Votes were still being tallied and key races remained uncalled as Election Day came to an end. But as of 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday, when the last polls closed in Alaska, Democrats were projected to gain more than three dozen seats in the House and as many as nine seats in the Senate — far beyond the three and four seats, respectively, that they needed to retake each chamber. They were also on track to win the majority of governorships for the first time since 2011.
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms is projected by ABC News to become the next governor of Georgia -- beating billionaire Rick Jackson in the closely watched race...
Deb Haaland
Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, is projected to win New Mexico's gubernatorial race, becoming the first indigenous governor in U.S. history...
Rep. Gina Hinojosa
The Texas gubernatorial race is also projected to see a historic first, with Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa becoming the state's first Latina governor...
Dr. Amy Acton
Dr. Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health, is projected to defeat GOP opponent Vivek Ramaswamy for the Ohio governor's seat.
Acton will become the first woman elected governor in Ohio and the first Jewish governor in the state's history...
David Crowley
In battleground Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, will win and become the state's first Black governor, ABC News projects...
Rep. Chris Pappas
In New Hampshire, ABC News projects that U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas will win the Senate race, becoming the first openly gay senator...
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
ABC News can project that Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed will win his senate election against his Republican opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers.
He will make history as this country's first ever Muslim Senator...
'In 1860, an enslaved man named Sheppard Peek was listed among the possessions of William Peek, a white man in Crawfordville. His value was placed at $1,400.
— Phil Lewis (@phillewis.bsky.social) November 3, 2026 at 10:24 PM
More than a century and a half later, Sheppard’s great-great-granddaughter, Keisha Lance Bottoms, was elected governor of Georgia.'
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