Congressional elections live updates: Republicans win Senate majority

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has been reelected to a sixth term in the House. She is the highest-ranking woman among House Republicans, serving as the conference chair.

Stefanik's rise in the GOP ranks follows her transition from studious moderate to staunch Donald Trump supporter and defender.

Stefanik replaced then Rep. Liz Cheney as the No. 3 GOP leader after Cheney was ousted from her post for repeatedly rebuking Trump for his false claims of election fraud and for his role inciting the Jan. 6th, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

With Senate control going to the Republicans, the race for the House is being played out district-by-district in dozens of competitive elections.

For Republicans, it's a chance to gain full control of Congress as they try to sweep into power. For Democrats, a House majority will give them an important check on the GOP's power and force compromise in Washington.

House races are being decided across the country, from hard-fought races in New York to elections in California where it could still take days to determine a winner.

Republican Spencer Cox won reelection as governor of Utah on Wednesday. Cox defeated Democratic state Rep. Brian King and conservative write-in candidate Phil Lyman, who had urged his supporters to vote for him instead of Cox after losing the Republican primary in June. This will be Cox's second term in the governor's office. He has long been viewed as a moderate Republican but surprised voters this summer when he unexpectedly backed Donald Trump after the presidential candidate survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. The Associated Press declared Cox the winner at 12:29 a.m. EST.

The other contender for majority leader in a new Republican conference is the No. 2 GOP senator, John Thune.

The South Dakota lawmaker was initially seen as an obvious successor to McConnell, given his position as the vote counter for the conference but his fellow Republicans have made the race much more contentious over the past year.

"Tonight, with Republicans reclaiming majority control of the U.S. Senate, we can begin to turn the page on this expensive and reckless chapter of American history," Thune said in a statement.

Moments after AP declared that Republicans would control the Senate, one of the several contenders to replace Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made his case.

Sen. John Cornyn touted his experience as the GOP's vote counter during Trump's first term and working with rank-and-file members in a statement early Wednesday.

"As I've said, this election is not about us but rather what is best for the conference and the nation," the Texas Republican said. "I look forward to working with President Trump and our new conservative majority to make America great again by making the Senate work again."

The AP was able to declare Republicans would take control of the Senate with Republican Deb Fischer's win. Fischer led Independent challenger Dan Osborn by 3 percentage points with about 70% of the expected votes reporting at the time of the call. Fischer was winning the Election Day vote. Most uncounted votes were from largely rural counties, so Osborn - who was doing best in cities - did not have a path to victory.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said his loss to Republican Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno in Ohio "is a disappointment, but it is not a failure."

The three-term Democrat gave his concession speech in Columbus.

"It will never be wrong to fight for organized labor, it will never be wrong to fight for the freedom of women to make their healthcare decisions, it surely will never be wrong to fight for civil rights and human rights," he said.

In Cleveland, Moreno praised former President Donald Trump and pledged to help advance his agenda in Washington. He said he would work to win over those who didn't vote for him.

"We talked about wanting a red wave. I think what we have tonight is a red, white and blue wave," he said.

Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Pennsylvania on Wednesday. A former Navy officer, Deluzio has held the seat since 2023. This year, he defeated Republican Rob Mercuri, an Army veteran who represents part of Allegheny County in the state House of Representatives. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden carried this district, which includes the Pittsburgh suburbs and extends through Beaver County to Ohio's eastern border. The Associated Press declared Deluzio the winner at 12:19 a.m. EST.

Republican Rep. Zach Nunn won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Iowa on Wednesday. Nunn flipped the highly competitive Des Moines-anchored district in 2022, just two cycles after Democrats flipped it in 2018. In 2020, the district split nearly evenly in the presidential race, though Republican Donald Trump ended up with the edge. This year, the race drew attention and millions of dollars in spending. Democrats backed Afghanistan war veteran Lanon Baccam. The Associated Press declared Nunn the winner at 12:18 a.m. EST.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as House speaker, has been reelected to a 20th term serving a San Francisco-based congressional district.

Pelosi has had two stints as House speaker, both lasting four years. In the second stint, she agreed to limit herself to two terms as the lead House Democrat as part of a compromise to secure the votes needed for her to gain the gavel.

She has the ceremonial title of speaker emerita and continues to hold sway even as Democratic members turn to a new generation of leadership.

Her husband, Paul, was seriously injured in October 2022 by an intruder who struck him in the head with a hammer. The attacker intended to hold Pelosi hostage, though she was not home at the time.

The AP declared the winner of this race when polls closed statewide. AP only makes such a call if results from AP VoteCast at poll close show a candidate leading by at least 15 percentage points. AP VoteCast is a comprehensive survey of the 2024 electorate, conducted in all 50 states. AP uses VoteCast results to confirm a state's long-standing political trends and voting history.

Democrats have picked up a seat in Alabama that was redistricted to ensure fair representation for Black voters. It's the second flipped seat for Democrats tonight.

Democrats Shomari Figures in Alabama prevailed over Republican Caroleene Dobson to give Democrats an important pickup in the race for House control.

Republicans have also benefited from redistricting, especially in North Carolina where they picked up three House seats redrawn by the state's GOP-controlled General Assembly to favor Republican candidates.

The GOP has won control of the Senate as Sen. Deb Fischer secures reelection in Nebraska.

With at least 51 Senate seats secured, Republicans will retake control of the chamber for the first time in four years. It gives the party a major power center in Washington and important power in confirming the next president's Cabinet, as well as any Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy.

With a handful of battleground races yet to be decided, Republicans still have an opportunity to grow their majority.

GOP senators have already been looking at ways to extend tax cuts that were passed during Donald Trump's first term, as well as sending funding towards toughened border security measures.

However, the extent of Republicans' power in Washington will also be determined by the results of the presidential and House races.

Republican Rep. Bryan Steil won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Wisconsin on Wednesday. Steil won a fourth term over Peter Barca, who was the last Democrat to hold the seat. Barca went on to serve in the state Legislature and left his job as Wisconsin revenue secretary to take on Steil. Steil was first elected to the seat in 2018, succeeding former House Speaker Paul Ryan. The congressional district covers southeastern Wisconsin along the Illinois border. The Associated Press declared Steil the winner at 12:07 a.m. EST.

Republican Sen. Deb Fischer won a third term to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday. Fischer won her previous two elections by wide margins in the deep-red state. But she faced her toughest challenge yet in political newcomer Dan Osborn, a mechanical engineer who appealed to voters by eschewing the major political parties and running as an independent. Fischer successfully countered by leaning into support for former President Donald Trump. Despite their at-times rocky relationship, Trump endorsed Fischer for reelection, which Fischer touted in her campaign ads. The Associated Press declared Fischer the winner at 12:06 a.m. EST.

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New Jersey on Wednesday. The first-term congressman served as minority leader in the New Jersey Senate for over a decade before waging a challenge against Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in 2022. This year, Kean defeated Democrat Sue Altman. Democrat Joe Biden carried this district in 2020, though it became slightly more favorable to Republicans in redistricting. It includes suburbs west of New York City, stretching from Westfield to Pennsylvania's eastern border. The Associated Press declared Kean the winner at 12:00 a.m. EST.

Republican Rep. Nick LaLota won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New York on Wednesday. LaLota, a first-term congressman, defeated John Avlon, a former CNN political analyst. The 1st Congressional District is contained within Suffolk County and stretches from the eastern tip of Long Island to the New York City suburbs. Republicans have held the seat for the last decade. LaLota was one of several New York Republicans running for reelection in a district whose voters were narrowly divided in the 2020 presidential election. The Associated Press declared LaLota the winner at 12:00 a.m. EST.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii has been reelected to a third term Wednesday. The Democrat defeated Republican former state Rep. Bob McDermott. Hirono serves on the Senate armed services, judiciary and veterans affairs committees. She was first elected to the Senate in 2012. She previously represented Hawaii in the U.S. House and served as lieutenant governor and a state legislator. Hirono was born in Japan and immigrated to the U.S. with her mother and brother when she was in elementary school. Hirono is the first Asian American woman elected to the Senate. The Associated Press declared Hirono the winner at 12:00 a.m. EST.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American in Congress, has won a fourth term in the House.

Tlaib represents a district with a large Arab-American population. She has been highly critical of Israel in its war against Hamas, describing its actions in Gaza as genocide.

But her comments have also evoked outrage from many of her colleagues. The Republican-led House voted last year to censure her for her statements regarding the war.

Tlaib said her criticism was directed toward Israel's government and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and vowed she "will not be silenced."

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says he considers his reelection victory over Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred a mandate for stronger enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border.

During a victory speech in front of supporters in his hometown of Houston, Cruz praised strong support from Hispanic voters. He singled out South Texas, where Cruz was performing much better in large border counties than he did during a narrow victory in 2018 over Beto O'Rourke.

"Tonight we are witnessing incredible results, especially with Hispanics across the state of Texas," Cruz told the crowd. "And we are seeing tonight generational change in South Texas. The results tonight, this decisive victory should shake the Democratic establishment to its core."

Democrat Shomari Figures won election to a U.S. House seat representing Alabama on Tuesday. Figures, a native of Mobile, previously worked for the Obama administration. Republican Rep. Barry Moore, who currently represents the district, is running in the neighboring 1st District after a federal court ordered Alabama to draw a new congressional district that ensured Black residents' voting power. That decision also brought more voters who previously supported Democrat Joe Biden into the 2nd District, making it a top target for his party. The Associated Press declared Figures the winner at 11:54 p.m. EST.

Democratic Rep. Angie Craig won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Minnesota on Tuesday. Craig, a former journalist and communications professional, will serve a fourth term representing suburban and rural areas south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. She defeated Republican Joe Teirab, a Marine Corps veteran, former federal prosecutor and son of a Sudanese immigrant. The 2nd Congressional District is widely considered the most competitive district in the state. The Associated Press declared Craig the winner at 11:52 p.m. EST.

The head of the U.S. government's cybersecurity agency says that though bomb threat emails sent to multiple states came from Russian email domains, it's not clear that the culprits were actually Russian.

Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters Tuesday night that the matter was still being investigated and that the identity of the senders remains unknown.

The FBI said earlier in the day that the email threats sent to Georgia and other states were all judged to be non-credible and were from a Russian email domain. Easterly said the emails did not affect the ability of the voters to cast ballots.

The AP declared Republican Ted Cruz the winner when he was leading by just over 10 percentage points with roughly three-quarters of the expected votes counted. Cruz was winning over 52% of the votes cast on Election Day. Democrat Colin Allred had a modest lead in votes cast before Election Day, but with mostly Election Day votes remaining in the large counties, there weren't enough votes left for Allred to overtake Cruz.

Republican Dave McCormick has overtaken Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey with nearly 80% of the estimated votes counted. McCormick was leading by 13 points in votes cast on Election Day, even as Casey was winning the mailed ballots. While McCormick was behind in Philadelphia and its suburbs, he was leading in other parts of the state.

Democrats are in a desperate defensive fight across the map in the race for Senate control as Republicans lock up the Senate race in Texas.

Democrat Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker who would have been Texas' first Black senator, had tried to attack Sen. Ted Cruz for the state's abortion ban, but Cruz's victory ensures that Republicans continue their victory streak in the Lone Star state.

It also means that Republicans are one seat away from gaining Senate control.

They just need to secure reelection for Sen. Deb Fischer in Nebraska, or flip a Senate seat in any battleground state, including Montana, Michigan or Pennsylvania.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won a fourth term Tuesday over ex-NBA player Royce White in Minnesota. Klobuchar went into the campaign with a history of big wins and a huge financial advantage. She drew 60% of the vote in 2018, 65% in 2012 and 58% in 2006. White is a grassroots populist conservative who acknowledged he was as surprised as anyone when he won the state GOP endorsement in May. While White strongly supported Donald Trump, the former president never endorsed him, and top office-holders kept their distance. The Associated Press declared Klobuchar the winner at 11:43 p.m. EST.

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New Hampshire on Tuesday. Pappas will serve a fourth term after succeeding Democrat Carol Shea-Porter in 2018. The eastern New Hampshire district has been a target for Republicans since GOP Rep. Frank Guinta lost to Shea-Porter in 2016. Democrat Joe Biden carried the district in 2020, but Donald Trump won it in 2016. This year, Pappas' Republican opponent was former executive councilor Russell Prescott. The Associated Press declared Pappas the winner at 11:42 p.m. EST.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has been reelected to a fourth term in the House.

Omar is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, along with Rashida Tlaib.

Republicans have clashed with Omar since she arrived in Congress, and Trump frequently taunts her at his rallies in ways that appeal to his supporters.

When Republicans took the majority after the 2022 mid-terms, they quickly targeted Omar for removal from the chamber's Foreign Affairs Committee, citing past anti-Israel comments.

The move came in response to Democrats in the previous session of Congress booting far-right GOP lawmakers from their committees over incendiary remarks.

The AP declared Republican Bernie Moreno the winner with a nearly 5-point lead over Democrat Sherrod Brown with over 90% of the estimated vote in. He was narrowly leading in the populous Cincinnati-Dayton area, which Brown won in 2018. Brown's margins in Democratic strongholds in Cleveland and Columbus weren't as large as they were in 2018. Moreno also led in areas that were most closely divided in the 2020 presidential race.

Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Kansas on Tuesday. The third-term congresswoman defeated Republican nominee Prasanth Reddy, a physician and immigrant from India whom some Republicans saw as an ideal candidate for Overland Park, in the Kansas City suburbs. Davids initially flipped this seat in 2018, becoming the first lesbian Native American member of Congress. The Associated Press declared Davids the winner at 11:35 p.m. EST.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff won a U.S. Senate seat in California Tuesday after a low-key campaign against Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey. The contest in the solidly Democratic state for the vacant seat long held by the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein offered little drama. Republicans haven't won a Senate race in over three decades in California. Schiff, who was first elected to a Los Angeles-area U.S. House seat in 2000, rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial. The Associated Press declared Schiff the winner at 11:34 p.m. EST.

Bernie Moreno will be the first Latino that Ohio has sent to the U.S. Senate, thanks to his victory over Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Moreno was born in Bogota, Colombia. He moved with his family to the United States at age 5 and became an American citizen when he was 18.

He built his fortune as a luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur and will come to the Senate as one of its wealthiest members.

The GOP's victory in the Ohio Senate race puts them on track to gain a Senate majority as long as they keep their seats in Texas and Nebraska.

In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno defeated three-term Sen. Sherrod Brown.

The long-serving Ohio Democrat had tried to appeal to working-class voters and make access to abortion a top priority, but Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, cast Brown as too liberal for the conservative state, tying the long-serving Ohio Democrat to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

As long as Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Deb Fischer of Nebraska secure reelection, the GOP will have the Senate in hand.

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.