Running Election Day news and commentary from ThinkProgress:
– 1:34 AM ET: “MO SEN: Bill Kristol, on McCaskill’s new lead in MO: ‘It’s hard to believe that that lead’s not going to increase. I believe now that Missouri is going to go Democratic. … If you had to bet right now, you’d have to bet on a Democratic Senate’ (FNC).”
– 1:33 AM ET: California’s clean energy initiative was defeated.
– 12:38 AM ET: Races to watch — TN-Sen CNN projects Corker (R) over Ford Jr. (D).
– 12:06 AM ET: Races to watch — MT-Sen Jon Tester (D) leading Sen. Conrad Burns 56%-44% in early returns.
– 11:52 PM ET: Race to watch — VA-Sen CNN: Webb (D) takes lead over Allen (R).
– 11:50 PM ET: The end of Speaker Hastert — coming soon. National Review:
Hastert Seems to Be Conceding [Ramesh Ponnuru]
Scratch that–just preparing to concede later.
– 11:45 PM ET: Race to watch — AZ-5 “Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) appears headed for defeat. He’s trailing ex-Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell (D) 52-45% with 79% of precincts reporting.”
– 11:44 PM ET: “CNN projects that a proposed law in South Dakota to ban nearly all abortions will be defeated.”
– 11:36 PM ET: NYT reports: “Eliot Spitzer, the reform-minded state attorney general who crusaded against Wall Street corruption, was elected governor of New York tonight in a historic Democratic sweep of statewide offices.”
– 11:34 PM ET: Race to watch — NY-20 Rep. John Sweeney (R) has lost re-election.
– 11:31 PM ET: “MSNBC changes House prediction to 234 Dems and 201 GOPers (adding yet another seat for the Dems).”
– 11:28 PM ET: “This is shaping up as the Year of the Woman. Nancy Pelosi is poised to become the first female Speaker of the House and a record number of women will be in the U.S. Senate.”
– 11:26 PM ET: South Dakota’s extreme abortion ban headed for defeat.
– 11:22 PM ET: “Almost overlooked in the focus on Congress was the election of Deval Patrick (D) as governor of Massachusetts — only the second African-American to be elected as a governor in the nation’s history.”
– 11:19 PM ET: Race to watch — TN-Sen Bob Corker (R) maintains a slight lead over Harold Ford (D). Hotline notes:
While East TN GOP strongholds Hamilton (Chattanooga) and Knox Co have largely reported, Dem bulwarks Davidson (Nashville) and Shelby (Memphis) have still reported less than 50% of their precincts. Hamilton is Corker’s base (he was Mayor of Chattanooga) and Shelby is home to Ford, as well as the the biggest trove of black votes in the state.
– 11:16 PM ET: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has been reelected in California.
– 11:13 PM ET: Race to watch — AZ-Sen NBC News projects that Arizona Republican Jon Kyl will be re-elected to his U.S. Senate seat.
– 11:09 PM ET: “Ken Mehlman, speaking in third person about the war in Iraq: ‘The chairman is not out there saying I understand the nuance of policy’ (MSNBC).”
– 11:07 PM ET: Michael Steele (R) goes down fighting in the Maryland Senate race. “Steele spokesman Doug Heye tells NRO: ‘The Steele campaign is not conceding. Every vote must be counted.’”
– 11:01 PM ET: “CNN and MSNBC call NC 11 for Heath Shuler (D) over Rep. Charles Taylor (R).”
– 10:58 PM ET: The Missouri stem cell ballot initiative is trailing 47% to 53%.
– 10:55 PM ET: Tim Mahoney (D-FL) has won Mark Foley’s former district.
– 10:45 PM ET: Race to watch — TX-22 Nick Lampson (D) is leading Sheila Sekula-Gibbs (R) in the ex-Rep. Tom DeLay’s former district.
– 10:42 PM ET: Minnesota voters elected Keith Ellison, a black Democrat, as the first Muslim in Congress on Tuesday.
– 10:39 PM ET: “With about 10 percent of the vote in, Tom Reynolds, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, holds an eight-point edge over Democrat Jack Davis in the 26th District, where the results figure to say something about the locals’ response to Reynolds’ role in the Mark Foley affair.”
– 10:38 PM ET: Another minimum wage ballot initiative passes in Nevada.
– 10:35 PM ET: Race to watch — MO-Sen Sen. Jim Talent (R) currently has a 12% lead over Claire McCaskill (D). Results here.
– 10:30 PM ET: Fox News has called that Zack Space (D) has won in OH 18, the district formally occupied by ex-Rep. Bob Ney (R). Also, Reps. Don Sherwood (R-PA) and Curt Weldon (R-PA) have lost re-election.
– 10:27 PM ET: Current balance of power: Democrats 3 seats away from controlling Senate, need 7 to take House.
– 10:22 PM ET: “Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), who saw the homes of friends and family raided in October, and Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA), whose affair became public when his ex-mistress filed a lawsuit alleging abuse,” are both trailing their Democratic opponents in early returns.
– 10:18 PM ET: Race to watch — FL-16 Tim Mahoney (D) has pulled ahead of Joe Negron (R) in Mark Foley’s former district.
– 10:13 PM ET: CBS’s Bob Schieffer: “We knew this was going to be a bad night for the Republicans, but it may turn out to be their worst nightmare.”
– 10:11 PM ET: South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have all approved gay marriage bans.
– 10:08 PM ET: Race to watch — CT-5 Chris Murphy (D) has defeated Rep. Nancy Johnson (R).
– 10:05 PM ET: Race to watch — NH-2 “UnionLeader.com has learned that Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Bass is preparing to call Paul Hodes and congratulate the Democrat on his victory.”
– 10:01 PM ET: FNC’s Baier reports the senior White House staff “just ordered chicken tenders,” anticipating a long night. Read more
