Congressional elections live updates: House and Senate up for grabs as results trickle in

The daughter of late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee won a special election Tuesday night to finish her mother's congressional term.

Erica Lee Carter defeated two Republican challengers in the race for the Houston-area district where her mother served for almost 30 years.

Jackson Lee died in July at age 74 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Her funeral was filled with high profile mourners, including Vice President Harris who gave Jackson Lee's eulogy just days after declaring her candidacy for president.

Democrat Bob Ferguson won election as governor of Washington on Tuesday, defeating Republican former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert. Ferguson is the state's three-term attorney general. He came to national prominence by repeatedly suing former President Donald Trump's administration, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump's initial travel ban on citizens of several majority Muslim nations. The campaign focused on public safety, with Ferguson saying he will direct money to help cities hire more police, as well as abortion rights and Trump's legacy. Washington has not had a Republican governor in nearly 40 years. The Associated Press declared Ferguson the winner at 11:29 p.m. EST.

Republican Bernie Moreno defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio on Tuesday, in one of the year's most competitive and expensive Senate contests. Moreno, a Colombian-born businessman from Cleveland, succeeded by highlighting his endorsement from former President Donald Trump and working to tie Brown to the Biden administration's border and immigration policies. Brown has been a fixture in Ohio politics for 50 years. He was unable to overcome the former bellwether state's strong shift to the right as he focused on abortion rights and empowering the middle class. The Associated Press declared Moreno the winner at 11:27 p.m. EST.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado, has won reelection to a third term in the House.

This time she ran in a different, more Republican-friendly district receptive to her brand of partisan ferocity.

The move helped her avoid a rematch with a candidate she had narrowly defeated in 2022, and it followed an embarrassing episode at a Denver theater that led to her being kicked out for her disruptive behavior.

Boebert is a Donald Trump loyalist whose brash style can make for headlines and television appearances, such as when she heckled Joe Biden during his 2022 State of the Union.

She says of her approach, "I learned very early on in Washington, D.C. that nothing happens without force."

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine won reelection in Virginia for his third term Tuesday, beating Republican challenger Hung Cao. Kaine was widely expected to keep his role as the Commonwealth's junior senator. Political scientists said there was only a narrow path to victory for Cao given Virginia's moderate electorate, aversion to Trump in 2020 and Kaine's salience with voters. Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who had former President Donald Trump's endorsement. But the most recent Republican to hold a Senate seat from Virginia was the late John Warner, a centrist who last won in 2002.The Associated Press declared Kaine the winner at 11:22 p.m. EST.

Democrats have picked up their first flipped seat on Election Day as Democrat John Mannion defeated Republican Rep. Brandon Williams in upstate New York.

It's an early sign, but one that will give Democrats reason to believe they can continue to gain seats in New York and across the map.

House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned for Williams last week, but stepped into a political mess when he seemed to suggest that Republicans would potentially repeal the CHIPS and Science Act - legislation that had helped spur plans to bring a large microchip manufacturing plant to the district.

Johnson later clarified his remarks, saying that he only wanted to streamline the legislation.

California may not be much of a presidential battleground, but it's a different story when it comes to the House.

Ten of the state's 52 House seats are considered in play.

The most competitive races are generally in Republican-held districts that Joe Biden carried in 2020. Those races are being heavily targeted by Democrats.

They include seats in the Central Valley held by Republican Reps. John Duarte and David Valadao and three seats in Southern California held by Reps. Mike Garcia, Ken Calvert and Michelle Steel.

Democrats will need to pick up one or more of those seats, or it will be a tough night for them in their bid to take the House majority. Republicans are looking to flip a seat held by Rep. Katie Porter, who made an unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell won a fifth term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, fending off a challenge from Republican emergency room doctor Raul Garcia and holding a seat that was considered safe. Cantwell took about 58% of the vote in the August top-two primary to Garcia's roughly 21%. Cantwell, a former tech executive, stressed her work to promote businesses in Washington, protect the environment and lower taxes for middle-income residents. The Associated Press declared Cantwell the winner at 11:00 p.m. EST.

Larry Hogan, a popular Republican who lost his bid for a U.S. Senate seat to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, said in a speech to supporters that he congratulated Alsobrooks on her victory.

Hogan said "we can all take pride" in electing Alsobrooks as the first Black U.S. Senator from Maryland.

He said Americans are convinced that the country is "hopelessly divided" and that Washington is "completely dysfunctional."

"No matter what happens in this election, we as a country must move beyond talking only with those we agree with, and we need to stop dismissing or even hating those we disagree with," Hogan said.

"We have got to find a way to come together," he said.

Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman was reelected to a U.S. House seat on Tuesday, holding on to a southwest Ohio district that Republicans had hoped to reclaim. It marked just the third time a Democrat has won the 1st Congressional District in the Cincinnati area since 1994. Landsman first won the seat from 13-term Republican Rep. Steve Chabot in 2022. This year, he defeated Republican Orlando Sonza, an Army veteran and Hamilton County veterans services director. The Associated Press declared Landsman the winner at 10:49 p.m. EST.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson refuted Trump's social media claims of "heavy law enforcement" in Detroit on Tuesday before polls closed, calling them "not true." "The former president said there was a strong law enforcement presence in Philadelphia and Detroit," Benson said. "That was not true. We quickly debunked it." At a news conference in downtown Detroit after Michigan's polls closed, Benson praised the election as "very successful," and noted minimal issues. She added that the state is on track for record-breaking turnout.

Democratic Sen.

won a third term representing New Mexico in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Heinrich, who served as an Albuquerque city councilor for one term prior to winning his first congressional race in 2008, championed causes that included gun safety and abortion access during his latest Senate campaign. He defeated Republican Nella Domenici, the daughter of former New Mexico political legend Pete Domenici. The race was dominated by attacks ads, including suggestions that Heinrich had lost touch with New Mexico after spending so much time in Washington. The Associated Press declared Heinrich the winner at 10:36 p.m. EST.

Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has reported its first votes. The huge county is critical to winning in Arizona. Its first update included more than a million votes, about half of the expected total there. The first reported votes were ballots that arrived or were cast ahead of Election Day. County election officials have warned it could take as long as 13 days to tabulate all ballots. In the Senate race, Democrat Ruben Gallego faces Republican Kari Lake.

Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New York on Tuesday. Ryan was first elected to Congress in a special election to replace Democrat Antonio Delgado, who resigned to serve as lieutenant governor under Gov. Kathy Hochul. He won a full term representing part of New York's Hudson Valley in 2022. The district includes the northernmost reaches of the New York City metro area and was carried by Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. The Associated Press declared Ryan the winner at 10:34 p.m. EST.

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte was elected governor of New Hampshire on Tuesday, extending the GOP's hold on the office by defeating former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. The seat was open for the first time since 2016 after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu decided not to seek a fifth two-year term. Ayotte, who was New Hampshire's first female attorney general, is the third woman to be elected governor in the state. She focused much of her campaign on crime and immigration, stoking anti-Massachusetts sentiment with her "Don't Mass it up" slogan. The Associated Press declared Ayotte the winner at 10:34 p.m. EST.

About 4 in 10 voters said Senate control was the most important factor in deciding how to vote in Montana's Senate race, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 1,100 voters in the state.

Overall, almost 6 in 10 voters said the future of democracy was the most important factor in casting their vote in the general election.

About one-third said the high price of groceries, gas, and other goods was the most important factor, and roughly 3 in 10 voters said the future of free speech in the US.

About a quarter of voters said abortion policy was the top factor in casting their vote in the general election.

Republicans have picked up three seats in North Carolina that were redistricted by the state's GOP-controlled General Assembly.

Republicans Addison McDowell, Brad Knott and Tim Moore all won seats that were previously controlled by Democrats.

The victories give Republicans an early and potentially crucial boost in their bid to keep control of the House.

But redistricted seats are not all favorable to the GOP. Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat each in Louisiana and Alabama thanks to redistricting.

A few minutes into his speech after winning his U.S. Senate race, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was joined on stage by his wife, children and grandchildren. But something was still missing.

The crowd at the Greenbrier Resort started chanting, "Babydog! Babydog!"

Soon, Justice's English bulldog, wearing a purple bow, trotted onstage to applause and took her usual spot in a chair next to him.

Justice, a two-term governor, has regularly brought his 5-year-old dog to public appearances, including at his State of the State address in 2022 and at the Republican National Convention in July. Babydog even has her own bobblehead and appeared in new murals under the golden dome of the state Capitol.

"What an incredible, incredible time we've had together," Justice said. "She absolutely can makes you smile, and she loves everybody."

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley won a second U.S. Senate term representing Missouri on Tuesday. Hawley beat Democrat Lucas Kunce, a lawyer who served 13 years in the Marine Corps. Much of the race focused on Hawley's conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, when he defiantly raised his fist to supporters of then-President Donald Trump outside the U.S. Capitol. Abortion rights also were a top issue as Missouri voters considered a measure that would guarantee those rights. The Associated Press declared Hawley the winner at 10:28 p.m. EST.

Republicans have banked their bid for a Senate majority on defeating Sen. Jon Tester in red-leaning Montana.

There have been no surprises in congressional races so far, but polls are closing in the Treasure State, as well as in Arizona and Nevada.

Democrats are hoping to somehow run the table in all three states. In Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy, a retired Navy SEAL and businessman, is looking to flip the only statewide office that Democrats still hold there.

In Nevada, Democratic Sen. Jackie Rosen is trying to win reelection over Republican Sam Brown. And in Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is looking to make the leap to the Senate over Republican Kari Lake.

Results could take a while since the state doesn't release anything until the last person in line has voted. First updates usually include mailed and early votes. The state will add mailed ballots that arrive through Nov. 9, and these have gone strongly Democratic in the past. In recent elections Nevada has added more than 15% of its vote after Election Day. In a closely-watched Senate race, Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen is facing Republican Sam Brown

Republican Ted Cruz is leading Democrat Colin Allred by roughly 8 percentage points with about two-thirds of the expected votes reported so far. Cruz is winning over 67% of the votes cast on Election Day, while Allred is winning just over half of the votes cast before Election Day. In Texas, votes cast before Election Day accounted for 87% of the total votes in 2020 and 68% in 2022.

Republican U.S. Rep. John Curtis won a Utah U.S. Senate seat Tuesday. The office is being vacated by Sen. Mitt Romney. Curtis beat Democrat Caroline Gleich, a mountaineer and environmental activist. Curtis was heavily favored to win against the lesser-known Democrat in deeply Republican Utah. The moderate Republican congressman has been compared to Romney for pushing back against Donald Trump and other members of his party who have falsely claimed climate change is a hoax. Curtis leads the Conservative Climate Caucus on Capitol Hill and is the former mayor of Provo. The Associated Press declared Curtis the winner at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Republican Greg Gianforte won election as governor in Montana on Tuesday, beating Democrat Ryan Busse. Gianforte is a former software mogul who served four years in Congress before being first elected to the job in 2020. Republicans have dominated the last several election cycles in Montana. Busse, a former gun company executive, failed to gain traction with a campaign that focused on property tax increases under Gianforte's leadership. Income taxes fell under Gianforte and the number of jobs in the state rose sharply. His running mate was Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras. The Associated Press declared Gianforte the winner at 10:00 p.m. EST.

A judge has ordered polling places to remain open two extra hours in nine precincts in an eastern Arizona county after a rocky start to Election Day that included malfunctioning equipment and a lack of printed ballots.

Apache County Superior Court Judge Michael Latham agreed to keep the polls open at the request of the Navajo Nation, which filed a lawsuit asking for extended hours due to the problems.

Meanwhile, bomb threats to polling places at schools in neighboring Navajo County prompted some to close momentarily and one to evacuate and send students home for the day.

Authorities said they received email bomb threats at four locations in Navajo County, including at least three polling sites. They determined the threats were not credible.

Democrats deployed celebrities to keep their voters fired up while they wait in long lines to cast their ballots.

Paul Rudd handed out water to students at Temple University in Philadelphia. Jennifer Garner, Josh Gad, Mark Cuban and Demi Lovato communicated with voters via FaceTime in various battleground states.

Republicans have also encouraged their voters to stay in line, even after polls close."Hi Republicans. We're doing really well," Donald Trump said in a social media video. "If you're in line, stay in line."

In Maryland, voters approved a ballot measure that would codify reproductive freedom and protect access to abortion in the state.

The amendment would also protect patients and health care providers from any criminal charges imposed by abortion bans in other states.

Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks , who was elected Tuesday night, made the issue core to her campaign, saying one of her first actions in Congress would be to sponsor legislation to codify Roe into federal law.

Her Republican opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan, also indicated he would support such a measure. But Alsobrooks pointed to Hogan's veto of a bill in Maryland to expand abortion access in 2022.

Johnson became speaker a little more than a year ago after eight Republicans joined with Democrats in booting Kevin McCarthy from the job.

The social conservative inherited many of the same troubles that plagued his predecessor when it comes to unifying the conference. He has had to rely on Democratic votes to keep the federal government open and needed their help to prevent the kind of mutiny that toppled McCarthy.

Johnson tied his political fortunes to Trump, showing up at the latter's hush-money trial in New York and embracing his claims of political persecution.

Johnson will be favored to remain as speaker if House Republicans maintain their majority, but could face a serious challenge as the Republican leader should the Democrats take control of the chamber.

Only three Black women have held Senate seats in the nation's history, but that is about to change.

Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland have won Senate seats, and they will be the first Black women to serve together in the Senate.

The other Black women who have served as senators are Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Laphonza Butler of California and current Vice President Kamala Harris of California.

Ohio is sending its electoral college votes to Donald Trump , but the state is also key to Democrats' bid to keep control of the Senate and win the House.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, the only Democrat to win a nonjudicial statewide race in Ohio in over 10 years, is running for a fourth term by appealing to working-class voters and making access to abortion a top priority.

He is being challenged by Republican Bernie Moreno, a wealthy businessman backed by Donald Trump.

The state could have big consequences for the House as well. Democrats are defending a trio of House seats that are seen as competitive.

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks won the U.S. Senate seat in Maryland on Tuesday. Alsobrooks defeated popular Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan in a closely watched race with control of the Senate potentially at stake. Alsobrooks prevailed in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, but Hogan's popularity as a two-term governor made him one of the strongest competitors for a Senate seat in Maryland in decades. Alsobrooks, who will be the state's first Black senator, is the chief executive of Prince George's County, Maryland's second most populous jurisdiction next to the nation's capital. The Associated Press declared Alsobrooks the winner at 9:32 p.m. EST.

Jeffries succeeded Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the lead House Democrat after Republicans gained control of the chamber in the 2022 mid-terms and Democrats looked for a generational change in leadership.

Jeffries made sure Democrats delivered the votes necessary to prevent a federal default and to subsequently keep the government open.

But he declined to provide Kevin McCarthy with the Democratic votes he needed to stay on as speaker when eight members of the GOP revolted against McCarthy.

If Democrats are able to gain the House majority, he would almost assuredly be elected the next House speaker.

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who won election to Senate from New Jersey, said that "as a son of immigrants" he never imagined he would become the first Korean American to serve in the chamber.

"I'm deeply humbled and grateful to NJ and for everyone who got us here," Kim wrote on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. "I promise I'll serve with honor and integrity as a public servant for all."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York and one of the most prominent progressive voices in Congress, has won reelection to a fourth term in the House.

Few members of Congress are known simply by their initials, but AOC is one of them.

Her 13 million-plus followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, show she is a voice that draws peoples attention to issues such as immigration, climate and the war in Gaza.