrination. We chose law and order over rioting and disorder," he added as he stood alongside his wife, Casey, during an election night gathering.

"Florida was a refuge of sanity when the world went mad," he added. "We stood as the citadel of freedom for the people in this country and indeed across the world."

DeSantis insisted that Florida "faced the tasks" and "took the hits" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We stood our ground and did not back down," he said. "We had the conviction to guide us and the courage to lead."

Now turning to a Senate race everybody’s watching, Pennsylvania, where Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are in a tight race.

Voter enthusiasm in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate race. (Fox News)

Fetterman has been reaching out to White noncollege voters — but so far a majority of them in our Fox News Voter Analysis are choosing Oz.

Fetterman’s supporters , on the other hand, are more enthusiastic about their candidate — 51%.

That is compared to only 40% who say they are enthusiastic for Oz.

This update was provided by the Fox News Polling Unit.

Read more on how voters feel about the Pennsylvania Senate candidates.

Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume broke down the apparent tension between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump Tuesday night.

"We've got this brewing competition between Trump and Mr. DeSantis, which has, you know, been obvious in the last couple of days," Hume said. "If it's a big, big night for DeSantis and his running mate is in Florida, that would sharpen that completion and give Trump something to think about."

"It's out there," Hume added, referring to the growing competition between the two men who are considered to be likely 2024 GOP candidates.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News Digital on Monday, Trump said that while there was no "tiff" with DeSantis, the Florida governor would be making a "mistake" by running and would anger the GOP base.

During a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend, Trump mocked DeSantis and referred to him as "Ron DeSanctimonious" in what some suggested was a sign of growing tension between the two over 2024. The following day, Trump gave his support to DeSantis, who is in a competitive gubernatorial race, and urged voters to cast their ballots for him.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this update.

Democrat Daniel Goldman wins election to U.S. House in New York's 10th Congressional District, The Associated Press projects.

Goldman represented the Democrats in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

Goldman gained an easier path to his party's nomination after one of his opponents in the Democratic congressional primary for New York's 10th district announced she would not run with a different party.

In a video posted to Twitter Tuesday night, New York Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou broke the news to her followers that she will not run on the Working Families Party line, claiming she lacked the resources to continue.

Trump mockingly endorsed Goldman in August, saying in a TRUTH Social post that "Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress, NY-10, and it is my great honor to Strongly Endorse him."

Fox News' Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.

An Arizona court ruled against a Republican-backed lawsuit to keep polls open for provisional ballots in Maricopa County after "hiccups" with some vote tabulators earlier in the day caused confusion at polling places.

"The court does not have evidence there was a voter who was precluded the right to vote from what was presented," the judge said minutes before polls closed Tuesday.

"From what I've seen they all got a collection of their vote," the judge said as the lawyer for Blake Masters' campaign argued before the court. Masters' campaign, the Republican National Committee and the campaign for Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake were behind the lawsuit.

"Under the Maricopa County protocols, it's ultimately processed," the judge also said.

Maricopa County's lawyer also argued that it is "simply not true" that some voters were denied the chance to vote. Ballots that could not go through the tabulators at polling places, they said, were put in a box and sent to a central counting location to be tabulated.

This update was provided by Fox News' Tyler Olson.

Read more about the GOP lawsuit to keep polls opened in Maricopa County.

We’re well underway with the midterm elections – and voters are unhappy.

Our Fox News Voter Analysis survey finds three-quarters are dissatisfied or downright angry at the way government is working.

Voter opinion on how the U.S. government is performing. (Fox News)

This sentiment is strongest in the Rocky Mountain and northern Plains states. Wyoming lodges the highest rate of disapproval - with 87% saying they're unhappy.

That could be bad news for incumbents. In Georgia, one of them – Sen. Raphael Warnock, the Democrat – is fighting for re-election, facing Herschel Walker, who's been backed by former President Donald Trump.

This update was provided by the Fox News Polling Unit.

Read more about the concerns of voters and their beliefs about the workings of government.

Poll workers in Pennsylvania have been processing as many as 1.4 million mail-in ballots throughout the day on Tuesday.

About 70% of all mail-in ballots were sent to registered Democrats across the state, a number that could benefit Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman once all the ballots are counted.

Officials say the count could take several days due to some count security procedures to catch double votes.

Fox Business host Larry Kudlow joined Fox News' Election Day coverage Tuesday night to discuss how inflation has embedded itself into the U.S. economy leading up to the 2022 midterm elections.

"Inflation is number one for good reason," Kudlow told Fox News hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier. "Too much spending, too much money printing, too much regulating, the war against fossil fuels - all these things contributed to a big rise in inflation, really by the middle of 2021."

Kudlow said that "inflation has become embedded into the economy" and it has "become embedded into wages."

Kudlow also suggested that "refined petroleum products permeated this economy."

Miami-Dade County in South Florida had a change of heart Tuesday and went red as voters supported Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis who is projected to be the first GOP governor to win the county in two decades. 

The county's shift from blue to red was part of a predicted successful evening by the GOP in an effort to take back full control of Congress. The Fox News Decision Desk projected Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, will defeat Democrat Val Demings. 

In 2002, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush became the last to-date Republican gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily populated and diverse Miami-Dade County in South Florida.

Read more about Republicans capturing Miami-Dade county.

This update was provided by Fox News' Louis Casiano.

Social media users quickly descended on MSNBC analyst Jason Johnson’s claim that he "can’t say" whether the Georgia midterm elections will be "fair and equitable" thanks to its election law. 

Johnson suggested on "Deadline: White House" hours before polls were set to close that Gov. Brian Kemp’s, R-Ga., 2021 voter security law acts as a form of "voter suppression" that prevents him from calling the election "fair" or "equitable."

"The level of voter suppression is beyond anything that we saw in 2018. So I think it’s completely up in the air. There has been youth turnout at levels we haven’t expected. Democrats feel confident, Republicans I’ve spoken to feel confident. But we can’t say that whatever happens tonight is a fair and equitable election, because there have been too many laws passed by election deniers to keep people from expressing themselves," Johnson said.

Read more about MSNBC's Jason Johnson casting doubts on Georgia's midterm elections. 

This update was provided by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick.

Voters experience significant delays on Election Day at polling places because of issues with vote tabulators, Republicans allege in a lawsuit. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

The campaigns for Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters and the Republican National Committee are suing Maricopa County, Arizona, over issues with voting tabulation machines. 

The GOP lawsuit seeks to keep polls open until 10 p.m. M.T. in the county. It also asks the state court to, "instruct the inspector at every polling location that voters whom the e-pollbook have recorded as having previously voted in this election must be permitted to complete and cast a provisional ballot."

Fox News previously reported Tuesday that many polling sites in the county were experiencing problems.

"Unfortunately we've had some hiccups with about 20% of these tabulators," Chairman to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Bill Gates told Fox News.

The GOP lawsuit said the issues hit "at least 36% of all voting centers." 

This update was provided by Fox News' Tyler Olson.

Read more about the GOP candidates' lawsuit against Maricopa County.

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, left, and Nevada Governor Sisolak, right (Getty Images).

Governor Sisolak of Nevada announced closures of some state offices in northern Nevada this evening due to snow storms and "potentially dangerous road conditions," according to a statement from the governor's office. Some state GOP officials are calling foul play claiming this is a thinly veiled attempt to discourage Nevadans from getting to the polls.

Nevada polls in the region were scheduled to remain open with more than two hours remaining before polls close.

Sisolak's office released the following statement regarding state office closures in Nevada:

"All State executive branch offices will close, effective at 3:30 p.m. today in Carson City, Washoe County, Storey County, Lyon County, and Douglas County. This order does not apply to essential public safety or corrections personnel, nor does it apply to employees whose job duties involve administering elections and/or elections security or support."

Former President Donald Trump spoke briefly with Fox News at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida Tuesday night as Election Day polls closed around the country.

Trump expressed concern over mishaps with voting in Arizona and predicted a GOP 'majority in both' chambers following the midterm elections.

"Did they get the machines working in Arizona," Trump asked members of the press. Upon hearing that the elections team was "working on it," Trump responded, "That's not good."

"I think they're gonna do good tonight," Trump said. "I'm just concerned about Arizona with the machines."

"We're gonna see what happens, but we're gonna have a very big night," Trump added.

Trump was also asked what victory looks like for him in tonight's midterm elections.

"Well, I'd say certainly a majority in both. I think we're gonna do very well in the House and I hope we're gonna do very well with the Senate."

Fox News' Griff Jenkins contributed to this update.

It’s election night and we’ve been asking voters around the country, over one hundred thousand, how they voted and why. This is our first look tonight at our new method to analyze their decisions, our Fox News Voter Analysis.

The top concern to voters tells the story of this election.

Nearly half, 47%, say the economy is the most important issue facing the country.

That’s nearly 5 times as many as any other issue such as abortion (10%), immigration (9%), climate (9%), crime (8%), health care (7%), gun policy (6%), foreign policy (2%), and coronavirus (2%).

This update was provided by the Fox News Polling Unit.

Read more about what voters are saying about the current state of the economy and its impact on the 2022 midterm elections.

James Moylan was the first Republican Congressional delegate elected from Guam since 1993. (Territory of Guam/Handout via Reuters)

For the first time in nearly 30 years,  Guam elected a Republican as its non-voting U.S. Congressional delegate on Tuesday.

James Moylan, a senator in the island’s legislature, defeated Democrat Judith Won Pat by 1,648 votes out of 32,502 votes cast, according to the Pacific Daily News. The results are partial and unofficial.

He was the first Republican elected to the position since 1993 and only the second since 1972, when the seat was created, the newspaper reported.

As an island in the western Pacific Ocean, Guam was the first midterm contest decided on Tuesday.

This update was provided by Fox News' Brie Stimson.

Officials in Maricopa County, Arizona say they have found a solution after roughly 20% of their polling sites were experiencing "issues" with tabulation machines just hours after Election Day polls opened.

The county’s election department said it had identified the solution for the tabulation issues at about 60 Vote Centers.

"This solution has worked at 17 locations, and technicians deployed throughout the county are working to resolve this issue at the remaining locations," the Maricopa County Elections Department tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

The county said technicians have changed the printer settings and the issue appears to have been resolved.

This update was provided by Fox News' Bradford Betz.

Read more about the voting "issues" out of Maricopa County on Election Day.

The Maricopa County, Arizona elections division is reporting that 20% of the tabulation machines across the county are malfunctioning and not counting ballots.

The means that a contingency plan has gone into affect, and that ballots from the affected locations will be moved in secure boxes to a central downtown Phoenix location to be counted.

This will not stop people from voting at the affected locations or their ballots from being counted.

Tune into the Fox News Channel's live election night coverage on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Fox News Digital is reporting live election results  across the country for the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans and Democrats are going head to head for control of Congress. Politicians across the country have spent months campaigning for seats in the House and Senate. Some of the most important states to watch results for are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Voters across the United States have ran to the polls today to case their votes. Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Arizona are experiencing issues at voting locations. Maricopa County officials said about 20% of voting locations are experiencing "hiccups" and Champaign County in Illinois is reporting a cyber attack. Polls on the East Coast started closing at 6 p.m. ET and results are expecting to flow in shortly after.

Follow along with Fox News Digital and tune into Fox News Channel for live election coverage and analysis as results are reported.

A PA judge ordered a county's polling locations stay open after paper issues (Getty Image)

A judge in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, ordered polls in the county to stay open until 10 p.m. ET after voters reported some polling locations running out of paper for voting machines. 

"Voters in Luzerne County through no fault of their own, were disenfranchised and denied the fundamental right to vote," Judge Lesa S. Gelb said in an order Tuesday. 

To rectify the problem, Gelb said, "voting hours in Luzerne County are hereby extended until 10:00 p.m." 

Other polling locations in Pennsylvania will close at 8 p.m. ET.

“This is your last chance to do something about it; the polls are still open,” said Senator Pat Toomey. “I think we could have a very good night for Republicans,” said Toomey. The Senator said he and his wife waited over an hour to vote in Lehman County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has one of the closely watched races this midterm cycle.

The Senate race between Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and GOP nominee Mehmet Oz is one of the most contentious in the nation, and could determine which party controls Congress' upper chamber for the last two years of President Biden's term.

This update was provided by Fox News' Tyler Olson and Rebekah Castor.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leaves a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 28, 2022. (Bloomberg)

Incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Missouri Senate hopeful Eric Schmitt each said Monday that if Republicans take control of the U.S. Senate, they won't support Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for another term as leader.

At a rally for Schmitt in Springfield, Missouri, Hawley told a gaggle of reporters that he prefers a fresh face for leader, citing disagreements with McConnell on funding Ukraine's defense against Russia and spending legislation.

"I don't imagine I will, no," Hawley reportedly said when asked if he would support McConnell.

"I'm not sure if any other senator will run or not. Nobody's indicated they would. But my view is that we need new leadership in that position," he added.

In the final weeks of the Republican Senate primary in July, Schmitt told reporters he wants either Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas or Mike Lee of Utah to lead the Republican conference. "Mitch McConnell hasn’t endorsed me and I don’t endorse him for leadership," Schmitt said at the time.

Asked Monday how he would vote in the next leadership election, Schmitt told reporters, "I said what I said, and I stand by those comments."

This update was provided by Fox News' Chris Pandolfo.

Read more about Hawley and Schmitt's opposition to McConnell's leadership in the Senate.

A Michigan voter inserts her absentee voter ballot into a drop box. (Paul Sancya)

Voting by mail is extremely popular among Americans participating this year's the 2022 midterm elections. More than 15 million people have voted already in the 2022 midterm elections.

Almost every state, except for Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois, have portals where residents can track their absentee ballots and ensure that their vote was counted.

The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as new voting laws in certain states, now offer different options for voters. California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington automatically send every voter a ballot. However, some states require individuals to provide an excuse for voting early by mail. Voter turnout is considered a necessity in most functioning democracies in the world. 

During this midterm election, 34 states will hold Senate elections, but only a handful of states will decide which party holds a majority in the chamber, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Typically, midterm elections have a lower voter turnout when compared to the presidential election years. This has been chalked up to a number of reasons, such as less voter interest in Congressional races compared to widely covered presidential elections. In some instances, even politically aware voters sometimes do not vote in the midterm cycle because it does not involve the president.

Track whether your absentee ballot has been counted.

Kari Lake told reporters Tuesday she would be their "worst freaking nightmare" as Arizona governor if elected. (Fox News)

Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, R., pledged to be the media's "worst freaking nightmare for eight years" if she's elected, saying Tuesday she would "reform the media."

Lake, a former local TV journalist known for her barbs against the press, lit into a CBS reporter after he asked if she would serve a full term if elected, noting political rumors that she would be Donald Trump's running mate if he runs for president in 2024.

"I am going to not only be the governor of Arizona for four years," she said. "I am going to do two terms. I'm going to be your worst freaking nightmare for eight years, and we will reform the media as well. We are going to make you guys into journalists again."

"So get ready. It's going to be a fun eight years," she added. "I can't wait to be working with you guys for eight years."

Lake added she would be "so thrilled" if Trump does run again, saying he needed to return to office to fix everything President Biden had "screwed up."

This update was provided by Fox News' David Rutz.

Read more of what Lake had to say on Election Day in Arizona.

The Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. (Daniel Acker for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The clerk's office of Champaign County, Illinois, is experiencing connectivity issues for its voting machines in what it is calling a "cyber-attack."

The Champaign County Clerk's Office announced Tuesday around midday that its systems were experiencing connectivity problems and poor server performance. The office stated it believed the issues are a result of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

"The Champaign County Clerk’s Office is aware of connectivity issues and computer server performance being impacted," the clerk's office announced Tuesday via social media. "The Clerk’s Office believes these are due to cyber-attacks on the network and servers."

The post went on to inform readers that these were not the first issues at the office, saying that the clerk's office has experienced repeated DDoS attacks for the past month.

"For the past month the Champaign County Clerk’s website has been the target of repeated D-DOS attacks, fortunately the reinforced security and response from the Clerk’s IT team has prevented these attacks from being successful and the Clerk's website has remained secured," the post reads.

This update was provided by Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi.

Read more about the alleged Election Day cyberattack in Illinois.

Most polls on the East Coast begin closing at 6:00 p.m. ET, meaning results should start flowing in shortly after.

Each state, however, has different rules when it comes to counting ballots and reporting results which could lead to varying amounts of data being reported at different times.

It's likely that the results of some races won't be known on election night because of the varying rules by state, as well as the high number of people expected to vote by mail.

In Alaska, the implementation of ranked-choice voting means results there may not be known until later in November, while in some states, like California, mail-in ballots are accepted for the entire week following the election as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

A voter casts his ballot at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections headquarters one day ahead of the US midterm elections in Orlando, Florida on November 7, 2022. (Photo by GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images)

What time do polls close?

Here are the times that polls close on Election Day (all times are local to the state).

6 p.m.

Indiana and Kentucky

7 p.m.

Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota (poll closings range, but begin at 7:00 p.m.), Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.

7:30 p.m

Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia

8 p.m.

Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

9 p.m.

New York

Variations

New Hampshire — Poll closing times vary, but cannot be before 7:00 p.m.

Tennessee — Polling locations close at 7:00 p.m. if located in Central Time Zone, and 8:00 p.m. if located in Eastern Time Zone.

Make sure to check with your local election officials for any changes to poll closing times, or for updated polling location information or additional variations that may not be listed.

See Fox News Digital's full poll opening/closing guide here.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this update.

Billboard mocking progressive ideals (Fox News)

The 2022 midterm election cycle saw numerous attack ads from Republicans and Democrats, raising the question of whether negative ads work on voters.

Political scientists and experts estimate that, in general, both positive and negative political ads have small effects in swaying voters, but in close elections can make a difference.

An advocacy known as Citizens for Sanity, for instance, launched the messaging campaign in multiple battleground states last month mocking progressive Democrats with phrases like "Help Charlie become Charlotte," "Mother Nature is Racist" and "Violent Criminals Deserve Our Respect."

"There’s an idea that a really good ad, or one delivered in just the right context to a targeted audience, can influence voters, but we found that political ads have consistently small persuasive effects across a range of characteristics," said Alexander Coppock, a co-author of a Yale study on political advertising.

Despite the lack of evidence that ads sway voters, campaigns still spend millions of dollars on advertising in print, mailers, TV and radio spots each cycle. 

POLITICS

Everything you need to know about the Senate midterms, candidates, and important races

Who will take control of the Senate? How many seats are up for grabs? Fox News Digital breaks down everything you need to know ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

The Senate consists of 100 lawmakers serving six-year terms; every election year about one-third of Senate seats are up for grabs. The Democrats currently hold a razor-thin majority in the upper chamber with 50 seats in their party's control. Remember that Democrats only need 50 seats to retain power, because Vice President Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote. In order to regain a majority in the Senate, Republicans will need to pick up two Senate seats.

Control of the Senate remains a toss-up. Fox News' Power Rankings show 47 seats going to the Democrats and 49 to the Republicans, leaving four crucial toss-up races to decide control of the Senate: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. 

Arizona, Georgia and Nevada are all being defended by incumbent Democrats, while Pennsylvania is an open seat due to the retirement of longtime Republican Sen. Pat Toomey last year.

Voters are shown casting ballots at a U.S. polling location on Nov. 2, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Residents in five states will have the opportunity to vote on amendments Tuesday that could remove language from their state constitution that permits slavery as a form of punishment for convicted criminals, though not everyone supports the referendum.

Ratified in 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in America, but it provided leeway for the practice as punishment for individuals convicted of a crime. Several state constitutions still have language reflecting that loophole allowing involuntary servitude for prisoners, but Tennessee, Louisiana, Oregon, Alabama, and Vermont are looking to change that this fall.

POLITICS

Slavery on the ballot this fall as voters decide whether to amend language to constitution in five states

Voters in five states will decide this November whether to remove language from their state constitution that permits slavery as a form of punishment for convicted criminals.

Rick Caruso and Karen Bass are competing to become mayor of Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

With more Californians participating in elections  through vote by mail, the results for several high-profile races in the Los Angeles area might not be called until days or weeks after Election Day, according to a report.

That includes the tightening race between Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, a longtime elected official in southeast LA, and billionaire developer Rick Caruso competing to become mayor of the second-largest city in the nation.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "Final results may take days or weeks in certain high-profile races, including a handful of nail-biter congressional contests around the state and a number of competitive Democrat-on-Democrat races in Los Angeles city and county, such as the hotly contested L.A. mayor’s race."

"We no longer have election night. We have election season," Mindy Romero, a political sociologist and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, told the Times.

This update was provided by Fox News' Danielle Wallace.

Inflation is top concern  of voters in the 2022 midterms, consistently ranking highest on voters' list of priorities throughout the election cycle. Unlike most political issues, inflation affects every single voter making it an especially potent force in this year's midterms.

Since hitting a 40-year high in June, inflation has remained stubbornly high with prices climbing 8.2% annually in September, according to the latest report from the Labor Department.

Despite efforts from the White House to address rising prices, President Joe Biden continues to poll poorly on his handling of the economy, in turn hurting voters' perception of Democrats on economic issues. Republicans have continued to poll better on inflation, with a majority of voters trusting the GOP over Democrats to best handle the economy.

Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, speaks about voting machine malfunctions at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 8, 2022, in Phoenix. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Arizona officials in Maricopa County on Tuesday said that roughly 20% of their polling sites were experiencing "issues" with tabulation machines just hours after Election Day polls opened.

"Unfortunately we've had some hiccups with about 20% of these tabulators," Chairman to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Bill Gates told Fox News.

Gates said an issue has arisen when people attempt to run their ballots through the tabulator and are unable to successfully do so as their ballots are being spit back out at them.

Gates said technicians were working to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

"No one wins Arizona without Maricopa County," said Fox News Senior Correspondent Alicia Acuna.

This update was provided by Fox News' Caitlin McFall.

Read more about what Gates told Fox News regarding the "hiccups" in voting in Maricopa County.

This election cycle, Democrats spent around $300 million campaigning on abortion. (Karen Bleier)

Following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June and give the power back to the states to place or lift restrictions on abortion, registered voters in six states will have the opportunity to vote on ballot initiatives that will either amend or abolish their state's current law on abortions.

Kentucky voters will see an initiative on their ballots that if passed, would preserve the state constitution to not allow abortions or public abortion funding. In Kentucky, abortion is currently illegal at the moment of fertilization, after a trigger-law that went into effect following Roe's reversal allowed the state to place an immediate ban on abortion.

Voters in Vermont will see Article 22 on their ballots this fall, which if passed would amend the state's constitution to continue providing abortion access without limitations. "The State of Vermont recognizes the fundamental right of every individual who becomes pregnant to choose to carry a pregnancy to term, to give birth to a child, or to have an abortion," Virginia's abortion law reads, allowing no restrictions on abortion. 

In Montana, voters will see the "Born-Alive Infant Protection Act," on the ballot. If passed, the legislation would acknowledge that infants born alive, including those born alive after an abortion, are legal persons. The law would also penalize doctors who do not treat them as a living person and take the required, necessary actions to "preserve the life of a born alive infant."

Californians will see Proposition 1 on their ballots, an initiative that would amend the state's constitution to allow abortions without any interference from the state. In the Golden State , abortion is currently legal up until the point of fetal viability, the point at which the fetus can survive outside the womb, or after in the case that it would protect the health or life of the mother.

Michigan voters will see Proposition 3 on their ballots, an initiative that would amend the state constitution to allow to abortions up until fetal viability and allow the state “to regulate abortion after fetal viability, but not prohibit if medically needed to protect a patient’s life or physical or mental health.” In Michigan, it is currently legal to get an abortion up until the point of fetal viability, which usually falls around the 23rd week of pregnancy.

The school and polling place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, suffered a bomb threat ahead of Election Day and a second on Tuesday. (Google Maps)

A polling site in a suburb of New Orleans was moved Tuesday after it received a bomb threat for the second time in five days, police say.

The Kenner Police Department says it is on scene investigating at Kenner Discovery School and "there were no children in school today due to elections."

"It was not a threat to elections, voters or election workers," John Tobler, a spokesman for the Louisiana secretary of state, told Fox News Digital.

Kenner Police say they are "trying to determine if this will be related to a bomb threat the school received on Thursday, Nov. 3."

This update was provided by Fox News' Greg Norman.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist participate in a live audience debate hosted by local CBS affiliate WEPC on October 24, 2022. (Screenshot/WFLA)

"CBS This Morning" hosts were shocked that they couldn't find any supporters for Florida's Democratic gubernatorial nominee in areas that voted for President Biden in 2020.

Charlie Crist is running against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the purple state that seems to be turning red.

Co-host Tony Dokoupil shared meals with voters up and down the coast of the Sunshine State in areas he said voted for Biden in 2020. Floridians praised their governor as a "beast" who "doesn't BS around."

Read more about CBS' surprise on its trip to Florida.

This update was provided by Fox News' Kristine Parks.

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan and New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc will face off in the Granite State's November 8 election. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

NEWFIELDS, N.H. – Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan claims former Army Gen. Don Bolduc, her Republican challenger in battleground New Hampshire’s crucial Senate race, has been "casting doubt" on the integrity of the election.

After the senator charged that Bolduc "doesn’t think he has to accept election results," Fox News asked if she’s concerned Bolduc may not concede if he loses by a razor-thin margin.

"He has been working to cast doubt on today’s election, which is an insult to the people of New Hampshire," Hassan answered, after voting in her hometown of Newfields on Tuesday morning.

"We run some of the best elections in the country," the senator said. "That Don Bolduc is casting doubt on today’s election integrity is really disturbing. But we’re going to keep standing up for the people of New Hampshire and standing up for democracy."

Hassan has been targeted by Republicans for close to two years, as the former governor seeks a second six-year term in the Senate, and her race with Bolduc is among a handful across the nation that will likely determine if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority in the midterm elections.

This update was provided by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser.

Read more about the New Hampshire Senate race between Hassan and Bolduc.

Americans are starting to take personal safety into their own hands and bringing their concerns over a nationwide crime surge to the polls on Election Day.

"There's a lot of first-time gun buyers constantly," FSS Armory owner Ross Osias told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney in a voter panel Tuesday. "They're all expressing some fear and this new wave of, ‘I need to protect myself.’"

In a town hall-style event on "Varney & Co.," voters from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania explained how their experiences with crime are impacting their decision in the 2022 midterms.

"The progressive[s] have unleashed chaos upon all of us," Glenn Vile, brother-in-law of a murdered Goldman Sachs employee, said. "It used to be fine when crime was bad in the 90s... after 8 o'clock, somebody got mugged. Now it's some lady jogging at 11 in the morning, has neck bones broken, then it's despicable."

"If you want more of something, you tolerate it," Vile continued. "And our administration, the mayor, the governor, [New York State Assembly Speaker] Carl Heastie, they're all tolerating crime, and it's chaos. It's not fair."

This update was provided by Fox Business' Kristen Altus.

Read more about Election Day voters' concerns about rising crime.

U.S. Capitol (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

On Election Day, voters across the country will decide who fills all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 total seats in the U.S. Senate.

Members of the House serve two-year terms, meaning every seat is up for grabs each two-year election cycle.

Members of the Senate serve six-year terms, with one-third of the total 100 seats up for grabs every two-year election cycle.

Of the 35 Senate elections taking place on Tuesday, 33 are regularly scheduled elections, while one additional race in California will decide who fills the final weeks of Vice President Kamala Harris ' six-year term, and another in Oklahoma will decide who fills the remaining four years of Sen. Jim Inhofe's seat following his announced retirement earlier this year.

Ron DeSantis appears alongside former President Donald Trump during a rally. (Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump confirmed that he cast a vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, saying Election Day was going to be a "very exciting day" for Republicans.

Trump cast his vote in Palm Beach, Florida, alongside his wife, Melania. He went on to say that he hopes Republicans can win Congress to start tackling crime across the country and "keep taxes low." Republicans are widely expected to take the House of Representatives, but control of the Senate remains a toss-up.

"I think we're gonna have a great night. I think it's gonna be great to the country. It's an honor to be here. They've done a fantastic job, but I think we're gonna have a very big night, and it's gonna be very exciting," Trump told reporters gathered outside the polling place.

Republicans across the country centered their campaigns around the economy, inflation and rising crime, leading to a significant advantage in polls just before Election Day.

This update was provided by Fox News' Anders Hagstrom.

Read more about how Trump's potential 2024 run has caused an apparent rift between him and DeSantis.

Voters in City Hall on Nov. 4, 2022, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The NAACP announced Tuesday the rollout of a measure to fight voter intimidation as Americans across the country head to the polls. 

"As our democracy hangs in the balance – this election is too important to ignore," NAACP CEO and president Derrick Johnson said in a statement. "For anyone who has not voted yet – this is the final day to get out and make sure your voice is heard."

The NAACP said "recruited and trained legal professionals" would be heading to the polls to track any voter suppression reports via the Voter Incident Report Form. The organization stated they "encouraged" anyone experiencing issues at the polls to fill out the form. 

Reports issued via the form will be reviewed by a team of legal professionals in the NAACP's Office of General Counsel, who will then determine any next steps. 

Read more about the NAACP's announced measure to fight voter intimidation.

This update was provided by Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing.

The Supreme Court's June decision to overturn Roe v. Wade brought abortion to the forefront of national debate this summer. Until that decision, midterms messaging was focused almost entirely on the economy and crime, but the Supreme Court leak and subsequent ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization thrust the social issue into the midterms conversation and gave new momentum to Democrats. 

Many Democrat candidates refocused their midterms messaging to abortion following the SCOTUS decision. In fact, Planned Parenthood announced a record-breaking midterm spending plan of $50 million in key races, Fox News Digital reported. 

Democrats saw a bump in generic congressional polling and the midterms appeared more competitive for the first time all cycle. 

Despite heightened interest in abortion, especially among Democrat voters, some political commentators question the potency of the issue come election day, worrying that Democrat candidates might be leaning too heavily on the issue at a time when inflation and crime continue to top concerns of key voter blocs. 

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event for Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore and others at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Biden steered clear of public appearances on Election Day, taping a single radio interview before calling it a day early.

Biden, who has actively campaigned and rallied for Democrats in several races across multiple states, laid low on Tuesday except for an interview taped earlier in the morning with the D.L. Hughley Show, which was expected to air later in the afternoon.

The president used the radio spot to tell Americans what the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered to the Black community in less than two years in office.

The White House called a lid at 11:20 a.m. before the noon pool call time with reporters.

This update was provided by Fox News' Stephen Sorace.

President Biden had several verbal stumbles in his last week of campaigning for Democrats across the country. (AP Newsroom)

President Biden gaffed his way across the campaign trail in the final week leading up to Election Day.

Biden, who turns 80 this month, appeared at an extensive list of Democratic campaign events over the past week, where he had several verbal stumbles. The president referred to General Motor CEO Mary Barra as "Amy Barrett," who is a Supreme Court justice. He called Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D.-Fla., a "friend in the Senate."

During his final campaign event Monday night in Maryland, he appeared to forget the name of the candidate he was there to endorse.

"And, of course, you got that next governor. What’s his name? Wes… Wes…," Biden said, which sparked the audience to hold up their "Wes Moore" signs.

"Wes Moore!" Biden eventually said. "The guy’s the real deal, man."

Biden’s struggles on the campaign trail included statements that are easily disproven. The president claimed to have spoken to the creator of insulin, who in reality died before he was born. He repeated his debunked claim to have traveled 17,000 miles with Chinese President Xi Jin Ping.

This update was provided by Fox News' Patrick Hauf.

Read more about some of the troubling comments President Biden made as he stumped for Democratic candidates on the campaign trail.

Americans across the nation are heading to the ballot box to cast their vote, with inflation, crime, education and border security as the top concerns.

Some voters are turning to the GOP for the first time due to the past two years of Democratic leadership. 

"I've always voted Democrat, and as soon as [Biden] took office, I opened up my eyes," one lifelong Democrat told "Fox & Friends" enterprise reporter Lawrence Jones, citing crime, the border, education and the exit from Afghanistan.

"Enough is enough. I went this morning and I voted, and I voted all Republican."

Read more about this voter's decision to vote Republican.

This update was provided by Fox News' Madeline Coggins.

There has been early voting in Utah for several weeks and the ballots are processed and counted as they come in. (Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Mailing delays in Iron County, Utah, may force voters to cast their ballots in person, sparking concern over rural and elderly citizens who now must travel to polling centers, according to a local report.

Iron County Clerk Jon Whittaker told FOX13 Salt Lake City that some county residents only received their mail-in ballots the weekend before Election Day.

"From what I understand, many — I don’t dare say most — many were delivered by last Saturday," Whittaker said.

The ballots had been printed and ready to be mailed by Oct. 14, ahead of the Oct. 18 deadline, but a packaging mishap resulted in them getting mixed up with other mail, he told the station.

This update was provided by Fox News' Stephen Sorace.

Read more about how mailing delays are impacting residents in one county in Utah amid the midterm elections.

Stacey Abrams, Democratic candidate for Governor of Georgia, speaks to the media after posing for photos with students and encouraging voting at Georgia State University on Nov. 7, 2022 in Atlanta. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has unequivocally declared her intention to defeat incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in an Election Day message.

"My name is Stacey Abrams and I intend to be the next governor of the great state of Georgia," Abrams tweeted Tuesday, as voters head to the ballot box. 

Abrams, who unsuccessfully ran against Kemp in 2018, has trailed the Republican governor in the polls despite record fundraising. Her campaign has hauled in nearly $98 million , according to reports filed with the state election commission, while Kemp has raised more than $69 million. 

Though she is polling behind Kemp, Abrams has argued she will win the election Tuesday if voters can overcome alleged voter suppression tactics she has accused state Republicans of enacting since her 2018 loss.

This update was provided by Fox News' Chris Pandolfo.

Read more on how Democrat Stacey Abrams has declared her spot as governor of Georgia.

President Joe Biden’s presence on the campaign trail failed to resonate with voters, GOP strategists say. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)

President Joe Biden’s presence on the campaign trail failed to resonate with voters, GOP strategists say, and ended up hurting his Democratic colleagues in what Biden himself has said is "one of the most important elections in our lifetime."

Biden played it safe on the campaign trail over the past week as he visited mostly Democrat-heavy areas, but he already did damage to Democratic candidates with several appearances that failed to talk about issues that voters care about. GOP strategists said the shift in polling data toward Republicans in recent weeks can be attributed, at least in part, to Biden’s lackluster performance on the campaign trail.

Brendan Steinhauser, a consultant for GOP candidates, said Biden failed to create a message that can appeal to moderate voters.

This update was provided by Fox News' Patrick Hauf.

Read more about the impact of Biden's presence on the campaign trail for Democrat voters

A voter arrives to cast their mail-in ballot at the City-County Building in downtown Pittsburgh Monday, May 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The legal fight in Pennsylvania over mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates could drag on for weeks after Election Day, forcing courts to make the final decision on whether thousands of votes can be counted.

The battle is playing out in both in state and federal court against the backdrop of a very close U.S. Senate race that may decide control of the upper chamber. On one side are Democrat officials and activist groups who want to allow mail-in votes to count despite "minor errors." On the other are state, local and national Republican committees  insisting on strict adherence to state law on how to fill out these ballots.

"Past experience tells us these kinds of things can drag on for what seems like an eternity," Pennsylvania Republican Party general counsel Tom King told Fox News Digital.

"What we have going on is a mad scramble as we speak," King added.

The most high-profile ongoing litigation is a federal lawsuit from the NAACP and other groups – represented by the ACLU – that seeks to force officials to count mail ballots with incorrect or missing dates, despite a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling mandating they be sequestered. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running against Republican Mehmet Oz, later filed a similar federal suit.

This update was provided by Fox News' Tyler Olson.

Attorney General Merrick Garland delivers a statement at the Department of Justice on April 26, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Image)

President Biden's Justice Department sent out election monitors to 64 jurisdictions in 24 states to ensure federal laws are followed throughout Election Day.

While it is common practice for the DOJ to deploy election monitors, the move represents a sharp increase over 2020, when the DOJ sent out monitors to just 44 jurisdictions, according to the Washington Post. The monitors will have an outsized presence in several key battleground states, including Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

"Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored elections in the field in jurisdictions around the country to protect the rights of voters. The Civil Rights Division will also take complaints from the public nationwide regarding possible violations of the federal voting rights laws through its call center," the DOJ wrote in a statement announcing the move.

Biden's White House has warned that results may not be clear on Election Day due to the process of counting mail-in ballots, which are often tallied after the in-person ballots cast on Election Day.

This update was provided by Fox News' Anders Hagstrom.

Incumbent Democrat Reps. Abigail Spanberger, Jennifer Wexton and Elaine Luria. (Getty Images)

All eyes are on Virginia Tuesday as Democrats look to hold onto their control over the House of Representatives amid polls that suggests Republicans may sweep the lower chamber.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats flipped any Virginia House seats in 2020, but the election of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2021 and tight races in the 2nd, 7th and 10th districts could spell trouble for Democrats.

Incumbent Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger and her challenger Yesli Vega, a Republican currently serving on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, is expected to be the race to watch in Virginia’s fight for the House. 

This update was provided by Fox News' Caitlin McFall.

Pennsylvania Senate candidates John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz participate in a debate on October 25 in Harrisburg, PA. (NewsNation)

Republican Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman have cast their ballots Tuesday in Pennsylvania’s hotly contested Senate race.

"I'm very proud of how I've run this campaign. Pennsylvanians are sending a very clear message to Washington -- we want less radicalism, and more balance," Oz told a group a reporters that had gathered Tuesday after he cast his ballot at Bryn Athyn Borough Hall in Huntington Valley, north of Philadelphia.

"So I encourage everyone to vote, it's your duty," Oz added.

Fetterman, meanwhile, did not offer comments after  casting his vote at the New Hope Baptist Church in Braddock, a Pittsburgh suburb where he used to serve as mayor.

This update was provided by Fox News' Greg Norman.

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The DeSantis administration warned Biden’s Department of Justice late Monday that federal Election Day poll monitors are "not permitted" inside polling places under Florida law, and said Florida will send its own monitors to "ensure there is no interference in the voting process."

On Monday, the DOJ released a list of 64 jurisdictions within 24 states in which the department plans to send attorneys to "monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws" on Election Day. Included in that list are Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties in Florida.

Brad McVay, general counsel to Florida's Department of State, told the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department in a Monday letter that the DOJ "seem[ed] to indicate" that these monitors will be placed inside polling places. However, he said that is not permitted.

"Section 102.031(3)(a) of the Florida Statutes lists the people who ‘may enter any polling room or polling place,'" McVay wrote. "Department of Justice personnel are not included on the list."

This update was provided by Fox News' Brianna Herlihy

Ronna McDaniel is making a final push for GOP candidates in Pennsylvania on Election Day, which she says is when most Republicans plan to vote in the state.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman joined "Fox & Friends" with Pete Hegseth at Eagle Diner, outside Philadelphia, to discuss Election Day and how the RNC plans to ensure election fairness. McDaniel explained why she chose Bucks County to help Dr. Mehmet Oz in his final push to win a key Senate seat.

"This is a key county. It's going to be key to Republican victories. And we've seen today that Republicans vote on Election Day in Pennsylvania. So we're coming out and making sure everybody gets out and votes today," McDaniel said.

McDaniel explained that Democrats lead in absentee ballot voting and Republicans will need to overcome the margin by turning out on Tuesday.

"I was at Oz's rally last night, I asked the audience of over 1,000 people, how many of you voted? Not a single hand went up, so we got to get it all done today, she said. He's going to have to win by close to 60%. I think he will. But everyone has to get out and vote."

A “Fox & Friends First” panel featuring Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and Fox News contributor David Webb discussed when election results – and which party will control the House and Senate -- will be learned.

Huckabee believes that because of early voting, states will be able to count enough ballots so that the country will have answers before Election Day comes to an end.

“I think we absolutely will,” Huckabee. “I think we’re going to know who controls the governorships, the state legislatures, as well as the U.S. Senate. And it’s going to be the Republicans.”

Sears, a Republican, added that Democrats have "damaged their brand" by moving more to the left, putting Republicans in position to succeed.

One state that may not have all of its races decided on Election Day is Georgia. The Peach State will have a runoff election for Senate if neither Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock or Republican Herschel Walker garners a majority of the votes. The general election ballot includes Libertarian Chase Oliver. In the event of a runoff, only the top two candidates from the general election will be included. The runoff  will take place on December 6, if needed.

Depending on how other states’ races go, control of the Senate may not be determined until then.

'Fox & Friends Weekend' hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos Duffy spoke to voters in Florida and Wisconsin on Election Day, hearing their concerns about issues like inflation and education.

Polls have opened in Florida and many voters interviewed say they want “accountability” and give their take on who they will be voting for today as they share breakfast with old friends and strangers. They share their concerns and what they hope this election will accomplish.

Voters in Wisconsin share their take on top issues that will bring them to the polls. These voters are happy to take a break from their morning meals to share with Rachel Campos Duffy. The border, inflation, education, and “the children” are top concerns for voters as they line up at their polling locations. One voter shares about her grocery shopping experience and the impact inflation has had on her life.

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin encouraged voters to go out to the polls Tuesday morning, slamming incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and other Democrats for not addressing violent crime.

This is in response to Hochul claiming that Republicans are overplaying how bad crime is in the state.

A group of anti-abortion protesters crashed the Women's March Action Rally for Reproductive Rights. (David McNew)

Democrats spent a whopping $320 million campaigning on abortion this cycle, while neglecting other pressing issues such as rising inflation, the tanking economy, the crisis at the southern border and crime.

According to AdImpact, Democrats spent only $140 million on ads related to crime and $31 million on advertisements addressing inflation, despite inflation hitting a 40-year-high and the economy being of top importance to the majority of voters.

Several Democratic candidates have used the topic of abortion to drive their campaigns, running ads that attempt to smear their GOP opponent's pro-life views, but would not specify their position on abortion and what limitations, if any, they supported.

Despite making abortion a midterm focus and investing hundreds of millions of crucial campaign funds into the topic, a recent New York Times national poll found that only 5% of registered voters believe that abortion is the most important issue facing our country today, while the majority of voters, 26%, believe the economy to be the top issue.

The national poll also found that the issue of inflation was of top concern to 18% of respondents. The New York Times survey was conducted Oct. 9 to 12 with a margin of error of 4.0 percentage points. 

Issues GOP handle better than Democrats, according to voters. (Fox News)

1. Growing Inflation

Inflation is top concern of voters in the 2022 midterms, consistently ranking highest on voters' list of priorities throughout the election cycle. Unlike most political issues, inflation affects every single voter making it an especially potent force in this year's midterms.

2. Crime and a spike in crime rates

Major cities across the U.S. in Red and Blue states have seen a surge in violent crime since the pandemic, with homicides hitting historic highs in 2020 and 2021. 

3. Abortion and abortion rights

Many Democrat candidates refocused their midterms messaging to abortion following the SCOTUS decision. In fact, Planned Parenthood announced a record-breaking midterm spending plan of $50 million in key races, Fox News Digital reported. 

4. Immigration and border security

The issue has remained a central theme throughout the midterms, consistently polling high on the list of voter concerns according to national polls.

5. Threats to Democracy

Threats to democracy has been an issue of top importance to Democrats in the midterms, topping out inflation and abortion in several national polls. 

Over the last year, former President Trump issued several endorsements for candidates who are featured on ballots in this year's midterm elections.

Donald Trump has repeatedly hinted that he would pursue another run for the White House in 2024. (Associated Press)

Trump issued a total of 493 endorsements this year, with 240 of those being primary endorsements. Trump's primary endorsements had a 92% success rate. For the general election, Trump issued 253 endorsements.

GOP Senate candidates who have received Trump's endorsement in key states include Blake Masters in Arizona, Kelly Tshibaka in Alaska, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Adam Laxalt in Nevada, JD Vance in Ohio, Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin, and Dan Bolduc in New Hampshire.

Trump's endorsement in the 2022 elections had a significant impact on Republicans who previously voted to impeach him. Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Peter Meijer of Michigan, and Tom Rice of South Carolina all lost their primary elections.

One of Trump's most notable endorsements came when we endorsed Cheney's primary challenger, Harriet Hageman, in the Wyoming U.S. House race. Cheney, who serves as vice chair of the House January 6 Committee, conceded to Hageman in the state's August 16 election.

POLITICS

A simple guide to midterm elections, how they affect the presidency, and more

What are the midterm elections, the purpose of holding them every four years, how they impact the presidency, and more. Everything you need to know about the midterms explained.

While the presidency is not on the ballot during midterm election years, the midterms generally serve as a litmus test for the president’s popularity halfway through his term in office. 

The outcome of the 2022 midterms will set the stage for the latter half of Biden’s term in office, as well as the 2024 presidential election. If the Democratic Party can hold onto a majority in one or both chambers, Biden should find it relatively easier to achieve his political agenda with the help of a Democrat-controlled Congress. If Republicans gain House and Senate majorities, Biden will find it increasingly more difficult to pull off significant legislative victories, and will likely see Republican-led investigations launched into his presidency.

Fox News Power Rankings graphic forecasting a GOP control of the House. (Fox News)

Democrats currently hold a slim majority in the House with 222 seats, versus 213 seats in Republican control. This means that Republicans need to pick up just 5 seats in order to reach the 218 seats needed to hold a majority.

Republicans are favored to regain a majority in the House, according to most race projections. Fox News' Power Rankings forecast that Republicans will pick up 23 seats to hold a 236 seat majority in the lower chamber.

Historically, the president’s party loses 29 House seats, on average, in his first midterm election, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report.

Each midterm election cycle, all 435 seats within the House of Representatives are up for election, compared to about one-third of Senate seats. At the state level, 36 states hold elections for governor and other local officials in midterm years.

Billionaire Elon Musk encouraged independent voters to support Republicans in Tuesday's midterm elections. (Getty images | iStock)

Billionaire Twitter CEO Elon Musk  endorsed Republicans for the midterm election cycle on Monday, telling voters to cast ballots for a Republican Congress.

Musk's announcement comes months after he first announced plans to vote Republican earlier this year. He argued Monday that having a government split between two parties is ideal, and noted President Biden's possession of the White House for Democrats before saying Congress should go to Republicans.

"To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic," Musk wrote.

Musk's endorsement follows through on his vow to vote Republican in May.

This update was provided by Fox News' Anders Hagstrom.

POLITICS

Elon Musk: 'I recommend voting for a Republican Congress'

Billionaire Twitter CEO Elon Musk endorsed Republicans in the midterm cycle on Monday, encouraging independent voters to cast their ballots to make a Republican Congress.

American flags fly outside the New York Stock Exchange Sept. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer/AP Newsroom)

Regardless of who holds onto or gains power from the midterm election, the result will affect investors and the stock market for weeks to come. Moreover, the rising cost of living and persistent inflation may accelerate depending on the volatility of the stock market's reaction.

By definition, the United States is already in a recession. The most widely used definition of a recession is two straight quarters of falling gross domestic product. The U.S. GDP fell at a 0.9% annualized rate in the second quarter, following a 1.6% decline in the first quarter of 2022.

Not since the midterm election in 1929 has a recession begun during a president's third year in office. To have a rough idea of how election results will affect the stock market, we must evaluate past midterm elections.

Major cities across the U.S. in Red and Blue states have seen a surge in violent crime since the pandemic, with homicides hitting historic highs in 2020 and 2021. 

According to figures from the Council on Criminal Justice, homicides in 2022 are still 39% higher than during the same period in 2019, with property crimes, violent crimes, and drug offenses also seeing increases this year.

As the party traditionally tied to law and order, Republicans have made crime a key part of their midterms messaging, frequently calling out Democrat opponents who previously supported defunding the police in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. 

Crime has continued to poll higher on voters' concerns in the final weeks of the midterms, often coming in second to inflation, with a majority of voters trusting Republicans over Democrats on crime by a 15 point margin, according to a Fox News Poll. 

'Vote Here' sign is seen at a Michigan voting precinct in August 2022 (REUTERS/Emily Elconin)

Here is Fox News Digital's guide to when polls close and open across the country on Election Day.

A number of states conduct their elections primarily by mail, however voters can still vote in person within the timeframe polls are open if they choose to do so.

Make sure to check with your local election officials for any changes to poll opening and closing times, or for updated voting location information or additional variations not listed.

AP Photo

Pennsylvania voters shared differing opinions on how heavily the debate between Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman influenced their vote ahead of Tuesday's midterm election.

"It did," one woman, Yahneinpolor, told Fox News. "Because when they asked Fetterman a question, he continued to just not say the right answer."

But another woman, Karen, said "not at all."

US President Joe Biden speaks during a rally for gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore and the Democratic Party on the eve of the US midterm elections, at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, on November 7, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden told reporters on Monday that he was "optimistic" about Tuesday's midterm elections, but admitted it would be a "tough" race for Democrats when it comes to keeping control of the House.

"I'm feeling, feeling optimistic. But I'm always optimistic," Biden said as he arrived at the White House. He campaigned for Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Maryland gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore at Bowie State University earlier that day.

Biden responded less enthusiastically when a reporter asked if Democrats could keep their House majority.

"I think it's going to be tough, but I think we can," Biden replied.

"I think we'll win the Senate. I think the House is tougher," he added.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

President Biden predicts that Democrats will "surprise the living devil out of a lot of people" in Tuesday’s midterm elections, when roughly a third of the Senate, all 435-members of the House of Representatives, and governors’ offices in 36 of the 50 states are up for grabs.

But with Democrats facing historical headwinds — the party that wins the White House traditionally suffers major setbacks in the ensuing midterm elections — and a very rough political climate fueled by record inflation, soaring crime and a crisis at the nation’s southern border, all accentuated by his own rebounding but still underwater approval ratings, the president’s election eve forecast appears optimistic.

Republicans are aiming to regain majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate in Tuesday’s contests, while maintaining and potentially increasing their current control of a majority of governorships and state legislative chambers.

From left to right: Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Raphael Warnock, and Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg, Mark Makela, Elijah Nouvelage, Megan Varner via Getty Images)

The Senate remains a toss-up. Fox News' Power Rankings show 47 seats going to the Democrats and 49 to the Republicans, leaving four crucial toss-up races to decide control of the Senate: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. 

Arizona: Blake Masters vs Sen. Mark Kelly

Tech venture capitalist and Republican nominee Blake Masters is challenging Democrat incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut, who has held the seat since defeating Martha McSally in a 2020 special election. 

Georgia: Herschel Walker vs Sen. Raphael Warnock

Democratic incumbent and Baptist pastor Sen. Raphael Warnock, who was elected in a 2021 special election, faces off against scandal-ridden, Trump-endorsed Herschel Walker on November 8.  

Nevada: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto vs Adam Laxalt

In Nevada, Democrat incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is facing Republican challenger Adam Laxalt in a race that many political pundits are saying will determine the majority party in the Senate.

Pennsylvania: John Fetterman vs Oz

Pennsylvania is another Senate race that has political analysts scratching their heads where a pair of atypical candidates has garnered nationwide attention. John Fetterman and Dr. OZ are on the ballot this Tuesday.

Threats to democracy has been an issue of top importance to Democrats in the midterms, topping out inflation and abortion in several national polls. 

President Joe Biden has called attention to the issue in recent campaign speeches, denouncing "extreme MAGA Republicans" and the threat they pose to democracy. This point was central to Biden's "Battle for the Soul of the Nation" speech in Pennsylvania where he accused MAGA Republicans of waging an "assault on American democracy."

In Congress, Democrats have attempted to keep this issue front-and-center ahead of the midterms. The House Select Committee's investigation into the January 6th Capitol riot has held numerous public hearings attempting to prove former President Donald Trump undermined democracy in the aftermath of January 6th. Last week, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina went as far as to say that the U.S. is "on track to repeat" Germany in the 1930's, in a recent interview with Fox New Digital.

On the trail, some Democrat candidates have pointed to their Republican opponents' refusal to accept the 2020 election results as a key sticking point in their campaign messaging, though some political analysts warn this strategy will hurt Democrats as they shift the focus off economic issues.