The Latest: Voters give Democrats control of Congress in rebuke to Trump
– Associated Press
Democrats have won control of Congress in Tuesday's 2026 midterm elections in a widespread repudiation of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, a drubbing that reached deep into reliable GOP territory.
Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats in ruby-red states and battlegrounds alike: Kansas, which hasn't elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. They held on to battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan. In the House, Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts, some that voted for Trump by double digits in 2024.
Democrats Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio, Rob Sand in Iowa and Gina Hinojosa in Texas won races for governor, flipping GOP-held offices.
Trump faces a profoundly reshaped Washington for the last two years of his presidency. Democrats will have the power to block his legislative agenda, reject his appointees and investigate his administration.
After telling voters repeatedly to "pretend I'm on the ballot," Trump tried to shift the blame away from himself, saying Democrats "did a good job" in their campaigns and blaming GOP candidates for losses. Most voters appear to blame his administration for high costs and want Congress to impose more checks on him, according to The AP Voter Poll.
Here's the latest:
U.S. midterm elections result in a wave of historic firsts
The country's first Black female governor, the first Native American female governor, the first Native female senator and the first openly gay male U.S. senator had been declared winners on Tuesday.
By early Wednesday, the first Muslim U.S. senator was added to the list of barrier-breaking milestones.
The astonishing Democratic wave also means the United States will likely have its first-ever Black speaker of the House.
"These firsts show how our country is changing," Alexis Anderson-Reed, president and CEO of State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity in democracy, said in an email.
It's too early to call the outcome of California's proposal to tax billionaires
A California measure to tax the net worth of billionaires that divided liberal leaders nationally and triggered one of the most expensive ballot fights in state history was too early to call Wednesday morning as the vote tally continued.
Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of Californians whose net worth exceeds $1 billion, with most of the revenue dedicated to replacing federal funding cuts to healthcare. The measure left ultra-rich people, some of whom spent heavily to defeat it, scrambling to figure out whether they would pay the tax or leave California.
How Trump and Republicans lost the 2026 midterm elections, according to The AP Voter Poll
After more than a decade with Donald Trump at the epicenter of U.S. politics, most voters appear exhausted and exasperated by him, according to The AP Voter Poll, a survey of midterm voters in all 50 states.
The president's failure to deliver on key promises — most prominently, his vows to tame inflation, which has worsened instead — clearly weighed on his fellow Republicans in Tuesday's midterm elections for the House and the Senate. The polling shows that voters generally saw Trump as being more focused on his own fortune and gold-leafed existence than their needs.
The president also helped elevate candidates with obvious flaws, amplifying their struggles in an already challenging year.
But the poll also contains a serious note of caution for Democrats. Many voters dislike the party — and while Democrats hold an advantage on key issues such as the economy, their edge is relatively slim. About 7 in 10 voters said that Congress isn't doing enough to provide checks and balances for the president, setting the bar for Democrats who won back the Senate and the House.
'A new era in world relations,' South African leader says
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Democrats taking control of the House and the Senate in the U.S. midterms is going to "introduce a new era in world relations."
Ramaphosa says he hopes South Africa will be able to improve its bilateral relationship with the United States after his country became a target for criticism during President Donald Trump's second term.
Trump's Republican administration has made several moves against South Africa's government, which he has baselessly accused of discriminating against its white minority. Those moves include excluding South Africa from meetings of the Group of 20 countries this year in the U.S. and suspending it from AGOA, a key U.S.-Africa trade program.
Democrat Aaron Ford wins election for governor in Nevada
Democrat Aaron Ford won election Wednesday as governor of Nevada, defeating Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo.
Ford, the attorney general, defeated the incumbent Lombardo in what was considered one of the country's most competitive governor's races.
Ford ran with the backing of the Democratic congressional delegation, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
He focused his winning campaign on affordability issues and blamed President Donald Trump and Lombardo for Nevadans' economic woes. He easily dispatched a more progressive challenger in the primary, insisting the party's left wing doesn't represent all Democrats. Ford will be the state's first Black governor.
Democrat Susie Lee wins reelection to U.S. House in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District
Democrat Susie Lee won election Wednesday to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Marty O'Donnell.
Lee won a fifth term representing Nevada's most competitive district that includes part of metro Las Vegas and rural Clark County and which President Donald Trump won in 2024.
First elected in 2018, Lee campaigned as a moderate and highlighted her bipartisan record. She has been frequently targeted by Republicans. O'Donnell is a retired composer best known for his work on the "Halo" video game series. He was endorsed by Trump in the Republican primary.
Democrat Tina Kotek wins reelection for governor in Oregon
Democrat Tina Kotek won election Wednesday as governor of Oregon, defeating Republican Christine Drazan. Kotek, the incumbent governor, previously served as Oregon's House speaker and has frequently sparred with President Donald Trump's administration.
She campaigned on a pledge to tackle homelessness, mental health and education. She defeated Drazan, a Republican state senator, for a second time; the two also faced off in 2022.
Tight race playing out in fight to lead Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and fellow Democrat Nithya Raman were tightly matched in early returns, as voters weighed whether to replace the embattled incumbent with a challenger backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
The outcome will determine whether the nation's second most populous city will follow the lead of New York, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor last year.
Nevada's last voter casts a ballot 5 hours after polls close
Nevada didn't release its first batch of results until midnight — five hours after polls closed.
In accordance with state law, results are not released until the last voter has cast a ballot. The polls closed at 7 p.m. PST, but election locations saw longer than normal wait times due to a large turnout, as well as an extra step in the election process. The last voter finished before midnight, the Nevada secretary of state's office announced.
Idaho voters reject abortion-rights ballot measure
Voters in Republican-heavy Idaho have rejected a ballot measure that would have created abortion rights in state law.
Current Idaho law bans abortions unless necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman, or during the first trimester of pregnancy in cases where rape or incest has been reported to law enforcement.
The ballot measure would have allowed abortions until fetal viability, which is generally considered after 21 weeks of pregnancy. It would have allowed later abortions for medical emergencies.
Voters in more than one-fifth of the states have approved abortion-rights ballot measures since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to abortion in 2022. But abortion measures have failed previously in some Republican-leaning states such as Florida and South Dakota.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins election to U.S. Senate from Michigan
Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, will succeed Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is retiring. El-Sayed will be the country's first Muslim senator.
El-Sayed had defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in a razor-thin primary despite her massive fundraising advantage and support from Democratic establishment figures who warned that El-Sayed was a risky bet in November.
His victory over Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, will likely embolden progressives by demonstrating success in a battleground state.
Alaska's Mary Peltola sidesteps controversy in speech to supporters
Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan are the major candidates in the closely watched U.S. Senate race in Alaska.
The race's final days were roiled by allegations Peltola's campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run. Peltola denied involvement.
She seemed to allude to the controversy, telling supporters that she was looking out on a room of "smart people and know exactly who they're voting for."
While Democrats won control of Congress before polls closed in Alaska, Sullivan asked his supporters to be patient. Alaska accepts ballots from overseas voters up to 15 days after the election.
While there was a "blue wave" in the Lower 48, "we're different, right?" Sullivan said.
Tuberville says his campaign stood up to a blue wave that hit elsewhere
"Tonight, Alabama decided to win," said Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who was elected Alabama governor.
"In the face of blue waves, which we've had tonight, unfortunately, this staff has stood up to the pressure and said, 'not in my Alabama,'" Tuberville said at his victory party in Auburn, the city where he served as a college football coach.
He faced Doug Jones in a rematch of their 2020 Senate race. Jones ran an aggressive campaign and forced Tuberville into a tighter race than Republicans have seen in recent Alabama elections.
Tuberville said he would not miss the "clown show" of the Senate.
Texas-Mexico border swings back to Democrats
They were running up big margins in a sign of Hispanic voters rejecting Republicans, who had been making inroads in the region.
The victories for Democrats along the border included Latin Grammy Award winner Bobby Pulido ousting Rep. Monica De La Cruz.
Nationally, Democratic candidates benefited from young voters and Hispanic voters shifting away from Republicans, shattering much of the expanded coalition that Trump had gathered in his successful 2024 presidential campaign.
Michigan's Democratic governor-elect says she will tackle corruption
Jocelyn Benson told a crowd of hundreds at a watch party in downtown Detroit that she would fight corruption and tackle affordability.
"I will be unafraid to stand up to any bully, no matter how powerful," she said.
Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan promises to 'shake up the status quo' after Senate win
Flanagan will become the first Native American female U.S. senator following her win over Republican former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.
Flanagan, an ally of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and current Minnesota lieutenant governor, told her supporters, "It is time for new voices to shake up our party and take back our nation."
She said, "The powerful better listen" following broad Democratic wins.
"We took on our own party, and we are the ones who are going to shake up the status quo," she said. "We're going to change the hell out of the system and finally make it work for us."
Democrat Hakeem Jeffries poised to make history as the first Black speaker of the House
Jeffries faces a vote of his colleagues when the new Democratic-controlled Congress convenes Jan. 3. If nominated and elected, as expected, it would be the first time a Black lawmaker has grasped the powerful House speaker's gavel, a job second in line to the president and the only leadership position in Congress mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
His rise to the speakership at the nation's domed Capitol, which enslaved African Americans helped build, would be a milestone more than 150 years in the making, tracing an arc of history that began when the first Black American was elected to the U.S. House in the turbulent era of Reconstruction after the Civil War.
Jeffries would wield the gavel at a time when many of the landmark gains of the 20th century Civil Rights era are being challenged anew, often by the Trump administration.
Democrats win the US House and take unified control of Congress
Democrats have won control of the U.S. House in addition to the U.S. Senate, delivering a shockingly decisive rebuke of Republican governance in Washington and ushering in a new era of congressional resistance to Trump.
The midterm elections Tuesday channeled voters' deep frustrations over high prices, the Iran war and concerns over government corruption. Democrats routed their rivals across the map, from Texas to Iowa to New Hampshire, including states Trump won by double digits just two years ago.
Democratic control will profoundly reshape Trump's final two years in office and likely hamstring his agenda.
Democrats score an upset in Indiana
In an upset that many analysts did not see coming, Democratic nominee J.D. Ford has defeated three-term Rep. Victoria Spartz in Indiana's 5th Congressional District.
The Democratic pickup comes in a district that Trump won by nearly 17 percentage points two years ago.
Ford is the first openly gay member of the Indiana General Assembly. Spartz is the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress.
The defeat demonstrates the Democratic Party's success this election cycle breaking through not just in the nation's traditional battleground districts, but in several deep red ones as well.
Democrat Troy Jackson wins election to US Senate from Maine
Incumbent Sen. Susan Collins conceded earlier to Jackson, ending her run for a sixth term.
Democrats considered defeating Collins as key to winning control of the U.S. Senate, and she was one of Republicans' most threatened incumbents this year.
Jackson, a former state legislative leader, replaced Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee after Platner dropped out while facing an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied.
Sen.-elect Josh Turek says Iowa loves an underdog
Turek, a Democrat who flipped Iowa's Republican-held Senate seat, celebrated the win that seemed far-fetched in the state Trump won by 13 percentage points just two years ago.
"They told me it was impossible to win this Senate race, but tonight, Iowa, we have once again proved that the impossible is possible," Turek said.
Turek will replace retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst and is among the seat-flipping Democrats ushering in a new majority in the chamber. Turek, who campaigned on rooting out corruption, said he'd be accountable to all Iowans.
"My political North Star has always been about what is best for the people, not about party," he said.
California defeats voter identification requirements
A proposal to enhance California's voter identification requirements had been placed on the ballot after a conservative group gathered thousands of petition signatures. But voters in the Democratic-led state rejected the proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday.
Opponents campaigned against it by linking the measure to Trump, who's advocated unsuccessfully for a voter photo ID requirement at the national level.
The California measure would have required a government-issued ID to vote in person or the last four digits of that identification number to vote by mail in California. The vast majority of California's ballots are cast by mail.
'We just took back Texas,' Talarico tells crowd after victory
That line made the crowd shout with joy, but to Talarico it wasn't about a party victory — even as Democrats tout his Senate win in the Republican state.
"We are tired of being told to hate each other," he told a crowd, who yelled in agreement. "We didn't win this race by alienating our neighbors or shaming our neighbors."
His campaign, he said, is changing the game to a "politics of love."
"This win is for every Texan who has ever wondered if anyone is ever listening," he said. "I heard you. We heard you. And tonight, the world hears you."
Trump says he'll accept election results but says 'I don't view it as a hit on me'
Trump has congratulated Democrats for their string of victories but maintains that the midterm elections are not a referendum on him.
"The Democrats did a good job. They fought hard," he said in a phone interview with Fox News.
Several Trump-backed candidates lost in places that he won easily in 2024. But he blamed the candidates themselves, not policies of his that voters have looked on unfavorably, like the economy and Iran war.
"I don't view it as a hit on me," he said. "We've had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency."
Maine Sen. Susan Collins concedes to Democrat Troy Jackson, ending her run for a sixth term
The Associated Press has not yet called the race.
Jackson is a former Maine Senate president who took over as the Democratic nominee in July after primary winner Graham Platner dropped out. He was tasked with defeating the longtime incumbent after a chaotic primary season that left the Democrats in disarray and briefly without a candidate.
Democrats had seen the race as a top opportunity to flip a Republican-held seat. Maine has supported Democrats for president since 1992, and Collins was running for reelection at a moment when President Trump is deeply unpopular.
Iowa Republican Lahn says his loss shows U.S. is at crossroads
Zach Lahn said his defeat to Democrat Rob Sand in the Iowa governor's race sends a message to corporate interests, career politicians and lobbyists.
"America is at a crossroads," he said. "The fight is just beginning right now."
Lahn called on his supporters to "protect this state," coming after Sand became the first Democrat elected governor in the state in two decades.
He said he spoke to Sand and that he'd keep him in his prayers.
"I wish him well in this," he said.
Democrats flip 3 House seats in Iowa
Iowa had an all-Republican congressional delegation going into the election. Democrats have now picked up three of the state's four House seats.
In the 1st Congressional District, Christina Bohannan defeated Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. About 800 votes separated them two years ago, even though Trump comfortably carried the district, setting the stage for Bohannan to win on her third try for the seat.
Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott, a state senator and a Lutheran minister, defeated Zach Nunn in the state's 3rd Congressional District.
And finally, Democratic candidate Lindsay James, a chaplain, defeated Republican Joe Mitchell in an open seat in the state's 2nd Congressional District. The move by Rep. Ashley Hinson to run for the Senate had left the opening.
Both parties invested heavily in a state where farmers are dealing with headwinds from high gas prices and retaliatory tariffs.
Democrats flip control of Wisconsin Senate
Republican control of the Wisconsin Legislature has come to an end in at least one chamber.
Democrats won control of the state Senate on Tuesday and were making gains in the Assembly.
Democrats haven't fully controlled Wisconsin's government since 2010. But new legislative districts, ordered by the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court, gave Democrats a better shot at flipping the legislative chambers this year.
Iowa's Hinson says she'll keep up 'fight for common sense' after defeat
Republican Ashley Hinson made brief remarks to supporters after Democrat Josh Turek won Iowa's open seat in the U.S. Senate.
Hinson, who serves in the House, was hoping to replace retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. Flanked by her family, Hinson thanked her staff and supporters for helping her fight to keep the American dream within reach for more Americans.
"I will continue to fight for common sense," Hinson said.
"I think we ran an absolutely fabulous campaign across the state," she added. "Lots of late nights and lots of miles."
The AP Voter Poll: Hamilton won Kansas Senate voters who were moderates
Republican Sen. Roger Marshall performed significantly worse with Kansas Senate voters under 30, with roughly 8 in 10 backing Democrat Adam Hamilton. Marshall split this group with his Democratic opponent in 2020, during his last Senate campaign, according to AP VoteCast.
Hamilton won moderates in Kansas this year, with roughly 7 in 10 backing him over Marshall. Marshall only won about one-quarter of this group, down from about 4 in 10 in 2020.
Many Kansas voters also appeared concerned about Marshall's character, after he faced accusations throughout the campaign that he had sent unpaid medical bills from former patients to collections agencies. A slim majority of Kansas voters said Marshall did not have the right personal character to serve in the U.S. Senate.
About half of voters, by contrast, said Hamilton was "too extreme."
Democrat Adam Hamilton says win in deeply red Kansas is repudiation of Washington
Speaking before a raucous crowd, Hamilton said he won over Republicans and independents because they weren't on board with the administration's policies.
He cited economic pressure weighing on voters from tariffs along with the war in Iran as factors.
"I think the people in Kansas, Republicans, independents and Democrats are saying what's happening in Washington is not OK," he said.
Sherrod Brown says Ohio residents 'sent an undeniable message'
Democrat Sherrod Brown told supporters they had made themselves clear to the nation.
"You sent an undeniable message tonight: Ohio is not for sale," he said.
Brown's victory over Republican Sen. Jon Husted was among the most expensive in the nation, topping $500 million in spending by campaigns and outside groups.
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A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the first name of the Iowa governor-elect is Rob, not Rod.
Democrats set to win majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years
– Kevin Hardy, Statesline
Democrats are poised to control the majority of governor’s offices for the first time in 16 years after the GOP racked up major losses across the country.
Democrats flipped governorships in Iowa, Ohio, Georgia and Texas and defended competitive races in Maine and Wisconsin, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ.
Midterms are always tough for the party that holds the White House, but high prices and growing disapproval of President Donald Trump delivered even stronger than expected results for Democrats Tuesday.
“It’s a blue wave that was bigger than anyone had expected, and it’s having consequences across the country, including here in Texas,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. “Overall, Donald Trump has single-handedly turned many red states blue — or at least purple.”
By late Tuesday, Democrats had won races for attorney general and lieutenant governor for the first time in decades and were well on their way to flipping the Texas House.
“One of the real questions will be what do Democrats do with this power, and will they be able to retain it,” he said. “This has effectively opened a door for Democrats across the country.”
Gubernatorial races proved historic for both Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday with the election of the nation’s first Black woman governor and the first Black Republican governor.
But the Democratic party made major gains coast to coast, particularly in reliably conservative states, that could reshape state policy for years to come.
In Iowa, the election of Democrat Rob Sand ends more than a decade of Republican control of the legislature and the governor’s office.
In Ohio, Democrat Dr. Amy Acton’s win marks the first time in 20 years that Ohio voters have selected a Democrat to lead the Buckeye State.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will become Georgia’s first Democratic governor since 2002.
While governors were on ballots in 36 states, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter only identified a dozen races for governor as competitive. Those included: Alaska, Georgia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin.
Republicans have controlled a majority of state governments since 2010. Before Tuesday’s election, Republicans boasted a 26-24 gubernatorial advantage over Democrats. But the GOP’s state legislative advantage was even stronger, with Republicans controlling 28 state legislatures and Democrats controlling 18 with divided control of chambers in three states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
By 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Democrats had notched major legislative wins. Democrats broke the GOP supermajority in Florida, flipped control of the Wisconsin state Senate and flipped the North Carolina state House.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats won the GOP-held state Senate, seizing a trifecta – control of the governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature – in Harrisburg.
“Tonight’s earth-shattering victory is undeniable proof that voters are fed up with the MAGA agenda,” Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a news release.
In Arizona, Democrats declared victory in a yearslong effort to win control of the legislature, proclaiming that Republicans would be in the minority at the state Capitol for the first time in 60 years.
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Source New Mexico, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Midterms launch wave of historic firsts for some states — and for the nation
– By Terry Tang, Associated Press
Yes, the 2026 midterms will be remembered for the astonishing number of losses that Democrats handed to President Donald Trump. But in the background, something perhaps equally seismic unfolded: a wave of firsts that elevated into high office members of groups that had, until now, been kept largely at the margins.
There were cheers and happy tears at election parties from New Mexico to Georgia late Tuesday once it became clear voters had elected the country's first Black female governor, the first Native American female governor, the first Native female senator and the first openly gay male U.S. senator. By early Wednesday, the first Muslim U.S. senator was also added to the list of barrier-breaking milestones. The astonishing blue wave also means the United States will likely have its first-ever Black speaker of the House.
Most of these firsts are Democrats, but the GOP has also broken some new ground.
While some of these candidates have avoided focusing on the inherent historic value of their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation, some voters' rights advocates are celebrating how the electorate has expanded.
"These firsts show how our country is changing," Alexis Anderson-Reed, president and CEO of State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity in democracy, said via e-mail.
"For years, people of color and LGBTQ+ communities have organized, knocked on doors, talked to voters, held conversations, and done the hard work of saving our democracy," Anderson-Reed said. "These wins are because of them."
Here are some of the races where history was and could be made.
First Native American female governor
Democrat Deb Haaland reveled in her history-making moment of becoming the first Native American female governor in U.S. history. Haaland was declared the winner over Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor, to lead New Mexico.
The Laguna Pueblo citizen noted that Native Americans are still here despite past efforts by the federal government to strip them of their languages and culture.
"Tonight, in our nation's 250th year, I stand before you as the first Native American woman elected governor in U.S. history," Haaland told ecstatic supporters at a victory celebration.
In 2018, Haaland was one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Then she became the first Native American Cabinet secretary, running President Joe Biden's Department of the Interior. Charles Curtis, from the Kaw Nation, was the first Native Cabinet member as President Herbert Hoover's vice president.
Oklahoma was the only state to elect a tribal citizen for governor — Democrat Johnston Murray in the 1950s and current Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.
"I want every child watching to know that your dreams matter and that New Mexico is a place where you can build the life you want," Haaland said, adding that she is living proof.
First Native woman senators
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has become the first Native American female U.S. senator, helping Democrats win back the Senate. A citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan defeated Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter.
Tafoya would have been the first Republican of Latina heritage to sit in the U.S. Senate.
Mary Peltola, who is Yup'ik and a Democrat, could also become the first Alaska Native U.S. senator. Votes in her race to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan are still being tabulated.
Peltola was considered a trailblazer in 2022 when she became the first Alaska Native elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
First Black female governor
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms was declared the winner Tuesday night in the Georgia governor's race, ending 250 years of U.S. history without a Black woman elected as a state's governor. The former Atlanta mayor was running against Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman.
"Tonight should remind us all that no matter what community we come from, Georgia is not defined by one moment in time or by one person," Bottoms told euphoric supporters. "It's been defined by all of us, and I will be a governor for everyone in this state."
She will also be Georgia's first governor of color. All 83 of Georgia's previous governors have been white men.
Lisa Demuth, however, lost an opportunity to be the first Black female governor. The former Minnesota House speaker was overtaken by longtime Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Stacey Abrams had been the only Black woman to come close to winning a governor's race when she got the Georgia Democratic Party's nomination in 2018 and 2022.
First Muslim US senator
Abdul El-Sayed will become the first Muslim American to serve in the U.S. Senate.
The contentious race to be Michigan's next senator was called for him early Wednesday morning. The race between the progressive Michigan Democrat and Republican Mike Rogers has grabbed attention nationally, especially after El-Sayed's primary opponent endorsed Rogers.
"You took a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates," El-Sayed told a Detroit crowd. "Thank you. This is all yours."
El-Sayed has had to contend with Republicans all the way up to Trump implying or overtly stating that the Michigan-born epidemiologist is not American and supports terrorism. Trump has called him "dangerously radical" and "too extreme" and referred to him as "Mohammed." El-Sayed and his supporters have denounced the attacks as Islamophobic or racist affronts to religious freedom.
First openly gay male US senator
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas won his U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire and will become the country's first openly gay male senator. He defeated former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, a Republican who previously served in both chambers of Congress.
This new benchmark is not something Pappas has dwelled on while campaigning, saying, "I'm not running to make history." But he also applauded the fact that his sexual orientation was not a huge source of discussion among potential voters.
First Black and Latino governors
The U.S. went from having only three elected Black governors in its 250-year history to gaining several more overnight.
On Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the third one in the U.S. and the only current Black governor, won reelection, while Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Crowley were elected as the first Black governor in Florida and Wisconsin, respectively. With Bottoms' victory in Georgia, two Deep South states will be governed by a Black leader for the first time.
Moore, chair of the National Governors Association, has called the presence of so many Black gubernatorial contenders "a unique moment." It's not "an applause line" but a challenge to make diverse gubernatorial nominees more common, he said.
Latinos, both Democrats, will take on the highest state office in two of the biggest states. Texas voters rejected Gov. Greg Abbott in favor of Gina Hinojosa, who will be the state's first Latina governor. Xavier Becerra, former California attorney general, outpaced Republican Steve Hilton. He will be California's first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco in 1875.
Record year of women running for governor and Congress
This midterm has been a record-breaker for women vying for state and federal offices. Democrats increased their 2022 number of female candidates to 19 running for governor, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The Republican Party had seven women setting their sights on governor.
Like Minnesota, Tennessee elected its first female governor. Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn beat Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis city councilwoman.
Nearly 300 women, including incumbents, were running for the U.S. Senate and House, as documented by Rutgers' Center for American Women and Politics.
Among them was Democrat Juliana Stratton in Illinois, who defeated Republican Don Tracy on Tuesday. Stratton, the current lieutenant governor, will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin. With fellow Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who is of Thai heritage, the pair will make Illinois the first state to be represented by two female senators of color. Stratton's win also means there will be three Black women serving in the Senate.
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Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, Susan Montoya Bryan and Savannah Peters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
Receding floodwaters leave a sea of mud and shattered homes in the US Southwest
– By Brittany Peterson, Savannah Peters And Mead Gruver Associated Press
Skies began to clear Tuesday, but while floodwaters from almost two weeks of on-and-off heavy rain still inundated parts of the U.S. Southwest, other areas left mud-caked by receding torrents presented homeowners and businessowners with the filthy work of cleanup.
Jack Ellis, a retired schoolteacher, surveyed damage along the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, which has suffered through multiple rounds of severe flooding in recent weeks.
"This is quite a disaster for everybody, especially in the low-lying areas," Ellis said. "We dig in and dig out, and that's what it's going to take."
In all, more than 20 trillion gallons (76 trillion liters) of rain — 10 months of the flow over Niagara Falls — have fallen on the Four Corners states and Nevada in the past two weeks, according to former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue.
After rain atop rain, flood risk persists
The U.S. Southwest has endured two recent major rounds of storms, with rain falling on ground already saturated from an especially wet fall.
One person died in floodwaters, and police suspect a second death was weather-related.
Skies were clearing after some rivers crested at levels lower than forecasted overnight, offering a measure of relief to areas that were bracing for more catastrophic flooding, including Shiprock and Farmington in northwestern New Mexico. Devin Neeley, a spokesperson for San Juan County, New Mexico, said major rivers in the area remained above flood stage.
"Now it's a waiting game for the waters to recede," Neeley said, adding that the county would likely soon lift evacuation orders impacting at least 20,000 residents and begin to focus on recovery.
Flooding in Florida, too, complicates voting
The situation wasn't unique to the region. As downpours swamped eastern Florida, at least 20 polling places were changed in at least eight counties after Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an emergency declaration.
Flooded areas included Brevard County on the east-central coast, where over 2 feet (61 centimeters) of rain has fallen since Sunday. In Palm Beach County in southeast Florida, over 20 inches (51 centimeters) fell, cutting off access to condominiums and submerging cars in parking places.
Some communities in Colorado and Utah, too, had to make alternative Election Day voting plans because of the flooding.
Alyssa Gallegos, a contract mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, spent Tuesday morning helping get mail-in ballots from mailboxes to the post office in time for a 7 p.m. deadline for counting.
"Regardless if we're in a crisis and having a hard time, the world doesn't stop turning," Gallegos said. "They're not gonna wait for us, so we just gotta stay with it."
In Rock Point, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation, officials were forced to relocate a polling place because of flooding impacts. Valinda Shirley, vice president of the Rock Point Chapter, the local seat of tribal government, said hundreds of voters are still unable to cast ballots in both the U.S. midterms and the Navajo Nation presidential election because a major bridge closure and washed-out dirt roads have left them stranded on election day.
"I have people that are still texting me asking how I can get them out so they can vote," Shirley said Tuesday afternoon.
Another blow for Colorado hot-springs tourist town
An eighth-generation Pagosa Springs local, Gallegos said her ancestors went through a catastrophic flood in 1911 but no one alive in her family expected anything like it in their lifetimes.
She was watching videos of the devastation on social media Monday when she spotted her stepfather's home swept off its foundation by raging floodwaters. Inside, she knew, were old photographs and other treasured possessions from her childhood.
"My heart's crushed," Gallegos said. "And it's not just him, it's all the people."
Cleanup and repairs could take weeks or more in Pagosa Springs, a tourist town famous for hotels with riverside hot springs.
The downtown area remained closed to traffic Tuesday while workers used heavy equipment to clear mud, water and debris from roads.
Walkways and bridges collapsed or were heavily damaged. Outside a resort entrance stacked with sandbags, a sign read "Love Pagosa."
Basement becomes 'soup bowl' in Durango
In Durango, about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) to the west, Willow Bradner's ranch-style home was surrounded by about 2 feet (60 centimeters) of mud. Nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water from an overflowing creek poured inside at one point.
"Our basement became a soup bowl," she said.
The basement had been a selling point when she bought the property in 2024. Bradner said she and her husband once asked if they needed flood insurance and were told they were not in a flood zone.
They and their teenage daughter had been offered a place to stay through the end of the year. But the loss of their home and uncertainty about the future were overwhelming, Bradner said.
"The majority of our savings is in this house," she said. "We have to dig deep, and we have to rebuild."
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Peters reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Gruver from Fort Collins, Colorado. Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed.
