ELECTION NIGHT 2026

By: Eliana Hebert

11:15 p.m.  —Nationally, Democrats have now flipped four Senate seats, four flipped Governor seats, and  in the House there have been seven Democratic Pickups. 

South Carolina Democrat Annie Andrews will serve as the first Democratic Senate since 1998. Democrat Sherrod Brown won Ohio’s Senate spot against Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Democrat James Talarico has also won the election for Texas Senate against Republican Ken Paxton. This is the first time a Democrat has won any statewide office in Texas in 32 years. The aforementioned North Carolina’s Roy Cooper is the other flip.

In Georgia Keisha Lance Bottoms will serve as the first gubernatorial pickup for either party, and first Black woman to serve as a Governor for any U.S. state. Ohio also flipped with Democrat Amy Acton also earning the Governor spot with 50.8% of the vote. Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa won with 57%, also the first democrat to hold the position since 1994. Democrat Rob Sand won the Governor position for Iowa by 56.6% as the first Democratic governor elected since 2006.

In the House North Carolina’s 11th District, New Jersey’s 7th District, Pennsylvania’s 7th, 8th, and 10th Districts, and Kentucky’s 6th District all flipped blue.

Another notable first in Governor Deb Haaland as the first Native American woman to lead any U.S. state

10:45 p.m.  — In New York, Democratic incumbent Tom DiNapoli has been officially announced as the State Comptroller. This is now his fifth consecutive term, serving in the role since 2007. DiNapoli was endorsed by Democrats like Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, running on his same platform, aiming to prioritize ethics.

10:40 p.m.  —  Election Results Current national midterm splits are Senate at 46D to 37R, House at 124D to 71R, and Governor remaining the same at 16D to 11R. In New York, all 63 State Senate seats are on the ballot. All New York City ballots are leaning or called as blue outside of District 24 which won 70.6% in favor of Republican Andrew J. Lanza. The rest of the state remains more mixed, with two potential upsets in Districts 43 and 44. In SD43, Democrat Kevin Lander is challenging Republican incumbent Jacob Ashby and the split is currently 53.5% to  46.5% in favor of the Democrat. In SD44 Democrat  Sarah F. Rogerson is looking to upset incumbent Republican Jim Tedisco, votes currently favor Rogerson 66.3% to 33.7%.

10:15 p.m.  — The New York Attorney General race is currently split 65% in favor of Democrat Letitia A. James, and 35% for Republican Saritha Komatireddy with over half of votes in. James is an eight-year incumbent and has been a prosecutor in cases of fraud against President Donald Trump, sexual harassment against Andrew Cuomo, and recently, the Cornell Seven case. Opponent Komatireddy, backed by Trump, has also served as a prosecutor in cases against al-Qaeda and ISIS operatives, and as the  Chief of Staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration from 2023 to 2024. The Attorney General serves as the top lawyer for their state. If the state sues or is being sued, they are the lawyer for that case.

9:55 p.m.  — New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Adrienne Adams are the first ever female duo to serve in these positions together. Hochul started in 2021 when Andrew Cuomo stepped down, and has been campaigning in her same style of politics. She supports clean energy and the one-year pause on data centers for New York to help residential utility bills. She prioritized NY as a sanctuary state for immigrants, especially in the midst of ICE. Adams ran on a platform against gun violence, prioritizing gun control and increasing affordability. Both New York Natives are making history as only 2.1% of governors have been women, and less than than 1% of governors have been POC.

9:33 p.m. — In New York, Kathy Hochul has officially been reelected as New York State Governor for her second full term. Nationwide, democrats are dominating the early Senate, House, and Governor seats. In the Senate, Democrat Roy Cooper notably flipped the seat against Michael Whatley for the first time since 2008. The Senate is currently split 45D to 35R, the House 83D to 43R, and 15D to 10R. A blue wave seems to be the pattern, and with 54 million early voters, there are plenty more votes to be voted still.