MA: Maura Healey makes history as first woman and openly gay governor in Massachusetts
Maura Healey, a former civil rights attorney and professional basketball player who vaulted to the national stage by suing former President Donald Trump and corporate giants, decisively won the race for Massachusetts governor. The Democratic attorney general defeated Republican opponent Geoff Diehl to become the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person elected as governor in Massachusetts.
MD: Wes Moore will become Maryland’s first Black governor
Wes Moore, whose vibrant and organized campaign catapulted him from outsider candidate to a rising star in Democratic politics, will be Maryland’s next governor, the first Black person to lead the state and only the third Black elected governor in U.S. history.
KY: Kentucky voters reject effort to revise constitution to eliminate right to abortion
In a major victory for abortion rights groups, Kentucky voters narrowly rejected a proposal to revise the state constitution to make clear there is no protected right to abortion.
MN: Democrats poised to keep control of Minnesota House, closing in on flipping Senate
Minnesota Democrats were poised to maintain control of the state House and were close to flipping the state Senate — thwarting Republicans’ hopes of a red wave — as election results continued trickling in. The legislature will again work with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who was reelected.
FL: Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis wins second term in a landslide
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who transformed his public profile during his first term into the man his allies bill as “America’s Governor,” handily won reelection, defeating Democrat Charlie Crist in a blowout that is certain to add fuel to his national rise.
NY: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declares victory; GOP opponent won’t concede
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat from Buffalo and New York’s first female governor, declared victory in her race against Republican state Rep. Lee Zeldin.
PA: Pennsylvania Democratic AG Shapiro wins governor’s race
Pennsylvania Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro won his bid for governor in swing-state Pennsylvania, where he pledged to fend off Republican “extremists” who he said threatened to roll back rights for voting, gay marriage and access to abortion.
OR: Oregon governor’s race too close to call
The delay on decisive results was caused by particularly hotly contested races in normally blue Oregon, extended deadlines for voters to turn in ballots and a few hiccups during vote counting. Tina Kotek, the Democrat, is ahead of Republican Christine Drazan by just over 1 percentage point in the race for governor, and about 650,000 of the state’s projected 1.9 million votes have not been tallied.
KS: Kansas governor race is close
The results in the Kansas governor’s race remained too close to call, as incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, clung to a small lead. It was a mixed night for Democrats who pulled off some upsets in urban areas but appeared to lose ground in rural areas.
WI: Wisconsin governor wins second term
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers defeated Trump-endorsed Republican businessman Tim Michels in the most expensive governor’s race in the country. Voters grappled with rising inflation and the fallout of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, putting back into effect a state abortion ban.
ME: Democratic incumbent Janet Mills wins another term as Maine’s governor
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills held off a late surge from former Republican Gov. Paul LePage to win a second term in an election that was the most expensive of its kind in Maine history.
MI: Voters in Michigan embrace abortion rights amendment
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Michigan voters approved an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution, according to unofficial results. Proponents billed the amendment as necessary to prevent the enforcement of a 1931 state law criminalizing most abortions, including in cases of rape and incest.
AK: Alaskans say no to constitutional convention
Alaskans have overwhelmingly said no to holding a constitutional convention. With nearly all precincts reporting, voters opposed the convention by more than 2-1, according to election results.
CT: Connecticut voters approve step toward early voting
Connecticut voters approved a ballot measure that gives the state’s General Assembly the go-ahead to consider legislation that would create an in-person early voting system.
MO: Missouri voters approve legalizing recreational marijuana
Voters in Missouri approved a constitutional amendment to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults. Despite a slew of groups and elected officials calling for its defeat, “yes” votes outpaced “no” votes by a 53-47 margin with 99% of precincts counted.
LA: Muddled amendment to clarify slavery ban in Louisiana rejected by voters
Louisiana voters rejected a constitutional amendment aimed at clarifying the state’s ban on slavery but that was disavowed by the sponsor because of confusion over the wording.
AR: Arkansas voters reject recreational marijuana amendment
Arkansas voters rejected a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana, a resounding defeat for the state’s medical cannabis industry and a victory for social conservatives. The campaign against the amendment overcame millions of dollars in support from the state’s medical marijuana industry as well as a national trend showing a dwindling taboo over the drug.
DC: District voters approve higher minimum wage for tipped workers
District of Columbia voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage for D.C. workers who receive tips, after months of debate about its potential effects on the city’s restaurants and their employees.
IA: Iowans approve right to ‘keep and bear arms’ in state constitution
Iowa voters have adopted a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would add the right “to keep and bear arms,” adding language that goes beyond the protections contained in the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. Iowa will become the fourth state with “strict scrutiny” language to protect gun rights in its state constitution, achieving a longtime goal of Republicans in the Iowa legislature.
NC: Republicans appear to win North Carolina Senate supermajority but fall one seat short in House
Republicans appear to have won a supermajority in the North Carolina Senate, according to unofficial election results, but were one seat short of the House supermajority they would need to have veto-proof control of the legislature.
NE: Nebraska Republicans fail to get filibuster-proof legislative majority
With vote counting continuing, Republican leaders appear to have fallen short of their goal of gaining enough legislative seats to hold a filibuster-proof majority in the Nebraska legislature.
DE: Delaware Democrats flip 2 seats, strengthen majority in General Assembly
Democrats strengthened their majority in the Delaware legislature and flipped two seats previously held by Republicans.
IN: Republican hold early statehouse advantage in Indiana
Indiana Republicans appeared to maintain a strong grip on both the House and Senate after statehouse elections. Democrats hoped to cut into the Republican supermajority in still-contested suburban races.
ID: Republicans poised to retain supermajority in Idaho legislature
Idaho Republicans are poised to retain their legislative supermajority in 2023 after winning or leading in 86 of the state’s 105 legislative races in this year’s general election, according to partial, unofficial results released by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.
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