Congressional elections live updates: Republicans win Senate majority

Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Wednesday. Cuellar, a 10-term representative, is the top Democrat on the House appropriations subcommittee in charge of homeland security. Earlier this year, he was indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges over ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. The district spans a wide section of the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, including Cuellar's hometown of Laredo, and includes a narrow strip that runs to San Antonio's suburbs. He defeated Republican Jay Furman, a retired Navy commander. The Associated Press declared Cuellar the winner at 1:54 a.m. EST.

Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New Mexico on Wednesday. Vasquez faced a rematch against Republican Yvette Herrell, who previously represented the district for a single term. The majority-Hispanic district was a top target for Republicans this cycle. Democrat Joe Biden carried the district in 2020. Republicans campaigned against Democrats' immigration policies in a district that runs along the U.S.-Mexico border. It also includes Las Cruces and the western suburbs of Albuquerque. The Associated Press declared Vasquez the winner at 1:54 a.m. EST.

Nevada's top election official says polls closed in Nevada nearly three hours late after voters waited in long lines to cast ballots.

Initial election results began to be posted just before 10 p.m. PST.

Polls had been scheduled to close at 7 p.m., but state law allows anyone in line at that time to be allowed to cast a ballot.

Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar acknowledged Nevada's position as an electoral battleground and promised to keep updating results as the counties receive "and cure" additional ballots.

Mailed ballots are accepted and counted until Saturday, and thousands of voters whose ballots were set aside to allow for signature verification, or "curing" have until 5 p.m. Nov. 12 to validate their vote with election officials.

The pickups for House Democrats have mostly come from New York so far as the party flipped its second seat in the state.

Democrat Josh Riley defeated Republican Rep. Mark Molinaro in a district that spans across the center of the state. Democrats earlier flipped a seat held by Rep. Brandon Williams.

While a House majority is still up for grabs, the victories will buoy Democrats' hopes, especially in House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries' home state.

Nebraska voters approved a ballot measure to write the state's current 12-week abortion ban into the state constitution.

It also allows for a stricter ban to be imposed. The abortion restriction measure was one of two competing abortion measures to appear on the ballot.

The other measure would enshrine in the Nebraska Constitution the right to an abortion until viability, or later to protect the health of the pregnant woman.

Nebraska is the first state to carry competing abortion amendments on the same ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, which ended a national right to abortion.

The measure's passage comes shortly after a closely-watched Senate race in the state ultimately ended with the Republican incumbent maintaining control.

Democrat Maggie Goodlander won election to a U.S. House seat representing New Hampshire on Wednesday, holding the seat for her party. She will succeed Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster, who is retiring after six terms in Congress. Goodlander is a former senior White House aide and is married to Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser. She defeated Republican Lily Tang Williams, who also ran for the seat in 2022 and finished third that year in the Republican primary. The Associated Press declared Goodlander the winner at 1:07 a.m. EST.

Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing New York on Wednesday. Suozzi, who had represented this Long Island district for three terms before stepping down to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, returned to his old seat this year in a special election after Republican Rep. George Santos was expelled from Congress. Suozzi defeated Michael LePetri, a former state assemblyman. The district covers the northern half of Nassau County and a small piece of Queens. The Associated Press declared Suozzi the winner at 1:07 a.m. EST.

Most House races have been called, but there have been practically no surprises so far, leaving the race for a House majority razor thin.

There are still almost 100 races still to be called across the country, and two dozen of those are the closest races.

Republicans have so far benefitted from redistricting in North Carolina, giving them a few pickups. But Democrats have been able to flip a competitive seat in New York as well as pickup a redistricted seat in Alabama.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.