John Fetterman - live: Democrat wins Pennsylvania election after defeating Dr Oz

John Fetterman has defeated Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race, giving Democrats a crucial pickup in the fight for Senate control.

The Keystone State’s Senate race has been one of the most bizarre playing out across the country this midterm cycle, pitting two potent personalities against each other.

In the Republican corner, there’s TV personality and physician Dr Oz, who managed to slowly build support from the GOP after a rough start.

In the Democratic corner is Mr Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor whose campaign has been dogged by health concerns after he suffered a stroke.

TV networks projected Mr Fetterman as the winner around 1am ET on Wednesday. It’s by far one of the best pieces of news for Democrats following the midterms elections, as it means that they are positioned to pick up a Senate seat.

In the state’s race to be governor, Democrat Josh Shapiro emerged victorious over Republican Doug Mastriano. That race was called shortly after midnight.

Seventeen districts are also picking a representative for the House.

Key Points

• Oz and Fetterman turn out to vote for themselves

• Overview: Fetterman and Oz face off over Pennsylvania Senate seat

• Follow election results through the day with The Independent

• When will we know results?

• Don Jr continues attacks on Fetterman

• Analysis: Summer Lee tries to flip the script on crime in Pennsylvania

Listen: The Independent’s Eric Garcia gives midterm readout

14:05 , Andrew Naughtie

The Independent’s lead Washington correspondent, Eric Garcia, is joining The Recount for a live discussion on the outcome of the midterm elections. You can listen live below:

Kari Lake trails Katie Hobbs as Arizona governor’s race too close to call

13:50 , Johanna Chisholm

The race to be Arizona’s next governor remains too close to call one day after the 2022 midterm elections.

Arizona officials have said the full results could take up to five days to deliver as election workers open and count late-arriving ballots delivered by mail and deposited in drop boxes by Grand Canyon State voters.

As of Wednesday morning, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, leads her GOP challenger, former TV news anchor and conspiracy theorist Kari Lake, by a margin of 50.9 per cent to 49.1 per cent. The difference between the two candidates was just over 30,000 votes.

Officials plan to release updated vote totals once per day, at approximately 9.00 pm ET.

Andrew Feinberg has more details here.

Kari Lake trails Katie Hobbs as Arizona governor’s race too close to call

Kentucky voters reject constitutional amendment on abortion

13:45 , Johanna Chisholm

Kentucky voters have rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have made it harder to challenge abortion laws in the deeply red state, The Associated Press reported.

The rejection of the amendment means language that would make clear there is no right to an abortion protected under the Kentucky constitution will not be added to the state’s constitution, proving to be a rare boon for abortion rights advocates.

Under Amendment 2, the following language would’ve been added to the southern state’s constitution: “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.”

Analysis: Republicans are already lying about results

13:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Writing for The Independent, Ahmed Baba takes a look at the early proliferation of right-wing misinformation about the midterm results and the way they’re being tallied:

Read the full article below.

Republicans are already spreading lies about the midterm election results

When a loss isn’t (entirely) a loss

13:20 , Andrew Naughtie

Tim Ryan may have lost the Ohio Senate race to Trump-backed Republican JD Vance, but he ran it more closely than many hoped in a state that Mr Trump easily won twice – and as many are pointing out, high-profile candidates who raise enthusiasm among the Democratic base have a record of lifting up downballot candidates, something particularly crucial in a year where the party is working hard to minimise the GOP’s chances in the House:

The Kremlin’s take on the midterms

13:00 , Andrew Naughtie

The Kremlin has said that the US midterm elections will not improve the “bad” relations between Moscow and Washington, as it dismissed allegations Russia was meddling in the US vote, reports say.

“These elections are important, but it’s not necessary to exaggerate their importance in the short and medium-term for our relations,” the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling reporters.

“These elections cannot change anything essential. Relations still are, and will remain, bad,” he added.

Emily Atkinson reports:

Russia say US midterms won’t improve ‘bad’ relations with Washington

Fox Hosts struggle with results: “How do you explain this country?"

12:40 , Andrew Naughtie

Fox News’s election results coverage has been a maudlin affair, with overnight hosts struggling to explain to viewers – and to each other – why the country they are convinced is falling apart hasn’t voted decisively to dispose of the Democrats. Take a look at a sample exchange below.

The same three hosts are still grappling with what’s happened this morning, ashen-facedly picking apart exit polls from John Fetterman’s victory in Pennsylvania to detail how it defied the entire Republican narrative of what the election was about.

In an echo of the 2020 election, where the Republican-aligned network was famously the first major news outlet to call Arizona for Joe Biden, the head of Fox News’s Decision Desk insisted on air that contrary to conspiracy theories being put about by Donald Trump and some of his followers, there is nothing nefarious about vote counts coming in at a slow pace. Richard Hall reports.

Head of Fox News Decision Desk says nothing nefarious about vote counting delays

Lauren Boebert in trouble

12:13 , Andrew Naughtie

With more than 90 per cent of votes now counted, far-right Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is continuing to trail in the House race for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

Elected to Congress in 2020, she has cultivated a national reputation as a hardcore culture warrior, proud gun-carrier and 2020 election denier. But it appears that her Democratic rival Adam Frisch may yet unseat her, which would count as a major upset in a year where every seat counts in the battle for the House.

With 93 per cent of votes now counted in the district, Mr Frisch is leading with 50.9 per cent of the vote to the incumbent congresswoman’s 49.1 per cent.

Rachel Sharp writes:

Trump declares ‘great evening’ - despite no red wave

12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Wednesday to claim that it had been a “great evening” – despite the fact that a red wave failed to unfold in the midterm elections.

“174 wins and 9 losses, A GREAT EVENING, and the Fake News Media, together with their partner in crime, the Democrats, are doing everything possible to play it down,” he wrote.

“Amazing job by some really fantastic candidates!”

The former president’s comments come as the House and Senate continue to hang in the balance, with many crucial races still too close to call.

The expected red wave has failed to materialise and Democrats have so far flipped a Senate seat, with John Fetterman defeating Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania.

Other Republicans have admitted that the night did not go as planned for the GOP, with Senator Lindsey Graham telling NBC: “Definitely not a Republican wave, that is for darn sure.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump admitted his plan to take credit if the Republicans won big but to refuse any blame if they lost.

Vermont sends woman to Congress for first time

11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Vermont is sending a woman to DC for the first time, ending its streak as the last state in the US to elect a female member of Congress.

Democrat Becca Blint sailed to victory over Republican Liam Madden for the state’s lone seat in the House of Representatives, taking 62.8 per cent of the vote with 99 per cent of votes counted.

For the past 234 years, Vermont has only elected men to Congress.

As well as being the first woman to represent Vermont in the House, Ms Blint is also the state’s first LGBTQ House member.

“Thank you, Vermonters! Thank you for your confidence in me. Thank you for giving me this incredible honor and opportunity to serve this state I love so much,” she tweeted late on Tuesday.

“Today, we reaffirmed that Vermont, and this nation, is still a place where anything is possible.”

John Fetterman thanks wife for saving life following Pennsylvania win

11:20 , Rachel Sharp

John Fetterman, the Democratic lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, thanked his wife for “saving his life” after he defeated Republican TV personality Dr Oz in this year’s midterms.

The former mayor of Braddock suffered a stroke shortly after winning the Democrat primary in May.

Taking to the stage after winning the Senate race, Mr Fetterman paid tribute to his family.

“I really wanna thank my family... My mother, my father... Gisele, who six months ago, she saved my life,” Mr Fetterman said.

John Fetterman thanks wife for saving his life following Pennsylvania win

Jen Psaki says Biden administration is ‘giddy and gleeful’ about results

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

President Joe Biden’s former press secretary Jen Psaki has revealed that the White House is feeling “giddy and gleeful” about the results of the midterm election – after a red wave failed to materialise and Democrats performed better than expected.

“I’ve been in touch with the White House,” Ms Psaki said on MSNBC, where she now works as a contributor.

“They are giddy and gleeful, as they should be, about where things are sitting right now.”

She went on to say that she believes the results so far indicate that abortion was high on the ballot to Americans.

“The takeaway to me is this is the right agenda,”she said.

“The Democrats ran on this agenda, it was the right agenda. And I think a lot of these fights include abortion.”

What will happen if Georgia’s Senate race heads to runoff?

10:40 , Rachel Sharp

Under Georgia state law, if no candidate for the US Senate wins more than 50 per cent, there is a second round of voting between the top two candidates.

In this case, the runoff would take place on 6 December between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker – essentially a second bout of the same fight.

This is a worrying prospect for Democrats, because there is usually a drop-off in voter turnout between first rounds and second rounds that tends to favour Republicans.

Mr Warnock did win a similar runoff against his predecessor Kelly Loeffler in January 2021, but that was a fairly exceptional situation.

Donald Trump's bellicose reaction to the previous year's George Floyd protests and his increasingly fevered attempts to overturn the election result led to a massive Black turnout in the former slave state, which Democrats managed to sustain in both rounds.

Mr Trump's election fraud conspiracy theories also appeared to have backfired for some Republican voters, persuading them that there was no point turning out to participate in a rigged vote.

Moreover, Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock told FiveThirtyEight that in a runoff election, GOP voters might already know that control of the Senate is at stake, focusing their minds and pushing them to hold their nose despite Mr Walker's numerous scandals.

Abortion rights advocates count ‘seismic’ victories in midterm elections across US

10:20 , Rachel Sharp

Five months after the US Supreme Court revoked a constitutional right to abortion, voters in three states were the first to enshrine an explicit right to abortion care in their state constitutions.

During a historic sweep of abortion rights referendums across the US in midterm elections, voters in Michigan approved a hard-fought state constitutional amendment that affirms a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” effectively overturning the state’s ban on abortion.

The referendum also ensures that the state continues to serve as a critical point of access for midwesterners in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the half-century precedent in Roe v Wade.

“This is a seismic win for abortion rights in a battleground state,” Center for Reproductive Rights president Nancy Northup said in a statement. “This victory is also a win for people in the neighbouring states of Indiana and Ohio, where abortion is banned.”

Voters in Michigan joined Vermont and California to enshrine protections for abortion care in their state constitutions, while voters in Kentucky and Montana appear to have shot down anti-abortion measures in their states.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward has the full story:

Abortion rights advocates count ‘seismic’ victories in US elections

Analysis: What did we learn tonight? America is bitterly divided – and that is no surprise

10:00 , John Bowden

Things could have been better for Republicans, but they could have been a lot worse for Democrats, writes Andrew Buncombe.

All we learned tonight is America’s bitterly divided – and that’s is no surprise

No evidence of election hacking, says US cyber chief

09:43 , Io Dodds

There is no evidence of any attempt to disrupt or hack the vote, the US government's cybersecurity chief said on Tuesday.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa), said there was "no specific or credible threat" to election infrastructure as of 5pm Eastern Time on Tuesday.

"Here at Cisa, we are huddled in the Election Day Operations Center and connected with other partners in the field virtually," she said.

"We continue to see no specific or credible threat to disrupt election infrastructure or election day operations, and we have seen no activity that should cause anyone to question the security, integrity, or resilience of our election infrastructure."

Referencing voting glitches in Arizona and Michigan, she said: "When you have 8,800 individual election jurisdictions, you’re going to see a few issues. We have seen a few of these today as happens every election day. It’s important that we not make the normal out to be nefarious."

In an update at 8:43pm Eastern Time, Ms Easterly – a former US Army lieutenant colonel who helped set up the Pentagon's Cyber Command – again urged patience, saying that unpredictable changes in vote counts as various different kinds of ballots are tabulated.

With no ‘red tsunami’, shocked Republicans blame Trump

09:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican strategists have blamed former president Donald Trump for the fact that a supposed “red tsunami” failed to materialise as midterm results began to roll in on Tuesday evening.

Throughout the country, races that were thought to be layups for Republicans instead favoured Democratic candidates.

Eric Garcia, The Independent’s Washington bureau chief, takes a look at the results of the midterms.

Shocked Republicans lay blame at Trump’s feet as ‘red tsunami’ fails to materialise

Pro-Trump online communities in disbelief as ‘red tsunami’ fails to materialise

09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Pro-Trump online communities have reacted with dismay and disbelief to early results in Tuesday’s US midterm elections, blaming voter fraud for the lack of a red wave.

Before many races had even been called, users in far-right Telegram channels and bulletin boards had begun accusing Democrats and establishment Republicans of fixing the race.

Io Dodds had a look at what Trump fans are posting about Tuesday’s election.

‘We got cheated’: Pro-Trump online forums in disbelief over lack of a ‘red tsunami’

Raphael Warnock calls it a night

08:40 , Io Dodds

Raphael Warnock, the Democratic candidate for Georgia's open US Senate seat, has addressed supporters at a witching-hour rally.

"Good evening, Georgia! Or maybe I should say good morning," he said as he took the stage around 1:30am local time. "Here's where we are. We're not sure if this journey is over tonight, or if there's still a little work left to do.

"But here's what we do know. We know that when they're finished counting the votes from today's election, we're going to have received more votes than my opponent.

"Once again, the people of Georgia showed up and said loud and clear that you want a senator who's going to do the work for Georgia... somebody who understand that we, in the words of Dr [Martin Luther] King, are tied in a single garment of destiny, caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality... in other words, we are all in this together.

"And so I understand that in this late hour, you may be a little tired..." At that point, several people in the crowd loudly begged to differ, with one woman shouting: "I'm ready to go!"

Here’s a video of his speech, courtesy of Atlanta broadcaster 11 Alive.

Emotional John Fetterman lost for words after winning Pennsylvania Senate race

08:20 , John Bowden

An emotional John Fetterman was lost for words after defeating Dr Mehmet Oz for the US Senate seat in Pennsylvania before telling his supporters he was “humbled” for their backing.

“I’m not sure what to say right now,” he told supporters cheering his victory as he finally emerged onstage.

“This campaign has always been about fighting for everyone who has ever been knocked down that ever got back up,” he continued.

Watch video of the moment below:

Stacey Abrams: ‘Though my fight came up short, we stand tall’

08:12 , Io Dodds

Here's what defeated Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams said in her concession speech on Tuesday night.

"Even though my fight – our fight – for the governor’s mansion may have come up short, I’m pretty tall.

"I am here because this is a moment where, despite every obstacle, we are still standing strong and standing tall and standing resolute and standing in our values, and we know Georgia deserves more.

"Whether we do it from the governor’s mansion or from the streets, whether we do it from the Capitol or from our communities, we are going to fight for more for the state of Georgia. That is what we’re here for."

It is the second such disappointment for Ms Abrams, a Democrat who attempted in both 2018 and 2022 to unseat Republican Brian Kemp and become Georgia's first ever Black governor.

GOP midterm ‘red wave’ hopes evaporate as House and Senate remain too close to call

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden started his day on Tuesday expecting American voters to deliver a stunning rebuke to his administration and his handling of the US economy by putting Republicans firmly in control of at least one half of the US Congress.

House and Senate Democrats started their days expecting to begin hearing bad news as soon as in-person voting wrapped up on the east coast of the United States.

And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy expected to deliver a victory speech by 11pm on Tuesday night, once it became clear that voters had given Republicans a firm majority in the House of Representatives.

No one’s day went the way they’d expected it to go, writes Andrew Feinberg.

Republican ‘red wave’ hopes evaporate as House and Senate remain too close to call

Analyst spells out GOP nightmare scenario unfolding in PA

07:52 , John Bowden

An NBC News reporter has spelled out succinctly the scope of the Republican Party’s failure in Pennsylvania, following the loss of Doug Mastriano in the gubernatorial contest and John Fetterman’s capture of a previously GOP-held Senate seat.

“What would've been an unthinkable result in PA is now in play: Dems winning the Gov. and Senate battles, winning all three of the swing House seats, and taking control of the state House for the first time in more than a decade,” wrote Allan Smith.

Republicans poured millions into saving Dr Mehmet Oz’s US Senate campaign and now see their influence evaporating in the Rust Belt state even as it appears to persist in neighbouring Ohio.

Trump taunts candidate he endorsed for losing Senate bid

07:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has taunted a defeated Republican candidate that he had endorsed for a US Senate seat.

Conspiracy theorist Don Bolduc, a retired US Army General, was beaten by incumbent Maggie Hassan for New Hampshire’s Senate seat.

Mr Trump showed no sympathy for his chosen candidate when he took to Truth Social on Tuesday night and mocked him for not pushing the one-term president’s 2020 election “Big Lie” hard enough.

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump taunts one of the Republicans he endorsed for losing in Senate bid

Ron Johnson sends supporters home as Wisconsin Senate race neck-and-neck

07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

With no projected winner in the Wisconsin Senate race between Democrat Mandela Barnes and incumbent Republican Ron Johnson, the senator snet his supporters home from his Election Night Watch party, telling them the campaign plans to “wait for all the numbers come in, and then we’ll declare victory tomorrow morning”.

He lamented that no outlet has called the race, which remains neck-and-neck, telling supporters: "but I don't see torturing you guys anymore by staying up till, you know, for a couple more hour, because who knows how long they'll take to actually call this race?"

‘Safe too say there’ll be a runoff here in Georgia'

07:30 , Io Dodds

Georgia’s Senate election is now all but certain to end in a runoff, says a top aide to secretary of state Brad Raffensberger.

“While county officials are still doing the detailed work on counting the votes, we feel it is safe to say there will be a runoff,” said Gabriel Sterling, Mr Raffensberger’s chief operating officer.

That means Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will tussle once again in a second round, just as we saw between Mr Warnock and Kelly Loeffler back in 2020-2021.

AOC brands Tucker Carlson a terrorist

07:20 , John Bowden

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez branded right-wing Fox News host Tucker Carlson a “terrorist” and said that he “plays a massive role in political violence” in the United States.

“Like, I can tell you 110 per cent, one of the largest sources of death threats that I get is Tucker Carlson,” the congresswoman from New York told The Breakfast Club radio show on Tuesday.

“There is a major media outlet out there, a major news channel, that is fueling political violence in this country and we are acting like it is normal. It is not normal.”

Graeme Massie reports.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brands Tucker Carlson a terrorist

Watch: Lack of red wave ‘searing indictment’ of GOP and an ‘absolute disaster’ on Fox News

07:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Fox News’s Marc Thiessen: The midterm results are “a searing indictment of the Republican Party ... The Republican Party needs to do a really deep introspection look in the mirror right now because this is an absolute disaster.”

McCarthy: ‘Clear we are going to take the House back'

07:04 , Oliver O'Connell

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is speaking now at the Republican victory party.

“It is clear we are going to take the House back,” Mr McCarthy says, pointing to wins in New York.

He points to wins in New York, Iowa, and Florida. “It is clear that we are going to take the House back,” he says.

“When we wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority and Nancy Pelosi will be in the minority.”

Fetterman gets text from Biden after PA victory

07:00 , John Bowden

John Fetterman has received a congratulatory text from Joe Biden, according to a White House pool report.

The pool report came just before 2 am et, indicating that the president is up and watching election night returns come in, even late into the evening.

Latest AP calls in Senate and gubernatorial races

06:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Governor races

Democrat Janet Mills wins reelection for governor in Maine.

Democrat Kathy Hochul wins reelection for governor in New York.

Democrat Ned Lamont wins reelection for governor in Connecticut.

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer wins reelection for governor in Michigan.

Senate races

Republican Mike Lee wins reelection to US Senate from Utah.

Democrat John Fetterman wins election to US Senate from Pennsylvania.

Pelosi: House members ‘strongly outperforming expectations'

06:51 , Oliver O'Connell

In a statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says: “While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country.”

Biden texts congratulations to Fetterman

06:47 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden, who earlier made more than 30 calls congratulating victorious Democrats, test his congratulations to Senator-elect John Fetterman when the Pennsylvania race was called.

Charlie Crist drowned by Democrat groans giving concession speech

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida governor hopeful Charlie Crist has conceded to his Republican opponent Ron DeSantis, to the dismay of his supporters.

Mr Crist, a Democrat, prompted a chorus of groans and boos from his supporters when he stood up on Tuesday night to congratulate Mr DeSantis on his victory.

“First and foremost, I want to give a good congratulations to Governor DeSantis on his re-election,” said the 66-year-old, before pausing while the crowd expressed their disappointment.

Io Dodds watched Mr Crist’s speech.

Charlie Crist drowned by Democrat groans as he concedes to Ron DeSantis in Florida

Brad Raffensberger to remain Georgia secretary of state

06:44 , Io Dodds

The Associated Press has called the race to be Georgia’s secretary of state for Republican incumbent Brad Raffensberger.

Mr Raffensberger has 53 per cent of the votes to Democrat Bee Nguyen’s 43.9 per cent with more than 95 per cent of the votes now counted, giving him an unsurpassable margin.

The 67-year-old civil engineer achieved national fame in 2020 when he refused to collaborate with Donald Trump’s demands to "find" an extra 11,780 red votes in the state.

Fetterman: Every vote, every county

06:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania’s Senator-elect John Fetterman thanked his supporters Tuesday evening at an election night watch party, and reminded them that the campaign’s strategy of reaching voters in red districts had made the difference.

“We launched this campaign almost two years ago. And we had our slogan, it’s on every one of those signs right now: Every county, every vote,” he said.

“And tonight, that’s why I’ll be the next US senator from Pennsylvania,” Mr Fetterman concluded, to applause.

Lindsey Graham: ‘Definitely not a Republican wave, that is for darn sure’

06:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Senator Lindsey Graham has admitted that Republicans have failed to generate a red wave of support at the polls in the midterm elections.

“Definitely not a Republican wave, that is for darn sure,” Mr Graham said during an appearance on NBC’s election coverage on Tuesday night. “I think we’re going to be at 51, 52 when it’s all said and done in the Senate.”

Mr Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, admitted that nominating pro-Trump candidate Don Bolduc in New Hampshire, who lost to incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan, had been a costly error.

Graeme Massie reports.

Lindsey Graham admits no Republican red wave in midterm elections

Fetterman: ‘We bet on the people of Pennsylvania - and you didn’t let us down’

06:22 , Oliver O'Connell

John Fetterman has claimed victory over TV personality Mehmet Oz in one of the closest watched races for the Senate in this year’s midterms..

After months of campaigning and particularly personal attacks lobbed back and forth between the two candidates, the battle between Mr Fetterman and Dr Oz appears to have ended as one of the most expensive races of the 2022 cycle.

The Democratic lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania tweeted: “It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down And I won’t let you down. Thank you.”

John Bowden reports.

John Fetterman claims he has defeated Trump-backed Dr Oz for Pennsylvania Senate seat

Party is over at Herschel Walker’s campaign HQ

06:16 , Lauren Io Dodds

Georgia remains a toss-up as the clocks pass 1am in the Peach State.

As of 1:15am local time, the state's official count puts Mr Warnock very slightly in the lead with 1.89m votes against Mr Walker's 1.85m, with 148 out of 159 precinct counts complete.

But according to The New York Times, staffers at Mr Walker's election night party have begun packing up and emptying the room, telling supporters they should not expect any answers tonight.

Watch live: John Fetterman to speak soon

06:16 , David Taintor

John Fetterman is scheduled to address supporters shortly, after multiple TV networks projected that he would win the crucial Pennsylvania Senate race over GOP candidate Dr Mehmet Oz.

Watch Mr Fetterman’s speech live below:

Hochul defeats Trump-backed Zeldin in New York governor’s race

06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

New Yorkers have elected Governor Kathy Hochul to a full term, becoming the first woman in the state’s history to be voted into the governor’s office, according to Associated Press projections.

She defeated Republican candidate Lee Zeldin, the Long Island congressman endorsed by Donald Trump, in a closely watched race with polls predicting Ms Hochul’s victory on relatively slim margins in a state with a large Democratic electorate.

Alex Woodward has the story.

Kathy Hochul defeats Trump-backed Republican Lee Zeldin in New York governor’s race

Could the Democrats retain control of the House?

06:10 , Oliver O'Connell

MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki believes there is still a path for the Democrats to retain control of the House of Representatives.

Networks project Fetterman defeats Oz

06:06 , David Taintor

Multiple TV networks have projected that John Fetterman has defeated Mehmet Oz in the crucial Pennsylvania Senate race.

Abortion rights advocates count ‘seismic’ win in Michigan

06:05 , Alex Woodward

Voters in Michigan have approved a state constitutional amendment to affirm the right to abortion, among several abortion-related measures on midterm election ballots this year.

Michigan voters agreed that “every person has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which involves the right to make and carry out decisions without political interference about all matters relating to pregnancy, including birth control, abortion, prenatal care, and childbirth.”

Advocacy group Reproductive Freedom for All collected more than 750,000 signatures to petition for the measure to go on November ballots.

The referendum assures the state continues to serve as a critical point of access for midwesterners in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the constitutional right to abortion.

“This is a seismic win for abortion rights in a battleground state,” Center for Reproductive Rights president Nancy Northup said in a statement. “This victory is also a win for people in the neighboring states of Indiana and Ohio, where abortion is banned. Until there is national legislation that protects abortion rights across the country, we will continue to work to ensure that state constitutions protect the right to abortion.”

North Carolina’s Senate race: Budd beats Beasley

06:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Representative Ted Budd staved off Democrat Cheri Beasley in North Carolina’s Senate race to keep the seat in the GOP’s column.

Mr Budd replaces Senator Richard Burr, a Republican who chose retire. But the two staunchly differ otherwise.

Mr Burr voted to convict Trump for his role in the January 6 riot and led the Senate Intelligence Committee during its probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, both of which earned him the respect of Democrats.

Eric Garcia has the details.

Ted Budd beats Cheri Beasley in North Carolina’s Senate race

Biden completes congratulatory calls for the night

05:57 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has completed congratulatory calls to California Governor Gavin Newsom, Representative Marcy Kaptur, Representative Mikie Sherrill, Representative Josh Gottheimer, and Representative-elect Greg Landsman.

The President has completed calls for tonight.

Watch: Tudor Dixon refuses to concede Michigan governor’s race

05:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Head of Fox News Decision Desk says nothing nefarious about vote counting delays

05:50 , Oliver O'Connell

The head of the Fox News Decision Desk said on Tuesday that there was nothing nefarious about delays in counting votes in battleground states.

Arnon Mishkin, talking to Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum’s podcast, refuted the claim often made by former president Donald Trump and many Fox contributors.

“It absolutely leads to questions,” he said, The Hill reported. “And people can exploit those differences for whatever reason. There’s nothing to it other than that these election officials are counting based on the rules in place.”

Richard Hall reports.

Head of Fox News Decision Desk says nothing nefarious about vote counting delays

Meanwhile at the Dr Oz victory party...

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

No sign of Kevin McCarthy at GOP election party

05:42 , Oliver O'Connell

With the promised red wave appearing as more of a red ripple, there has been no sign yet of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy at tonight’s Republican Party election night celebration.

Latest Senate and Governor race calls from AP

05:37 , Oliver O'Connell

These are the latest race calls from the Associated Press:

Governor races

Republican Jim Pillen wins election for governor in Nebraska.

Democrat Josh Green wins election for governor in Hawaii.

Democrat Josh Shapiro wins election for governor in Pennsylvania.

Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham wins reelection for governor in New Mexico.

Republican Brian Kemp wins reelection for governor in Georgia.

Senate races

Republican Ted Budd wins election to US Senate from North Carolina.

Democrat Brian Schatz wins reelection to US Senate from Hawaii.

Democrat Patty Murray wins reelection to US Senate from Washington.

Louisiana voters reject slavery bill over confusing language

05:33 , Alex Woodward

Following widespread concerns about its vague language, Louisiana voters have shot down a state constitutional amendment that would have closed a loophole that allows for slavery as punishment for a crime.

Voters have appeared to approve similar constitutional amendments in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont, a victory for a renewed slavery abolition movement seeking to end forced prison labour.

The ballot measure in Louisiana was the only one that drew any recognisable opposition. One of the original sponsors of the bill that drafted the referendum told voters to reject it. Critics have warned that the measure could have unintended consequences and end up doing the opposite of what sets out to do. Opponents called on state lawmakers to rewrite the proposal’s language and reintroduce the measure at another time.

DeSantis supporters chant ‘two more years’ in nod to possible 2024 run

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

After his projected victory in the Florida governor’s race, Ron DeSantis said voters have “rewritten the political map” by solidifying Republican control in the state, a bellwether for right-wing politics that has rocketed the governor’s national profile and signalled 2024 presidential election ambitions.

His supporters chanted “two more years” – a nod to the possibility that he could step away from the governor’s office to seek the GOP nomination in 2024.

Alex Woodward reports.

DeSantis supporters chant ‘two more years’ in nod to possible 2024 run

‘They are 100% about to steal Georgia'

05:30 , Lauren Io Dodds

Some people in pro-Trump internet communities are already furious that Herschel Walker hasn't emerged the clear winner in Georgia, and are blaming election fraud.

"They are 100 per cent about to steal GA for Warnock," said one user on The Donald, a successor to Reddit's banned TheDonald board. "It's done. Georgia is blue," predicted another.

Other users claimed that victorious Republican governor Brian Kemp was "in on it", or that the state's swing from red to blue between 2016 and 2020 "makes no f***ing sense".

No concession yet from Zeldin in New York

05:26 , Oliver O'Connell

A win for progressives in Pennsylvania

05:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden continues to congratulate winning Democrats

05:21 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has completed more congratulatory calls to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore, and Representative-elect Emilia Sykes of Ohio.

Voices: Red wave? Blue firewall? What to watch now

05:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Earlier today, I finally tapped out and said I didn’t know what was going to happen in the midterms. But that admission doesn’t mean I gave up altogether. Instead, it triggered my curiosity.

Some states are too tricky to focus on immediately. As much as voters may want to see results in Pennsylvania or Georgia’s Senate races, those will take time because of how long it takes to count the votes. Similarly, while I am obsessed with Nevada, the number of mail-in votes means we will need to be in for the long haul. So I spoke to experts and asked which races they were watching.

The unexpected midterm races that actually matter, according to political pros

Democrats must win two our of three close Senate races

05:14 , Oliver O'Connell

The murders of 21 children and teachers in Uvalde weren’t enough to bring down Greg Abbott

04:59 , Oliver O'Connell

On the Texas ballot were the lives of the 19 young students and two heroic teachers killed during the 24 May mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, writes Rachel Sharp.

The 21 murders in Uvalde weren’t enough to bring down Greg Abbott

Georgia gubernatorial race: Brian Kemp defeats Stacey Abrams

04:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Georgia voters have re-elected Republican Brian Kemp in the race for the state’s governor, defeating Democratic candidate and prominent voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams a second time after their first matchup in 2018.

Ms Abrams has called Governor Kemp to concede.

Biden spends evening congratulating Democrat winners

04:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Cory Mills flips House seat vacated by January 6 committee member

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The House seat currently held by Democrat Stephanie Murphy will be in Republican hands when the 118th Congress convenes in January 2023.

Republican candidate Cory Mills, a US Army veteran turned defence contractor, defeated Democratic challenger Karen Green to flip the seat representing Florida’s Seventh Congressional District. It had been in Democratic hands since 2016 when Ms Murphy first won election to Congress.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Republican Cory Mills flips seat vacated by Jan 6 committee member Stephanie Murphy

Watch: Maricopa County officials hold news conference after polls close

04:39 , Oliver O'Connell

JD Vance wins Ohio Senate race in crucial victory for GOP

04:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican JD Vance has won the race for US senator in Ohio, a crucial battleground in the war for control of the upper chamber of Congress.

Mr Vance was leading his opponent, Congressman Tim Ryan, by 7 points when the race was called Tuesday evening. Held currently by retiring Senator Rob Portman, a Republican, Democrats ranked Ohio on a list of top targets for the night as they sought to expand a majority and potentially build the numbers to challenge the filibuster in the Senate.

John Bowden reports.

Republican JD Vance wins Ohio Senate race in crucial victory for GOP

Latest gubernatorial and Senate race calls from AP

04:22 , Oliver O'Connell

The Associated Press has made the following calls:

Governor races

Democrat Gavin Newsom wins reelection for governor in California.

Republican Brad Little wins reelection for governor in Idaho.

Democrat Tim Walz wins reelection for governor in Minnesota.

Senate races

Democrat Alex Padilla wins reelection to US Senate from California.

Republican Mike Crapo wins reelection to US Senate from Idaho.

Republican Chuck Grassley wins reelection to US Senate from Iowa.

Republican JD Vance wins election to US Senate from Ohio.

Democrat Maggie Hassan wins reelection to US Senate from New Hampshire.

Democrat Ron Wyden wins reelection to US Senate from Oregon.

The only place Dr Oz is outperforming Trump is a county on the New Jersey border

04:20 , Oliver O'Connell

An interesting story is developing in Pennsylvania’s senate race. John Fetterman, who campaigned on a slogan of “every county, every vote,” and made a point of searching for votes in “ruby red” parts of the state, appears to be outperforming Joe Biden’s 2020 margins in Republican areas.

Dr Oz, meanwhile, is underperforming Trump in every county reporting more than 95 per cent of their vote apart from one — Pike County — which happens to be on the New Jersey on border.

Anyone who has followed this campaign will know that one of the main lines of attack against Dr Oz was that he is a carpet bagger, not from Pennsylvania, and actually lives in New Jersey.

Voices: Republicans are already spreading lies about the midterm election results

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ahmed Baba writes:

As ballot-counting delays were announced in Arizona, Trump and his acolytes began repeating the same old lies from 2020. But the truth is that they knew all along about the early-night ‘red mirage’ that tricks Republicans into thinking they’re doing better than they are — because they created it.

Republicans are already spreading lies about the midterm election results

Chris Christie: Herschel Walker in ‘big trouble’ in US Senate race

04:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Chris Christie says that Herschel Walker could be in “big trouble” in his US Senate race in Georgia, where he appears to be lagging behind fellow-Republican governor Brian Kemp at the polls.

The former New Jersey Governor told ABC News that the pro-Trump ex-football star appeared to be underperforming among Republicans against incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat.

Graeme Massie reports.

Herschel Walker in ‘big trouble’ in US Senate race, says Chris Christie

Vermont enshrines right to abortion in Constitution

04:06 , Alex Woodward

Vermont is the first state in the US to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution, after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that protects residents’ right to make their own reproductive health decisions, including abortion care and birth control.

Vermont is among five states with abortion-related measures on the ballot during midterm elections this year in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to revoke the constitutional right to abortion by overturning precedent in Roe v Wade.

The Vermont for Reproductive Liberty Ballot Committee, which campaigned for the amendment, said “Vermont voters made history tonight.”

“Vermonters support reproductive freedom in all four corners of the state,” the committee said in a message to voters. “They believe that our reproductive decisions are ours to make without interference from politicians.”

Center for Reproductive Rights president Nancy Northup said in a statement that Vermont has “set an example of what is possible for other states.”

Watch: DeSantis supporters chant ‘two more years’ at campaign party

03:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Latest AP-confirmed calls for Senate and Governor race

03:53 , Oliver O'Connell

The Associated Press has made the following calls:

Governor races

Republican Phil Scott wins reelection for governor in Vermont.

Democrat Jared Polis wins reelection for governor in Colorado.

Republican Kevin Stitt wins reelection for governor in Oklahoma.

Republican Kristi Noem wins reelection for governor in South Dakota.

Republican Greg Abbott wins reelection for governor in Texas.

Senate races

Democrat Michael Bennet wins reelection to US Senate from Colorado.

Republican Eric Schmitt wins election to US Senate from Missouri.

Republican John Kennedy wins reelection to US Senate from Louisiana.

Democrats hold onto key House seats in Virginia

03:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrats received an early break on Tuesday evening when they held two seats in Virginia that they flipped in 2018, a sign that they might be able to stave off a red wave in the House.

Eric Garcia reports.

Democrats hold onto key House seats in Virginia in early positive sign for party

Tucker Carlson told viewers Arizona voting machines didn’t let people vote... Here’s what actually happened

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Tucker Carlson falsely claimed on his nightly show that electronic voting machines in Arizona “didn’t allow people to vote.”

Mr Carlson said a “huge percentage of electronic voting machines” were faulty, calling it “an actual threat to democracy.”

His claims, broadcast to millions of viewers on his Fox News show, were false.

The Independent’s Richard Hall explains what actually happened.

Tucker Carlson falsely claims Arizona voting machines didn’t allow people to vote

Biden making more congratulatory calls

03:44 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has called Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Michael Bennet, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Representative Jennifer Wexton to offer his congratulations on their wins in the midterm elections.

Josh Shapiro wins Pennsylvania gubernatorial race

03:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Hassan holds New Hampshire Senate seat

03:41 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Marco Rubio speaks following midterms victory

03:39 , Oliver O'Connell