Minutes to Midnight

[Edgeofnight]

9:00PM

Blitzer: Here at the top of the hour, we have had polls close in a number of states. First, for the President, CNN can project that Trump will carry North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana, and 4 out of 5 of Nebraska’s electoral votes will go to the President. For Senator Sanders, we can project that he will win the state of New York. The states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota and Wisconsin are too close to call, as well as Nebraska’s Second Congressional District.

Down ballot, Democrats will win the New Mexico Senate Race, while Republicans will win the Wyoming and South Dakota races. Meanwhile, CNN can now project that Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb will win a second term in office.

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 104
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 93
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 46
Republicans -- 34
Independents -- 2

9:17PM

Blitzer: “We have a major call to make in the Senate. Tom Perriello has been elected defeating his Republican opponent by a comfortable margin.”

Tapper: “Perriello’s win is a good sign for the Democrats, especially with it being called relatively early in the night. A few months ago, Republicans where looking at Virginia like a potential target, but in these final weeks it became increasingly obvious that they were going to lose here. ”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 47
Republicans -- 34
Independents -- 2

9:23PM

Blitzer: “Hold John, CNN has a new projection to make.

In the State of Arkansas, incumbent Tom Cotton will win re-election. A tougher than expected challenge, but he will prevail in the end. Jake tell us about this.”

Tapper: “This has to be a sigh of relief for Republicans. A lot of Democrats really thought that Beebe would be able to replicate Bredesen’s success in Tennessee, but that wasn’t the case. This race mirrors a theme that I think a lot of races are going to follow tonight. Democrats do better than usual, or better than expected, in a lot of these states, but they are still going to come up somewhat short in the end.  ”

Blitzer: “What does this mean for Republicans chances to retake the Senate?”

Tapper: “It still doesn’t look good for them. While there is still a chance, they are going to have to pull off a lot of upsets. Give them Texas, Mississippi, Colorado and Maine where they are in tough races to hold on to seats, and then give them Alabama, where they are on track to gain a seat, and you still have a narrow Democratic Majority. They would need an upset somewhere, like Minnesota or Michigan, to even hit 50 seats, and even that doesn’t guarantee them a Senate Majority if Sanders or Kasich win the White House.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 47
Republicans -- 35
Independents -- 2

[Edgeofnight]

9:35PM

Blitzer: “Welcome back, CNN now has a major projection to make. In the Alabama Senate contest, incumbent Doug Jones will fall to Republican challenger Bradley Byrne in one of this cycle’s most contentious Senate races, our first flip of the night is in Alabama. Republicans have gained a seat in the U.S. Senate.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 47
Republicans -- 36
Independents -- 2

[Edgeofnight]

9:40PM

Blitzer: “CNN now has a new projection in the Presidential election;

Senator Bernie Sanders will carry the state of New Mexico and her 5 electoral votes. No real surprise here.”

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 109
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 99
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

9:47PM

Blitzer: “CNN now has yet another good call for Senate Republicans. In Mississippi, incumbent Cindy Hyde Smith will win reelection after a tough fight from Democrat Brandon Pressley. Another race where Republicans must be breathing a sigh of relief.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 47
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 2

9:55PM

Blitzer: “Just before polls close here at 10PM, CNN has another projection to make. In the West Virginia Gubernatorial contest, Republican Mitch Carmichael will win the open seat, holding this race for Republicans. The only remaining West Virginia races to call are in the Second and Third Congressional Districts, led by Republicans and Democrats respectively.”

10:00PM

Blitzer: “Here at the top of the hour, CNN can now project that the states of Utah, Nevada, and Iowa are too close to call. The state of Idaho is too early to call, as we wait for the rest of the polls in the state to close. Meanwhile, President Trump will carry the state of Montana.”

Down Ballot, Republican Josh Romney will be elected Governor of Utah, but we have no projection in Montana or in Iowa, where we see two high profile races for U.S. Senate.”

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 109
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 102
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 47
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 2

[Edgeofnight]

10:10PM

Blitzer: “CNN now has two new projections to make. First, at the Presidential level, President Trump will win the State of Kansas. The State probably could have been called for him a few hours ago, but now CNN is sure that he will win the State of Kansas. In Vermont, Governor Phil Scott appears to have been unseated by Democratic Challenger Attorney General T.J. Donovan, in what will surely be one of the nights more surprising upsets.

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 109
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 108
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

10:17PM

Blitzer: “Sorry to cut you off Dana, but CNN has another projection to make.

In the State of Missouri, President Trump will emerge victorious over Senator Sanders. A necessary state for the Trump Campaign, Trump will take how the Show-me-State’s 11 electoral votes. “

Current Electoral Votes
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 119
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 111
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

10:19PM

Blitzer: “CNN has yet another critical projection to make. In the state of Maine, Democrats will pick up their first seat of the night. Democrat Hannah Pingree will defeat Republican Garrett Manson, offsetting the Republican’s earlier gain in Alabama. Dana, your thoughts?”

Bash: “This is big for the Democrats. Republicans really needed this seat if they wanted a chance to flip the Senate, but Susan Collins retirement really threw that into a tailspin. It obviously isn’t official yet, but I’m fairly certain that Democrats just won control of the Senate for at least another 2 years. “

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 48
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 2

10:29PM

Blitzer: “ At this time CNN can now call 4, I’m sorry, 3 of Maine’s electoral votes for Senator Sanders. It is still unclear who has won in the Second Congressional District, but we do know that Congressman Jared Golden has been re-elected.”

10:30PM

Blitzer: “CNN can now also project that President Trump has carried the state of Texas. A much tougher battle than expected, President Trump will keep Texas Red (Blue) tonight.”

Current Electoral Votes
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 157
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 111
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

[Edgeofnight]

And on that note, I am going to bed, I'll resume this tomorrow.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Bless Doug Jones for defeating Barrett, your sacrifice will be remembered!

[KaiserDave]

No Phil!
No Doug!

[America Needs R'hllor]

I guess I'm rooting for Sanders.

[Edgeofnight]

10:32PM

Blitzer: “Yet another Projection for CNN to make, in Missouri, State Attorney General Josh Hawley has won the governor’s race, keeping this seat in Republican hands.

10:37PM

Blitzer: “Yet another piece of good news for the Democrats. In Colorado, Cristina Duran will unseat Republican incumbent Cory Gardner in one of the most expensive Senate Races in the state’s history. At this time, CNN can also project that the Senate election in Louisiana will advance to a runoff.“

Bash: “It’s worth noting that Democrats are favored to win in Oregon, where polls are still open. Assuming Jeff Merkley, that senator, wins re-election, and Democrats win the White House, then they will control the Senate.

Tapper: “Yep, and even then, its not a forgone conclusion that Democrats don’t win races like Michigan, New Hampshire, or even gain seats in places like Georgia and Texas.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 49
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 2

10:42PM

Blitzer: “CNN now has another projection to make. Senator Sanders will carry the state of Virginia, keeping with the trend of the state towards the Democrats. This state called a bit later than expected, John, do you have an explanation.”

King: “The Simplest answer Wolfe is that Governor Kasich overperformed expectations. But its also worth noting that Governor Kasich is pulling more democrats than expected to his side. Pre-election polls said that the split was going to be something like 40% of Kasich voters would otherwise support the President, 30% would have otherwise supported Sanders, and 30% would have otherwise not voted. We are seeing that split looking something like 25% - 35% - 40% according to our exit polls, but at this time John Kasich seems to be hurting Sanders more than Trump.

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 122
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 119
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

10:47PM

Blitzer: “CNN now has even more good news for Democrats. CNN is now calling Colorado for Senator Sanders, adding 9 electoral votes, and bringing his total to 131 electoral votes.”

Tapper: “Most of the calls we have had tonight have been in the “as expected” column, this one is no different.

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 131
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 119
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

10:53PM

Blitzer: “CNN has an exciting call to make now. In Nebraska, Independent candidate Bob Krist, running on the “Serve America Movement” banner has won the Senate seat, defeating three other challengers, including the incumbent, to win this senate seat. The Republicans have now lost a total of three Senate seats and gained one, for a net loss of two seats. Jake, Dana, what does this mean?”

Bash: “Krist dodged the question of which side he would caucus with in the Senate, but regardless its very rare for an independent to win a Senate seat without the support of one party or the other. Depending on how close the Senate is, Krist might be in a very powerful position come January. He could potentially determine the effective control of the Senate if everything goes his way.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 49
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 3 (+1)

[Edgeofnight]

11:00PM

Blitzer: CNN can now project that Democrats will win the Oregon Senate Race, giving them 50 seats. Should they now win the presidency, Democrats will control the Senate, regardless of the outstanding Senate races. On that note, CNN can now project that President Trump will win the State of Idaho, while Senator Sanders will win quite easily in California, Oregon, and Washington.

We’ve already talked about Oregon, but for their credit, Republicans will hold their Senate seat in Idaho. Meanwhile, Jay Inslee will win another term as Washington’s Governor.”

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 208
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 154
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 50
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 3 (+1)

11:04PM

Blitzer: “At this time, CNN has a major projection to make. Democrats will retain control of the U.S. Senate, winning the state of New Hampshire. This is a huge victory. Regardless of the Presidential results, Democrats will keep control over the U.S. Senate.

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 51 (MAJORITY) (+1)
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 3 (+1)
Uncalled -- 10

[Edgeofnight]

11:10PM

Blitzer: “In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper has won a second term in office over his Republican Lt. Governor Dan Forest. A major win towards the Democrats as they head towards redistricting.”

11:15PM

Blitzer:”In what could be our biggest call yet, CNN can now project that Donald Trump has won the state of Florida. This is huge, right John?”

King: “Without Florida, Trump’s path to the White House was very narrow, but he’s done it. He’s won Florida a second time, seemingly against all odds. “

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 208
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 183
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Surprising absolutely no one on Earth

[America Needs R'hllor]

Surprising absolutely no one on Earth

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Surprising absolutely no one on Earth

I don't know, Florida being called before Titanium R Ohio is pretty surprising.

[Edgeofnight]

11:29PM

Blitzer: “Stand by now for a key race alert:

CNN can now project that Donald Trump has won Ohio. I repeat, Donald Trump has won Ohio. A must win state for all Republican Presidential Candidates, another state falls to Donald Trump. CNN has also just gotten word that Governor Kasich has called both Senator Sanders and President Trump to concede the election.”

Current Electoral Votes
Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 208
Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 201
Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 0

11:33PM

Blitzer: “CNN now has another key race alert:

In North Carolina, State Senator Jeff Jackson has unseated incumbent Republican Thom Tillis, in a closely fought election, Democrat Jeff Jackson will emerge the victory. Some good news for the Democrats after a string of otherwise bad news.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 52 (MAJORITY) (+2)
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 3 (+1)

[vanteran]

You know it's bad news when Trump still manages to win Ohio with Kasich being on the ballot...

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

What was the margin in Ohio?

You know it's bad news when Trump still manages to win Ohio with Kasich being on the ballot...

Kasich probably ends up taking more voters away from Sanders than Trump

[Edgeofnight]

What was the margin in Ohio?

For the sake of my sanity, I will cover the final margins all at the end of the timeline.

[Edgeofnight]

11:36PM

Blitzer: “CNN has yet another key race alert, this time in Michigan.

In the State of Michigan, CNN can project that Democrat Gary Peters will win re-election. A tougher fight than many Democrats would have liked, Gary Peters will still win re-election by a decently wide margin.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 53 (MAJORITY) (+3)
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 3 (+1)

11:40PM

Blitzer: “Sorry to cut you off, but CNN has a key race alert. In Kansas, Independent Greg Orman will win the open U.S. Senate seat, adding yet another Independent to the Senate, and costing the Republicans yet another seat. “

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 53 (MAJORITY) (+3)
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 4 (+2)

11:47PM

Blitzer: “CNN has yet another Key race alert. In Georgia, Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico will unseat Republican incumbent David Perdue. She will avoid a runoff, CNN now estimates that he will finish with above 50%, and will be the next United States Senator from Georgia. Jake, tell us about this win, what does it mean for the Republicans.”

Tapper: “There is a short term consideration and a long term consideration here. First, in the short term, this is bad for them because its only going to deepen their minority in the Senate. But I think the long term ramifications are pretty clear too. Democrats won the Governorship, the Lt. Governorship, and the Secretary of State 2 years ago and now a US Senate seat. If it isn’t already, Georgia is becoming a competitive state, and especially in a pro Democrat environment, Republicans are going to have to put work into keeping this state.”

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 54 (MAJORITY) (+4)
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 4 (+2)

11:52PM

Blitzer: “A major call, CNN now has a key race alert. In Texas, Democrats appear to have won the Open Senate Seat. Beto O’Rourke has claimed victory in texas, although the race will likely move to a recount, O’Rourke has built up enough of a lead to claim victory tonight.”

Bash: “This is probably the worst news Republicans could have got. Just a year ago, this seat was considered safe. Cornyn’s retirement threw that all away, and it looks like Democrats have finally made Texas competitive. It’s worth noting however, that Dan Patrick, O’Rourke’s opponent, has not yet formally conceded, and sources say he will pursue a recount.”

Blitzer: “Just two years ago, O’Rourke fell a hair shy of unseating Cruz, now he has come back from behind to win.  This has truly been an exciting race. “

Current Senate Seats:
Democrats -- 55 (MAJORITY) (+5)
Republicans -- 37
Independents -- 4 (+2)

[Edgeofnight]

Got stuck working a night shift. Gonna sleep for a bit and then hopefully finish this up later today.

[Continential]

RIP Gabbard's political career

[Edgeofnight]

12:26PM

Blitzer: “CNN has a major call to make. In the State of North Carolina, President Trump will carry the State’s 15 electoral votes. This was was a must win state for Trump, and he’s got it.”

12:35AM

Blitzer: “In Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst has won a second term in the U.S. Senate. Iowa’s first female Senator will serve for another 6 years. This is an upset on her part, as pre-election polls had her down, and most considered the seat to have a Democratic Lean. “

12:52AM

Blitzer: “In Minnesota, Incumbent Tina Smith will win re-election after a tougher than expected fight.”

[Edgeofnight]

1:00AM

Blitzer: “Another Expected race, but President Trump will win the State of Alaska. Perhaps surprisingly, the Senate race in the state is too close to call. A hotly contested Senate race may take quite a few days to call, with how the state reports votes.

1:07 AM

Blitzer: “CNN now has another important projection to make. Donald Trump will win the State of Iowa. A tighter margin than he won by before, but President Trump once again takes the Buckeye state.”

1:37AM

Blitzer: “CNN now has another projection to make. President Trump will carry the state of Utah. Hold on, CNN is now getting reports that President Trump will soon address his supporters in New York. We’ll turn to that shortly.”

[Edgeofnight]

BREAKING NEWS: PRESIDENT TRUMP DECLARES VICTORY IN RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

The Trump Campaign has just declared victory in the 2020 Presidential Election. Watch Live:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Edgeofnight]

And that is that. The last Election night post. I have the rest of the timeline planned out, so I can tell you that there will be 9 more updates in total, including a results post once all of the states are called.

The final margin in Ohio is:

• Pres. Donald Trump/Vice Pres. Mike Pence -- 2,204,598     39.87%
• Sen. Bernie Sanders/Rep. Tulsi Gabbard -- 1,898,819   34.34%
• Fmr. Gov. John Kasich/Fmr. Rep. Richard Hanna -- 1,147,917   20.76%
• TRUMP +5.53%

Any other margins I will answer when I notice them, but for the most part I'll cover them all with the Results Post.