What I'm watching on Election Night

The races, the stakes and a look inside my one-person newsroom. Plus: AOC campaign memo makes the case for her political future.

Photo by Vitalii Abakumov on Unsplash

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👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you. The midterms are in today!

What I’m watching tonight

After months of campaigning, millions of dollars in advertising, and more than a few unexpected twists, voters finally get the last word today. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot, along with governors’ races and consequential ballot measures nationwide.

As you know, Republicans enter Election Day controlling both chambers of Congress. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in each chamber to take control, though the Senate math is especially unforgiving: A 50–50 split would leave Republicans in charge thanks to Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote.

I’ve spent the past few days narrowing the races and questions I’ll be following as returns come in. Here’s what’s at the top of my list.