As hard numbers roll in, we’ll update.
10:15 Central – (Bryan) No hard numbers here, just impressions. I’m at Gov. Perry’s election watch at the Exotic Game Ranch, south of Austin. The Gov. is wrapping up his victory speech, a speech that sounded the themes that he has carried all the way through the primary to win his unprecedented third full term atop Texas’ government. Gov. Perry rolled out themes that would work well in a presidential run. It remains to be seen whether he embarks on that run or not. Given the sheer size of the GOP victory in Texas, he would have the wind at his back.
Update: 8:00 PM PDT: (Ed) Bryan and the others from PJM may continue to add on here. Otherwise, click over early and often to Instapundit for regular updates.
Update: 7:50 PDT: (Ed) Phil “I don’t worry about the Constitution” Hare concedes, according to this Illinois newspaper.
And at Townhall, video of Rand Paul’s acceptance speech, which from all accounts, put the fear of Aquabuddha into the hearts of MSNBC’s anchors, and for good reason.
Update: 7:37 PDT: (Ed) From Breaking News on Twitter, NBC News declares Republican candidate and Tea Party favorite Nikki Haley as the projected winner in the South Carolina governor’s race.
Update: 7:35 PDT: (Ed) “Republican takes Bart Stupak seat in Michigan,” the Daily Caller reports:
Republican Dan Benishek has won the U.S. House seat of retiring Democrat Bart Stupak in Michigan’s first district. Stupak, a pro-life Democrat, became the target of conservatives by voting for President Obama’s health-care bill. He later dropped out of the race. Benishek is a doctor and first time candidate.
Update: 7:31 PDT: Jane Genova of Connecticut reports that Linda McMahon concedes:
Linda McMahon could have prolonged the process. Instead she conceded about 10:20 P.M. She did it with grace and dignity, starting the end with introducing her family and political team.
What she said she accomplished was bringing attention to the important issues, both in Connecticut and Washington D.C. No, she does not intend to fade from the scene. In the hopper could be taking on U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman in 2012.
Update: 7:27 PDT: (Ed) John McCain declared winner in Arizona; though the all-important district of San Jose California has yet to call in.
Update: 7:22 PDT: (Ed) The Daily Caller reports, “Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski lost to his Republican challenger in Pennsylvania. Kanjorski held the seat for 26 years.”
Kanjorski had become increasingly gaffetastic in recent years, leading to this classic YouTube moment in which he admitted that in “the temptation to want to win back the Congress,” his party “sort of stretched the facts” in 2006:
We really in this last election, when I say we…the Democrats, I think pushed it as far as we can to the end of the fleet, didn’t say it, but we implied it. That if we won the Congressional elections, we could stop the war. Now anybody was a good student of Government would know that wasn’t true. But you know, the temptation to want to win back the Congress, we sort of stretched the facts…and people ate it up.”
And then there was this quote from the middle of 2008 in which he was promising that Democrats would dust-off ancient and sclerotic New Deal-era programs if they won the presidency, months before the economy seriously tanked in the fall of that year.
The Daily Caller also notes that Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick won reelection in Massachusetts.
Update: 7:07 PDT: (Ed) Wall Street Journal reports, “CNN and others project that Republican Roy Blunt beats Democrat Robin Carnahan in Missouri’s Senate race.”
Update: 6:48 PDT: (Ed) “South Carolina Republican Tim Scott made history Tuesday night by becoming the first African-American Republican to be elected to Congress from the Deep South since Reconstruction and the first African-American Republican congressman since J.C. Watts [retired] in 2003.”
Update: 6:43 PDT: (Ed) “Alaska Senate Race Might Not End for Weeks,” CBS reports.
Update: 6:37 PDT: (Ed) From Instapundit: “Fox calls it For Barney Frank over Sean Bielat.”
Update: 6:35 PDT: (Ed) Republican Rick Snyder “wins 2010 Michigan governor’s race, according to various exit polls,” MLive.com reports.
Update: 6:31 PDT: If results are slow coming in from Connecticut, it could be because of this snafu, spotted by blogger Jane Genova of Connecticut, who reports:
In Bridgeport, Connecticut, thanks to a clerical error, about 20,000 less ballots were delivered than needed. It is the most heavily populated area in the state.
Some voters left in disgust. Both parties sued. The Secretary of State intervened and the polls in Bridgeport will stay open until 10 P.M. In a reverse 911 call manner, those voters who left without voting are being contacted and asked to return to vote.
Obviously, losers can use this for all sorts of legal purposes. Of course, results will be declared later in CT than in other parts of the nation.
Update: 6:26 PDT: (Ed) “GOP Defeats Democratic Rep. [Baron] Hill in 9th District Indiana,” Fox reports. As Hill said in September of 2009 when he tried to block his constituents from videotaping a town hall:
“This is my town hall meeting, and I set the rules, and I’ve had these rules,” Hill responded, in an authoritative tone. “Let me repeat that one more time. This is my town hall meeting for you. And you’re not going to tell me how to run my congressional office. Now, the reason why I don’t allow filming is that usually the films that are done end up on YouTube in a compromising position.”
Yes, lack of compromise can put one in a very compromising position indeed.
Update: 6:18 PDT (Ed): Democrats to hold Senate, John Tabin writes at the American Spectator:
Democrat John Manchin has won in West Virginia. As I explained this morning, this means that there’s almost no chance of a Republican Senate majority.
Still though, with Rand Paul and Marco Rubio there, it should be quite an interesting Senate to watch. Paul’s acceptance speech is gaining serious kudos from conservatives and causing heads to explode on the set of MSNBC. We’ll post a transcript if/when it’s online.
Update: 6:15 PDT: (Ed) Fox concurs on GOP taking House.
Update: 6:12 PDT: (Ed) Andy Levy of Fox’s Red Eye show speaks Tweet to power.
Update: 6:07 PDT: (Ed) On Twitter, Josh Kraushaar of the Hotline reports, “NBC says the House will flip to the GOP — first to call it.”
Update: 6:01 PDT: (Ed) Alan Grayson (D-FL) can finally make it official and submit his demo reel to MSNBC.
Update: 5:18 PDT: (Ed) From Instapundit:
FOX CALLS FLORIDA FOR RUBIO. Connecticut called for Blumenthal. Delaware for Coons. New Hampshire for Ayotte. Missouri for Roy Blunt over Robin Carnahan, whose ObamaCare support killed her. Mikulski to hold on in Maryland despite last-minute revelations of a fling with Matt Labash. (Heck — that sealed the deal for her!) Shelby in Alabama.
At Hot Air, the first Humpbot sighting of the night for Rubio, plus this:
Here’s one to please grassroots righties: Tom Perriello, who defended his ObamaCare and stimulus votes and brought The One in to campaign him last week, is reportedly kaput. That’s not an official call, but he’s eight points down with 63 percent reporting. Meanwhile, right next door in Virginia, Rick Boucher still trails by six with 69 percent reporting. That’s a huge bellwether if it holds; now we’re looking at something in the neighborhood of 65 seats or more.
Update 5:00 PM: Rubio! Fox calling it.
Blumenthal. Fox calling the win over Linda McMahon in CT. Art Horn is not pleased.
And… Fox calling it for Coons.
Update 4:52 PM: West Virginia is another state that looks bad for Republicans. Allahpundit writes: “Rob Portman wins instantly, but things are looking bad for John Raese in WV: CNN’s exit poll has it 52/45 for Manchin, which is an amazing testament to his popularity. Obama’s approval there is below 40, yet somehow the Dems are going to hold that seat. Brutal.”
UPDATE 4:27 PM: Roger L. Simon chiming in. So far the only state that looks bad for the Republicans is California. But exit polls are exit polls. Handle with care. According to exits polls, Kerry beat Bush.
That said, the latest are:
IL 49-43 Kirk [R]... NV TIED...
Arkansas: Boozman (R) over Lincoln (D)
California: Boxer [D] over Fiorina [R]
Florida: Rubio [R] over Crist [I], Meek [D]
Ohio: Portman (R) over Fisher (D)
North Dakota: Hoeven (R) over Potter (D)
Wisconsin: Johnson (R) over Feingold (D)
From the Guardian: “Exit Polls point to miserable night for Democrats in US mid-term”
Update: 4:22 PM PDT: ABC News Projects Rand Paul Will Win Ky. Senate Race, in First Tea Party, Sarah Palin Victory. “Based on exit polls, ABC News also projects Republicans will also win in Indiana and South Carolina Senate races.”
Update 3:34 PM PDT: Ed Driscoll here, taking over for Bryan temporarily — he’ll back in just a bit. Here are the very early and very raw numbers, which include the Drudge exit polls and early returns from Twitter. Take these — particularly the exit polls — with an enormous grain of salt:
Arkansas: Boozman (R) defeats Lincoln (D)
Ohio: Portman (R) defeats Fisher (D)
North Dakota: Hoeven (R) defeats Potter (D)
Wisconsin: Johnson (R) defeats Feingold (D)
From Breaking News:
Dan Burton, GOP, elected U.S. House, District 5, Indiana.
Jamie Dupree, Cox Radio:
Early returns from Indiana Senate, Coats (R) up 55-40%; early from Kentucky Senate Paul (R) up 57-43%
Mark Hemingway, Washington Examiner (3:20 PM PDT):
CNN calls IN-5 and IN-6 for Burton and Pence.
Josh Kraushaar of the Hotline:
Exit polls show Rubio +21 in #FLSEN
Update 3:40 PDT: Drudge is calling IL 49-43 Kirk over Alexi Giannoulias.
More as it comes in.
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