As the events of the 2022 Midterm elections continue to evolve, the staff of wlhsNOW.com will update this page with new facts and articles that explain the results, predictions, and information that are provided as the polling results from each state are announced.

Senate race is too close to call // 11:14 a.m. Nov. 9

With three states left to go, the balance of the Senate is waiting on its key races to determine the majority party. The races that have yet to be called include Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. 

According to CNN, a top Georgia election official, Gabriel Sterling, said that there are less than 10,000 votes left to count in the state, which means that the Senate race will go to a December runoff. A runoff election means that a second election must be held because the first election did not receive the required amount of votes that a candidate needs to win. -SM

Abortion across the nation // 12:20 a.m. Nov. 9

In the wake of Roe v. Wade, abortion has been the topic of discussion around the country. According to CNN, so far this evening California, Vermont, and Michigan have approved measures that will protect abortion rights. 

Californians have voted to amend language in the state constitution to explicitly and more clearly protect abortion rights. 

The voters in Vermont have approved an ammendment to their state constitution that will protect a person’s reproductive rights, with the inclusion of pregnancy, abortion, and birth control. 

Michigan voters approved a ballot measure that would include abortion right’s in their state constituion, which is projected by CNN to block a decades-old abortion ban from taking place. -SM

Ron Wyden wins reelection to the Senate // 11:58 p.m. Nov. 8

According to the Associated Press, Oregon’s senior U.S. senator, Dem. Ron Wyden, won reelection after defeating opponent, Rep. Jo Rae Perkins. Wyden was first elected to the Senate in 1996, and currently serves as the chair to the U.S. Senate Finance Comittee. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a representative of Oregon’s third Congressional District from 1981 to 1996. -SM

Maxwell Frost makes U.S. history as the first Gen Z member of Congress // 10:09 p.m. Nov. 8

Dem. Maxwell Frost has become the first elected Gen Z member of Congress after winning a House seat in Florida’s Tenth Congressional District. Before running for Crongress, Frost served as the national organzing director for March For Our Lives, an activist group that protests against gun violence. According to NPR, gun violence prevention was a key issue involved in Frost’s platform, along with policies supporting Medicare and a Green New Deal. -SM

Katie Britt wins U.S. Senate Race in Alabama // 9:47 p.m. Nov. 8

According to the Associated Press, Rep. Katie Britt is the first woman elected to the body by the state. Britt will take over for Richard Shelby, her former boss who is retiring after serving 35 years in the Senate. Prior to her new position, Britt was Shelby’s former chief of staff before leaving to work for a state business lobby. -SM

Democrats and Republicans cotinue to fight for Senate control // 9:14 p.m. Nov. 8

The East Coast has reached midnight, which means polls around the country are closed except Alaska, and the nation is awaiting results. According to CNN, the Senate is currently evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, with 46 seats filled on each side. With eight seats left to fill, the parties are still fighting for the majority. -SM

Maura Healey makes history as first woman elected governor of Massachusetts // 9:00  p.m. Nov. 8

Massachusetts attorney general, Dem. Maura Healey, defeated opponent, Rep. Geoff Diehl, in a landslide victory. Healey is the first woman and openly lesbian candidate elected as Massachussets governor. According to The Guardian, during her campaign Healey pledged to modernize schools, expand job training programs, and make childcare more affordable. In addition to her campaign statements, Healey said that she would protect the states access to abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year. -SM

Vermont projected to be the first state to guarantee abortion rights in their constitution // 8:13 p.m. Nov. 8

According to NowThis, voters in Vermont are projected to approve Proposal 5, a ballot measure that allows a person the right to an abortion. The amendment states it’s “an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.” -SM

Democrats and Republicans are tied in the Senate amid election results // 7:50 p.m. Nov. 8

According to CNN, the balance for the Senate is currently tied, with both parties projected to hold 40 seats while the race continues. In order to gain control, either party must hold 50 seats to reach a majority. Polls on the East Coast have now closed and states are awaiting results. -SM

Gov. Ron DeSantis wins reelection in Florida // 7:39 p.m. Nov. 8

With a voter percentage of 59.4%, Rep. Ron DeSantis was reelected in Florida in a landslide win. According to CNN, DeSantis thanked voters for supporting him and his policies during the reelection. 

“We have not only won an election, we have rewritten the political map,” said DeSantis. This year he received backlash for signing what has been labeled by some as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which restricts teachings and discussions of gender and sexuality in the classrooms of young students. DeSantis has also been labeled as a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential election. -SM