Wednesday, November 9, 2022

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A voter with her head in her hands at a watch party as results come in. | Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP

WAITING GAME — This was supposed to be an election where Republicans made sweeping gains to win back the House. In the final days, the Senate also seemed to be moving their way, with the outside possibility of an expansive 54-seat majority. Both would have been in line with historic midterm swings.

Yet as the dust settles on the election results, all those expectations have been scaled back. Control of the House and Senate remained up in the air today, with no prospect of a quick resolution. It’s looking more like a narrow House GOP majority — many races remain uncalled — and a Senate so close that it might not be resolved for weeks.

Here’s where things stand, 24 hours after the first polls closed on Election Day, and where they’re going as results continue to trickle in.

THE HOUSE: A large collection of competitive House races remain uncalled — enough to make a difference in the size of a prospective GOP majority, especially if Democrats pick off a Republican seat or two. They’re concentrated in the West, in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state, and there are still many votes left to be counted in a number of those races. In several of those states, ballots postmarked by Election Day will be counted — meaning full results won’t be available in many of those races until next week.

There is also a group of individual races scattered elsewhere, photo-finish contests where nearly all of the vote is in but the candidates are separated by only a percentage point or two. Among them is GOP lightning rod Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who was trailing by less than 100 votes when Nightly went to press with more than 95 percent of the vote in.

THE SENATE: The situation in the Senate is clearer, but not by much. At present, there are four Senate races that haven’t been called: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Each party has 48 seats. There’s no question in Alaska that a Republican will be declared the victor; it’s just a question of which one. That means the party that wins two of the three remaining Senate seats will capture the majority. Democrats are best positioned in Arizona, where Sen. Mark Kelly has a 4-point advantage over Republican Blake Masters with two-thirds of the vote counted. In Nevada, Republican Adam Laxalt has a 50-47 lead over Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with 77 percent of the vote counted , though Cortez Masto can hope to pick up some ground in Las Vegas’ Clark County, a traditional Democratic stronghold, where a “considerable” amount of ballots are still to be counted , according to election officials.

Since neither candidate in Georgia won 50 percent of the vote, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will advance to a Dec. 6 runoff. If Republicans prevail in Arizona or Nevada, control of the Senate will come down to that.

GOVERNORS: Incumbents had a good night — especially Democratic incumbents. Despite a rough midterm environment, by this afternoon every Democratic incumbent was reelected, with one exception: Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, whose race remained undecided today. With 77 percent of the vote in, Sisolak trailed Republican Joe Lombardo 51-46.

“We had the best midterm for governors since 1986,” President Joe Biden said today at a White House news conference.

While Democrats flipped GOP-held governorships in Maryland and Massachusetts, two of the party’s biggest stars — Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams — failed in their bids to oust incumbent Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Brian Kemp of Georgia.

The contentious open-seat Arizona race between Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs was the only remaining uncalled contest this afternoon. Hobbs was winning by fewer than 5,000 votes, with 67 percent of the vote in.

SECRETARIES OF STATE: Two states remained undecided today in closely watched elections for chief election officials: Arizona and Nevada. In Arizona, one of the nation’s most prominent election deniers, Republican Mark Finchem, trailed Democrat Adrian Fontes 52-48 with 67 percent of the vote counted. In Nevada, election denier Jim Marchant held a 49-47 lead over Cisco Aguilar with 77 percent of the vote in.

Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at cmahtesian@politico.com or on Twitter at @PoliticoCharlie .

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WHAT'D I MISS?

— Youngkin apologizes for Pelosi attack comments: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent Speaker Nancy Pelosi a written apology for his comments making light of the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi, spokespeople confirmed today. Youngkin, a Republican, infuriated Democrats by saying at a campaign event that took place the same day as the Oct. 28 attack on Paul Pelosi: “There’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re going to send her back to be with him in California.”

— Bitter GOP divisions leave abortion legal in South Carolina: Republicans in South Carolina failed to enact new abortion restrictions . GOP members of the state House and Senate were unable to agree on how far to go, almost certainly dooming the chances for any new bills to be enacted this year and leaving access to the procedure legal in the state — for now. During a conference committee meeting this morning, members of the House refused to budge on their proposal to ban abortion starting at conception with exceptions for rape, incest and if the life of the pregnant person is in danger, while Senate leadership reiterated its chamber only had the votes to prohibit the procedure starting around six weeks of pregnancy. South Carolina’s most ardently anti-abortion lawmakers, who argued such a proposal was insufficiently “pro-life,” still sent the bill to the Senate floor, where lawmakers voted 23-21 to table the measure.

— Florida braces for major storm after Nicole strengthens into a hurricane: Just weeks after a deadly hurricane swept through the state, Florida is bracing for another major storm that has the potential to damage areas with heavy rains and destructive winds. The National Hurricane Center upgraded the storm to a hurricane at around 6 p.m. as it made landfall on the Bahamas. It had sustained winds of up to 75 mph. Gov. Ron DeSantis this morning warned Floridians to be diligent ahead of the storm and to be prepared to lose power. The storm, he said, is expected to make landfall around 1 a.m. Thursday morning.

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AROUND THE WORLD

Russian soldiers in Kherson in May. | AP Photo, File

ON THE BACK FOOT — Russia today said it would pull troops out of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson , which it captured in the early days of the war — a new humiliation for Vladimir Putin, write Tristan Fielder and Sergei Kuznetsov .

Russia’s commander in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, said on Russian state TV that it was no longer possible to keep supplying the city, situated on the banks of the Dnipro River.

The retreat is a fresh blow to Moscow, as Kherson was the only regional capital Russian troops captured since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion began in February. It was one of four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by the Russian president in late September. At the time, Putin said that the Ukrainians living in those regions “are becoming our citizens forever.”

In a sign of the political disarray in Moscow, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said today that Russia was willing to hold talks with Kyiv.

That’s a huge comedown from demands made by the Kremlin early in the war, which would only countenance Ukraine’s total surrender.

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NIGHTLY NUMBER

More than 155 million

The number of Americans who will now live in states with legal weed . Maryland and Missouri passed legalization referendums on Tuesday, meaning there are now 21 states where anyone at least 21 years old will be able to legally possess marijuana. That marks a seismic shift since Colorado and Washington became the first states to back full legalization at the ballot box a decade ago.

RADAR SWEEP

DEATH SPIRAL — On Tuesday, the crypto exchange FTX blew up . Its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried (a large Democratic contributor) lost much of his personal wealth. The spiral, in which FTX lost almost all of its on paper value and then was acquired by rival Binance, is prompting more questions about just how real the money behind these crypto plays are. Joel Khalili breaks down what happened with FTX and crypto’s future in WIRED.

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PARTING IMAGE

An election worker arrives with ballots to be tabulated inside the Maricopa County Recorder's Office today in Phoenix. | AP Photo/Matt York

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Mike’s Midterm Tsunami Truth #41

We Killed the Red Wave

MICHAEL MOORE

NOV 9

It’s 6am and I haven’t gone to bed. The headlines are already popping up on my screen:

“No Signs of ‘Red Wave’ as Race for Congress Remains Tight” (New York Times)

“Congress hangs in balance as Democrats defy expectations” (Washington Post)

“‘Red wave’ fails to materialise as Fetterman clinches crucial Senate seat for Democrats” (The Guardian)

“Control of Congress Remains at Stake as Democrats Fend Off Anticipated ‘Red Wave’” (The Wall Street Journal)

I’ve checked my inbox and so many of you have written to me through the night. So many of you who worked hard over these last months to prevent the bloodbath. A fascist takeover by a full slate of election deniers and voting suppressors.

And now we know there will be no bloodbath. Not today. And it’s because we and millions of others erected a force field around the haters and bigots to stop them in their tracks. And that is what has happened. Sometimes you have to lose a battle or two in order to win the war.

I love how you all knew that if for some reason we couldn’t create a blue tsunami on Election Day, our second best choice was to make sure there would be no red wave.

And that is where we are at as America wakes up on The Day After. As Election Day 2022 came to an end, the Republicans last night were in a state of shock as they found themselves, at least for now, in control of neither the House nor the Senate! They were unable to throw a single Democrat out of the United States Senate. In fact just the opposite happened — the Democrats were able to flip control of their Pennsylvania Senate seat from a Republican to a Democrat. In stunned disbelief, the Democrats instantly went from a 50-50 Senate to a 51-49 Senate in their favor. Georgia and Nevada are still too close to call, but the Democrat in Georgia holds a small lead, and the Democrat in Nevada has played see-saw all night with the Republican. To be clear, they’ll be counting these votes for days, if not weeks, and so it’s anybody’s guess what could happen.

As for the House, you need 218 seats to hold a majority, to be able to pass (or defeat) a bill. Right now they are 20 seats short of that and that is why none of the networks nor the AP nor the New York Times have called the House for either Party.

The looks on the faces of Fox News are glum. This was not what they — or we — have been told for months would happen. Back in the spring, Republican leadership predicted that the Trump Party would pick up nearly 60 seats in the House. It looks like they’ll be lucky to get 10. Commentators on Fox called it a “disaster.” One scenario suggests they could end up with just a one vote majority.

“The real winner tonight” said one Republican, “is Joe Biden. He’s got a big smile on his face right now.”

There was so much heartening news coming out of last night. Abortion rights measures passing in Vermont, California, Michigan, and Kentucky — with Montana poised to follow suit. Marijuana was made legal in Maryland and Missouri. Record midterm turnouts by young people occurred in many states.

I will go into more detail when we next talk (after more votes are tabulated). For now, let me just say this:

We were lied to for months by the pundits and pollsters and the media. Voters had not “moved on” from the Supreme Court’s decision to debase and humiliate women by taking federal control over their reproductive organs. Crime was not at the forefront of the voters “simple” minds. Neither was the price of milk. It was their Democracy that they came to fight for yesterday. And because of that drive, we live to fight, and hope, for another day…

Once again, massive thanks to all of you for helping all of us build a Blue Wall that stopped an ugly red wave.

I’ll speak to y’all later.

ICYMI:

Mike’s Midterm Tsunami of Truths:

Truth #1: The Campaign

Truth #2: Even a kid from 4th hour Trig class can beat this crowd

Truth #3: The Haters, the Bigots and the Supremacists Always Lose in the End

Truth #4: Introducing The Whackadoodle 10

Truth #5: Trump is not the Big Bad Wolf. But he is very afraid of You.

Truth #6: The Easy-to-Digest Republican Party Platform

Truth #7: Biden, Don’t F**k with Me

Truth #8: If you’re not registered, you can’t Roe, Roe, Roe the Vote!

Truth #9: Why will we win? Because the American people hate fascism.

Truth #10: Meet Blake Masters, Whackadoodle No. 9

Truth #11: 147 Reasons We Will Win on November 8th

Truth #12: Biden just gave us a boost and a toke.

Truth #13: Women. That’s it.

Truth #14: If the Mainstream Media Thinks There’s a Chance We May Be Right about Roevember, Watch Out.

Truth #15: Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, Whackadoodle No. 8

Truth #16: As Alex Jones has now been fined a billion dollars for his lies, that is nothing compared to the punishment other Republicans are going to get on November 8th.

Truth #17: Early Voting, Mail-in Voting, Dropbox Voting — These Were Made for Libs, Hard Workers, Book Readers, Artists, Busy Parents, Slackers, and Progressives like us! In other words, The Majority!

Truth #18: The Good Queen vs. The Mad King

Truth #19: A Workers' Revolt Extends to the Voting Booth

Truth #20: We Are in Charge

Truth #21: Don’t believe it.

Truth #22: If the election is about inflation and the economy, THANK GOD — We Win

Truth #23: We Believe in Science. And that’s why we will win.

Truth #24: Vote Local, Win National

Truth #25: The side with the best nursery rhymes wins.

Truth #26: We Will Win Because Americans Don’t Want to See This Happen...

Truth #27: We are going to win because our side has millions of good souls like this…

Truth #28: Whackadoodle No More

Truth #29: They’ve Got Big Plans That We’ve Gotta Stop

Truth #30: Turn Off the News! Stop Reading the Paper! They’re Filling Your Head with Mush.

Truth #31: If I Had a Hammer

Truth #32: This Is All You Need to Know

Truth #33: Let Me Call Your Non-voting Brother-in-Law!

Truth #34: Deep Down, You Know You’re Being Played

Truth #35: The kids are all right.

Truth #36: Dem Insiders Quietly Confide to Me What We’ve Known All Along

Truth #37: It Can’t Happen Here

Truth #38: The Day After the Blue Tsunami

Truth #39: Roevember Election Day Mixtape

Truth #40: We Win Either Way

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Watch out for broken glass

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BY LISA KASHINSKY

Presented by

With help from Sophie Gardner

BARRIER BREAKERS — Maura Healey rose from political obscurity eight years ago to win the attorney general’s office. Roughly one minute after the polls closed last night, she became the first woman and first openly gay person elected governor of Massachusetts.

Healey and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll will be the state’s first all-female governor and lieutenant governor team — one of two such pairs elected across the country last night — after defeating Republican running mates and former state Reps. Geoff Diehl and Leah Cole Allen. Healey also broke the so-called attorney general curse that's kept many of her predecessors from the governor's office.

Massachusetts Governor-Elect Muara Healey and Lt. Governor-Elect Kim Driscoll during an election night event in Boston, Mass. on Nov. 8, 2022. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

Democrat Andrea Campbell routed Republican Jay McMahon to become the first Black woman elected attorney general, continuing a meteoric rise in Massachusetts politics that’s taken her from a district Boston City Council seat to statewide office in just seven years.

Five of the state’s six constitutional offices are on track to be held by women and all are poised to be held by Democrats after Secretary of State Bill Galvin and Treasurer Deb Goldberg won reelection . Republican Anthony Amore conceded the auditor’s race to state Sen. Diana DiZoglio to complete the Democrats’ sweep. And on a historic night for women in Massachusetts, Galvin joined the club by winning a record eighth term.

“I want to say something to every little girl and every young LGBTQ person out there. I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever, you want to be,” a triumphant Healey declared to near-deafening cheers in a packed function room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel. She also received a congratulatory call from President Joe Biden.

Diehl’s supporters, including former congressional candidate Rick Green, initially balked at the early Associated Press call in Healey’s favor. But the Donald Trump-backed conservative, who’s now lost two statewide races, was gracious toward Healey in a brief concession speech.

“The people of the Commonwealth have spoken. I respect their choice,” Diehl said. “And I ask everyone who supported me and Leah to give [Healey] the same opportunity for success that I would have asked if the shoe had been on the other foot.”

Caroline Amenabar/POLITICO

Healey’s victory secured Democrats a state government trifecta — control of the governor’s office on top of supermajorities in the Legislature. But what’s generally seen as a boon for the party in power can also bring perils — exposing intraparty fault lines and generating the same sorts of insurmountable impasses and general gridlock it’s supposed to avoid.

But that’s for January. First, there’s a transition to be had. Healey and Driscoll will meet with Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito today. “We will model the kind of leadership and collaboration and, yes, the respect we want to see elsewhere,” Healey said, sounding every bit like the Republican she’s succeeding.

And she won’t be going in cold. Healey’s team has had issue groups meeting informally for weeks on key policy areas including health, climate, and workforce and economic development to help guide her agenda as governor, according to three people familiar with them.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. New England proved a bright spot for Democrats on a nail-biter of a night for the party in power in Washington.

New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, once considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats on the Senate map this cycle, defeated Republican Don Bolduc by a sizable margin. Rep. Chris Pappas also edged his Republican challenger, former Trump White House press aide Karoline Leavitt. And the Associated Press called Rep. Annie Kuster the victor over Republican Bob Burns early Wednesday. Still, Granite Staters split their tickets, reelecting GOP Gov. Chris Sununu.

Caroline Amenabar/POLITICO

In Rhode Island’s hotly contested 2nd District congressional race, Democratic state Treasurer Seth Magaziner powered to victory over affable moderate Republican Allan Fung. And in Maine, incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Mills defeated Republican former Gov. Paul LePage. Want more results? POLITICO's got them here .

TODAY — Rep. Jake Auchincloss hosts an affordable housing forum featuring Juana Matias, HUD’s regional administrator for New England, at 10 a.m. at Bristol Community College’s Attleboro campus.

Tips? Scoops? Election thoughts? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

A message from Delta Dental of Massachusetts:

When it comes to overall health, Delta Dental is here to help you embrace a new “flossophy.” Preventive measures in your thirties can have a big impact on your oral and overall health in your later years. Protecting you from things like heart disease, diabetes, and depression. That’s why we’re reminding communities all over the state that a healthy smile is a powerful thing. Discover the connection between oral and overall health at ExpressYourHealthMA.org.

ON THE STUMP

THE VICTORY SPEECHES:

— MAURA HEALEY: “The people across this state, who have taken the time to talk to me about their lives and their dreams, what they want and what they need, your stories have driven everything that I’ve done. To those who voted for me, to those who didn’t, I want you to know — I’ll be a governor for everyone. And I’ll work with anyone who’s up for making a difference in this state. I want you to know: I understand what you feel, I understand where you are, and I'm going to do everything in my power to help you.”

— KIM DRISCOLL: “Massachusetts: tonight we made history. Actually, we made ‘herstory.’ This union is 242 years in the making. Today, Massachusetts voters stood proud … with one powerful, clear voice and said: ‘It’s her time.’”

— DIANA DIZOGLIO: “I will ensure working families get access to and accountability from our state government … I learned about the inside of our state government and how it can operate without accountability. “

— ANDREA CAMPBELL: “I recognize that families are frustrated with government and don’t necessarily see government as a solution to their daily struggles. Government can and should be responsive to your needs, and do it with a sense of empathy and urgency, for the government to remove barriers and not stand in the way of progress and justice. And as Attorney General, I will make sure that it does.”

Massachusetts Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell waves on stage during a Democratic election night party, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) | AP

THE CONCESSION SPEECHES (and statements):

— GEOFF DIEHL: “Despite the outcome, I'm proud of the race we ran. And we highlighted issues that are important for people across the entire state. You know it — education, health care, energy and economy. For a long time, Massachusetts has been a leader in these fields, but we've become complacent and too dependent on the directives from Washington, D.C.”

DIEHL got trashed! 
His claim to fame was a tRumper! 
ANTI-ABORTION - who could trust him? 
Opposed MANDATES that protected residents. 
Proposed re-hiring those who refused vaccinations 

COVID is a PUBLIC HEALTH issue, not political.

Massachusetts doesn't support extremism except in limited communities such as MIDDLEBORO 

excerpt:
COVID-19 took a huge toll on Americans’ health, directly and indirectly, but that toll varied dramatically by state.
Hawaii and Massachusetts top the 2022 State Scorecard rankings, based on overall performance across 56 measures of health care access and quality, service use and cost, health disparities, and health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The lowest-performing states were Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. 


2022 SCORECARD ON STATE HEALTH SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
How did states do during the COVID-19 pandemic?

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/scorecard/2022/jun/2022-scorecard-state-health-system-performance

— JAY MCMAHON: "If [this election] doesn’t turn out the way I want it to today, I’ll figure out another plan, some other way. But I’m going to do something right for Massachusetts. I want these citizens to know that I am with them. And law enforcement — I’ve got your back.”

— ANTHONY AMORE: “I congratulated state auditor-elect Diana DiZoglio on her win tonight and wished her nothing but the best in her new role. I am grateful to my supporters for their efforts throughout my campaign, and to my campaign team for its tireless work on my behalf. I am honored to have had the opportunity to raise important issues about accountability and transparency during this past year. I am especially grateful to Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito for their steadfast support and encouragement."

THE DOWN-BALLOT RACES

— WHERE THINGS STAND: Plenty of ballots are still being counted but Democrats are claiming victory in some key legislative and law enforcement seats Republicans had hoped to keep or flip.

Democrat Adrianne Ramos declared victory over Republican Joe Finn in the race to replace outgoing Democratic 14th Essex state Rep. Christina Minicucci. Democrat Dawne Shand defeated Republican C.J. Fitzwater in the contest to succeed GOP state Rep. Jim Kelcourse, who left the Legislature earlier this year for a Parole Board gig.

State Sen. Becca Rausch declared victory over Republican state Rep. Shawn Dooley last night in a race that pitted one of the Legislature’s most progressive lawmakers against one of its most conservative in a purple district. Dooley was leading the vote count not long after Rausch claimed a win, but the Democrat surged ahead in the overnight hours.

Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson conceded to his Democratic challenger , Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux, early Wednesday morning, bringing one of the state’s most hotly contested down-ballot races to a close and ushering in a new chapter for law enforcement on the South Coast after a quarter-century of Republican oversight.

And Democrats appear to have swept the Cape and Islands district attorney and Barnstable County sheriff races, two victories state Sen. Julian Cyr , a Truro Democrat, called “seismic.” GOP state Rep. Tim Whelan conceded to Democrat Donna Buckley in the Barnstable sheriff race, while Democrat Robert Galibois claimed victory over Republican Daniel Higgins in the DA race. Republican Tracy Post conceded to Democrat Chris Flanagan in Barnstable’s 1st District state representative race to replace Whelan. The Cape Cod Times has more on the region’s contests.

Yet Republican Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz appears on track for reelection over progressive former prosecutor Rahsaan Hall. Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis also appears headed for reelection over Democrat David Fontaine, though neither race had been called by the Associated Press as of early Wednesday morning.

— “Unopposed candidates cruise to victory,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Every seat in the 200-member state Legislature was up for grabs this election cycle, but nearly two-thirds of the districts were uncontested on Tuesday’s ballot — at least 109 of 160 House districts and 18 of 40 Senate districts. That includes incumbents who fielded no challengers and newcomers to Beacon Hill who emerged from the Sept. 6 state primary uncontested. Among them, Democrat Jennifer Armini, of Marblehead, who edged out five others in the 8th Essex District primary. She fielded no challengers in Tuesday’s election. Neither did Pavel Payano, a Lawrence Democrat who won a primary in the newly created majority-minority 1st Essex Senate district, or Estela Reyes, of Lawrence, who won the Democratic primary for the 4th Essex House district. Manny Cruz, a Salem Democrat and School Committee member who won the Democratic primary for the 7th Essex House district, will head to Beacon Hill next year after formally winning the seat.”

— Here’s another interesting tidbit from Wade : “[I]ncumbent Treasurer Deb Goldberg easily fended off a challenge from Libertarian candidate Cristina Crawford to win another term as the state’s top financial watchdog. Despite her loss, Crawford received more than the 3% of the vote needed to restore the Libertarian Party’s status as a major political party ahead of the 2024 presidential election.”

— “Jacob Oliveira declares victory in Hampden, Hampshire & Worcester District state Senate district,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican.

— “Rep. David LeBoeuf re-elected to 17th Worcester House District after controversial second term,” by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive.

— “Aaron Saunders victor over Chip Harrington in tight 7th Hampden District state Rep. race,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican.

— “State Sen. John Velis declined to declare victory Tuesday night despite seeing leads in a handful of towns,” by Aprell May Munford, Springfield Republican.

— “Boldyga declares victory in rep. race, but Russo waits for Hilltown results,” by Peter Currier, Westfield News.

— “Chicopee’s Shirley Arriaga beats Sean Goonan for the house seat in the 8th Hampden District,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican.

— “William 'Smitty' Pignatelli appears headed for reelection in 3rd Berkshire District,” by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle.

— “Paul Mark defeats Brendan Phair for state Senate seat that represents Berkshire district,” by Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle.

— “Colleen Garry poised for reelection in 36th Middlesex District,” by Prudence Brighton, Lowell Sun.

— “Results favor Cahillane: Incumbent poised to win second 6-year term as sheriff,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

— “Rita Mendes clenches victory in new majority-minority Brockton state rep district,” by Chris Helms, Brockton Enterprise.

— “Doherty beats back challenge from Coute for Taunton-Easton state rep seat,” by Daniel Schemer, Taunton Daily Gazette

— “Vaughn beats Kalkut in state rep race; Hawkins wins re-election,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle.

A message from Delta Dental of Massachusetts:

BALLOT BATTLES

— QUESTIONS AND SOME ANSWERS: Voters overwhelmingly said “yes” to regulating dental insurance (Question 2), while ballot questions that would impose a new tax on the wealthy (Question 1), expand alcohol licenses (Question 3) and keep or rescind a new law granting undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses (Question 4), remained uncalled by the Associated Press early Wednesday.

More than 70 percent of voters approved requiring dental insurers to spend at least 83 percent of premiums on patient care, rather than on administrative costs. The Boston Globe’s Samantha J. Gross and John Hilliard have more on the ballot questions.

— “Signs incorrectly saying voter ID required removed at Mass. polling sites,” by Noah R. Bombard, MassLive: “Signs telling voters they must show identification in order to vote were posted and then removed from some Massachusetts polling locations during Tuesday’s election, according to a non-partisan group that seeks to protect voting rights. Lawyers for Civil Rights staff attorney Jacob Love told MassLive Tuesday the group had received about 130 reports to its hotline on Tuesday with a variety of election issues, including signs requiring voter ID in New Braintree.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— FEELING BLUE: Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Lori Trahan, Jake Auchincloss, Ayanna Pressley, Stephen Lynch, Bill Keating, Seth Moulton and Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark cruised to victory over their Republican opponents on Tuesday. But some of them are poised to lose their powerful House leadership posts if Republicans gain control of the chamber.

— “Neal credits voter support to federal pandemic response,” by Ron Chimelis, Springfield Republican.

— “U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern defeats Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette to win 14th term in Congress,” by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive.

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— "Allan Fung concedes, Seth Magaziner keeps R.I. Second Congressional District seat blue," by Edward Fitzpatrick and Amanda Milkovits, Boston Globe: "In a race drawing national attention, Democrat Seth Magaziner beat back Republican Allan W. Fung in the battle for Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District seat, which has been in Democratic hands for more than three decades. Fung conceded with 98 percent of polling places reporting. Magaziner had 50.1 percent of the vote, Fung had 47.0 percent, and Moderate Party candidate William H. Gilbert had 2.7 percent, according to the state Board of Elections."

— “McKee wins 1st full term as RI governor,” by Shaun Towne, WPRI.

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— "Democratic incumbents fend off challengers in N.H.'s races for Senate, Congress," by Todd Bookman, New Hampshire Public Radio: "U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan defeated retired U.S. Army General Don Bolduc in a race that saw a flood of national money in the closing weeks. U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas won reelection in the state’s highly competitive 1st Congressional District over Republican Karoline Leavitt. And U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster declared victory over Republican Robert Burns in the 2nd Congressional District, earning her sixth term in Washington. The Democratic victories in New Hampshire came despite national concerns over the economy and inflation, which polls showed as the top issue for voters leading into Election Day."

— "Gov. Chris Sununu wins fourth term in office, defeating Tom Sherman in NH," by Kirk Enstrom, WMUR.

MEANWHILE IN VERMONT

— "Vermont ends streak as the last state to send a woman to Congress," by Deepa Shivaram, NPR.

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HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

SPOTTED — continuing the traditional Election Day lunch at Santarpio’s in Eastie, which state Sen. Lydia Edwards became the first woman to host: Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Attorney General Maura Healey, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, Andrea Campbell, Treasurer Deb Goldberg, Boston City Councilors Kenzie Bok and Gigi Coletta, Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden, Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins and state Rep. Adrian Madaro.

ALSO SPOTTED — at the Democrats’ election night soiree in Boston: Tompkins, Wu, Pressley, Clark, Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Hayden, state Reps. Liz Miranda, Dylan Fernandes, Mike Connolly and Tami Gouveia, Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, Sam Montaño and former Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to GBH's Tori Bedford, Mike Bloomberg of Groundwork Data, Joyce Linehan, Carolyn Casey, Shannon Felton Spence, Pamela J. Johnson and Karen Scott. Happy belated to CommonWealth Magazine's Michael Jonas and Casey Hernandez Rosen, who celebrated Tuesday.

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