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CNN Projects Dem Fetterman To Win PA, Flipping GOP Senate Seat; Coverage of 2022 Midterm Elections; Key Race Alert; Abortion Rights Initiatives to Win in Three States; GOP's McCarthy Speaks. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 09, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:24]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: It's Election Night in America and the final polls are about to close in the United States. Let's give you a look at what the balance of power in the U.S. Senate is right now. Obviously, 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, Democrats have 46 of them, Republicans have 46 of them. There are eight seats remaining.
Remember, Republicans only need to pick up one net Democratic seat in order to wrest control of the Senate from the Democrats. So far, they're not there yet.
Let's look at the House of Representatives now. 435 seats, Democrats have 167 of them with two pickups. Republicans have 190 of them with seven pickups. 78 seats remain, needed to control 218. Republicans need -- well, we'll start with Democrats, Democrats need to win 38 of the competitive seats. 38 of them. Right now, they're leaving in 35 of them.
Republicans need to win, we're going to bring that up, 21 of them, 21 competitive seats, and they're leading in 22 of them. So right now, Republicans in the House are doing what they need to do. But the votes are still coming in.
Kasie Hunt, tell us what's going on the U.S. Senate.
KASIE HUNT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes. So the question is, who is doing what they need to do to pick up that one critical seat or hold it if you're the Democrats? And we actually want to make a little change here and start in Pennsylvania, where John Fetterman is holding his lead as the votes are rolling in 49.4 to 48.1 percent. Look at that, we've got nearly 90 percent of the vote in in Pennsylvania.
And of course, if we've still got a lot of vote out in Philadelphia, that's going to be critical. This would make up for a Republican loss potentially in a state like Nevada, and allow us to focus in on Georgia, because the Senate control could again, come down to this race. And if it goes to a run off, if these numbers hold the way they are and, of course, we've got four more weeks of questions about who's in charge.
Raphael Warnock, the incumbent currently sitting at 49.2 percent, Herschel Walker at 48.7 percent as John King was walking us through. Democrats are optimistic that Warnock may be able to pull this out based on where the outstanding votes still is. But we've seen this stick below 50 percent really all night and 95 percent of the vote it is in in Georgia.
All right, let's head now to Wisconsin. We'll check in on Ron Johnson. This race has been holding pretty steady 50.6 percent for the incumbent Republicans to the Democrat Mandela Barnes 49.2 percent. 88 percent of the vote now in in Wisconsin.
And finally, let's take a quick look at Nevada. So this is a place that Democrats have been worried about all night. Early numbers show Catherine Cortez Masto holding it 54.3 percent to the Republican Adam Laxalt at 43 percent. But only 44 percent of the vote has been counted here. And the Democrats I've been talking to all evening have been concerned about their performance in Clark County. So we're going to have to check in and see where the votes are out there.
But now, Boris, I know you've got some critical updates for us in the governor's race.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and we're going to get you an update on the gubernatorial race in Nevada as well. But first, let's take a look at the state of Michigan. Incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer locked in a tough reelection battle against conservative commentator Tudor Dixon. Right now, she holds about a 6 percent advantage, 166,000 vote lead with 66 percent of the vote in in Michigan.
Let's get a look now at the state of Arizona. The Secretary of State there Katie Hobbs, 166,000 votes ahead of former TV anchor and election denier Kari Lake. 54 percent of the vote in in Arizona.
Let's take a look at that Nevada governor's race now because Steve Sisolak, the incumbent Democrat facing some very strong economic headwinds, inflation is disproportionately affecting people in Nevada compared to other states. He's currently leading the Sheriff of Clark County Joe Lombardo by about 43,000 votes with 44 percent of the vote in there.
We have an update for you. A key race alert from Wisconsin as well, incumbent Democrat Tony Evers, last time we checked in, his lead was at about 25,000 votes, now it's at about 73,000 votes over Tim Michels with 88 percent of the vote in Wisconsin. And it just changed again, that lead thinning by about 2,000 votes for Evers.
Let's get an update for you from perhaps the weirdest governor's race you're going to see tonight in the state of Oregon. This is a three- way race between these three women. Tina Kotek, the Democrat, Christine Drazan, the Republican, and former Democrat turned Independent Betsy Johnson, who could potentially play spoiler for the Democrats tonight opening the door for Drazan to become the first Republican in 40 years to become governor of Oregon.
[01:05:05]
But right now, Kotek is in the lead by about 13,000 votes with 65 percent of the vote. And as we send it back to Jake Tapper, only a 1 percentage point difference in that race, Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Thanks so much, Boris. Appreciate it.
Kate Bolduan is in Pennsylvania, in New Towns, specifically outside Philly. She's at the headquarters of Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz. And first of all, Kate, that is not exactly the site of a jubilant celebration, it looks like a high school dance just past midnight. And I'm wondering what you're hearing from the Oz folks.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I will tell you, that was exactly what I was going to tell you. This party for all intensive purposes for tonight is completely shut down. But I will say noteworthy about 90 minutes ago at 11:30, Mehmet Oz came out to speak to his supporters, to thank his supporters for being here.
And here are two key lines. He was projecting confidence in that moment, saying, when all the ballots are counted, we believe we will win this race. He did acknowledge that it was a lot -- he expected it to be a very long night still ahead, saying, we've been closing the gap all night and we have a lot more ballots to go.
Also talking about hitting on what really were, as we've talked about, throughout the evening, his final closing argument with the campaign, his thought, was their best closing message that they thought was really having an impact talking about bringing balance to Washington uniting not dividing. Those were the remarks that Mehmet Oz presented to his supporters in this room about 90 minutes ago. And as of now, this party shut down.
TAPPER: Yes, I mean, it's a powerful message except then a few days later, he, of course, went and appeared with Doug Mastriano and Donald Trump not exactly, uniting, not dividing.
This is images right now. There's you, Kate, and there's me at -- they're watching CNN at Fetterman headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That is a quite a different image than the image we just saw of the empty gymnasium at Oz headquarters.
(OFF-MIC)
TAPPER: OK, we got some weird echoes going on here now. So let's just go to you --
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Well tape delay in the signal there.
TAPPER: Yes.
KING: So they're little behind picking it up, so they'll hear what I'm saying it about in seconds.
TAPPER: But, also, I mean, I just said -- I know we're going to do house in a second but just -- KING: Come on over. Come on over. Let's take a look.
TAPPER: You want to do Pennsylvania?
KING: Yes, we could do whatever you want to do. I was just looking at this governor's races.
TAPPER: Why the stark difference between the, you know, the abandoned Newtown High School in Pennsylvania, where the Oz headquarters is, and the jubilant rally at Fetterman headquarters when, you know, votes are still being counted? What what's going on in Pennsylvania right now?
KING: So you bring it up right here right now. 60 -- that's the Fetterman campaign headquarters. You can hear them there. 65,957 vote. It's in a big Commonwealth like Pennsylvania, you say that's a narrow margin. If you've lived through recent elections there, you're looking at that you're saying, OK, how are we doing?
So they're out here, Fetterman campaign headquarters. Excuse me one second. It's all dry throat there. But look, look at this. I mean, this is just again, Joe Biden wins Allegheny County by 20 points. John Fetterman outperforming him in that points.
TAPPER: By 28 points.
KING: By 28 points in the second largest population center in the state. When big where the people are, that helps you. John Fetterman is doing it right there in Allegheny County.
Then you move to the east, Philadelphia, you bring up Philadelphia, again, running it up 70 percent. This is important. Remember the presidential election when we were counting votes Thursday into Friday into Saturday, we finally called it. Joe Biden had a big lead like that. They still had votes to count, right?
TAPPER: Right?
KING: There's no guarantee they come in at 80 to 17. But if they come -- if they keep coming in disproportionately that way, in the largest area by far, 12 percent 12.5 percent of the population, that is good news for Fetterman.
TAPPER: There's no guarantee that they're going to come in at 80.8 and 17.5. But they're likely going to come in at something this.
KING: They came in. We -- I kept saying this to be careful for three days during the 2020 count. They came in almost exactly --
TAPPER: Right. I mean --
KING: -- as they were.
TAPPER: Because you have so much of it. It's 69 percent, not 1 percent. It's probably like this and the margin 63.5 is pretty much exactly what this margin is. So that margin is what Biden did over Trump. KING: Right. And so Fetterman is tracking Biden in the most Democratic area of the state. And again, then you come out, you come to Montgomery County first, 26 for Biden, you know, you're in right in the same exactly the same --
TAPPER: Exactly the same --
KING: So you see the narrow Fetterman lead, like the Biden lead Bucks County. This is the one they want it to make a lot more competitive, and it is. This is the most competitive of the collar counties around. It's a 5 percent of the state population. 4.4 for Biden again. You're looking at --
[01:10:00]
TAPPER: It's about 4.4. I mean, Fetterman is matching at this point, at this snapshot, at this moment in time --
KING: Right.
TAPPER: -- Fetterman is matching what Biden did in this very important democratic area, capital D Democratic of Pennsylvania.
KING: Right. So voters are seeing Oz at least more and more voters -- more voters are seeing Oz as acceptable to them. If you look at it that way than did when you look at the gubernatorial candidate where Josh Shapiro is -- you know, Mastriano is not coming close to Oz in many of these places. And we've talked earlier tonight about the issues positions and the profile of Doug Mastriano. And you see that happening again, other conversations about election deniers being rejected.
So as you watch this one play out again, you know, close elections are decided here, and Democrats need a boost out there. Fetterman is getting the boost he needs out there and he's getting good margins here. I just want to come up to Northampton County right here. This is just one of my, you know, I go back to my swing counties. Normally, the person who wins Northampton County carries the Commonwealth.
Donald Trump carried it narrowly, won the Commonwealth, won the presidency, Biden flipped it on the Commonwealth, won the presidency. At the moment, John Fetterman, winning what Pennsylvania will tell you pretty critical swing county right there. Doesn't guarantee it, doesn't guarantee it.
But again, you look here in a close election, and it stayed right there. So what you do now is show you have keyed out there. We have other people out there. We'll check in to see where are they going to keep counting throughout the night. Where might we have to come back at this in the morning.
But even if you -- if -- I'm not saying they're done, if you went to bed right now and you're John Fetterman, and you look at where the live outstanding votes are, or that's -- your -- let me flip it.
TAPPER: Yes. KING: If you want to understand -- I understand why the Oz party is quiet.
TAPPER: About why Oz's party is non-existent.
KING: Right. The size of the circles is the share of the outstanding vote. The color tells you who is leading in that area.
TAPPER: And what is that, Philly and Delaware County? Is Delaware County -- how many votes are outstanding in Delaware County?
KING: That's --
TAPPER: Delco.
KING: Yes, Delco. We're out here. We're out here in Chester, and we come into Delco.
TAPPER: That's what I'm saying.
KING: Yes. And so you got --
TAPPER: They only have 37 percent --
KING: Right.
TAPPER: -- reporting and this is going to be a district that Fetterman takes by at least 25 points.
KING: Right, 27-point district for Biden when you round up. So yes, so --
TAPPER: I'm just saying this is a ton of Fetterman votes that haven't been counted.
KING: Yes, yes. Barring some huge surprise, right?
TAPPER: Right.
KING: You know, again, there's never a guarantee. But to your point about Philadelphia, we saw this happen in 2020. They came in within a point or two as they continue to flow in, and then you come up. You know, we're pretty close in Montgomery County, where Fetterman's running high.
And as a smaller share still out, you know, in Bucks County is up to 93 percent. So to make -- just to reiterate your point, Oz will, you know, Oz is competitive here, right? So even though it's blue, Fetterman is leading, Oz will get some votes here because he's competitive here.
TAPPER: Sure.
KING: Fetterman is running away ahead here, but there's not that many more votes to come in. But then you come over here, the circle gets bigger in a place. This is more competitive Chester County here, but when you -- as Jake just noted in Delaware County, right here, a larger share of the votes out and a much bigger lead for John Fetterman. Which is why if you're looking at this, here's where you are in the race, 65,000 votes, 66,000 votes ahead if you come up.
Jake, let's go back to you.
TAPPER: That's right, John, because CNN has a major projection. CNN projects that Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman will be the next US senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
This is a hiccup. Retiring Senator Pat Toomey is a Republican and the Democrats are now taking that Senate seat back. Again, CNN is projecting that John Fetterman will be the next U.S. senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And look, we're going to watch as the people in Fetterman headquarters get that news in one second.
In any case, to bring us up to speed in the balance of power. 100 Senate seats, Democrats have 47 of them, including one pickup, Republicans have 46 of them, seven seats remain. Republicans need to pick up one net Democratic seat. Right now, they're not there. And Democrats just picked up one Republican seat.
Dana Bash?
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely, huge, huge news. A huge development. As Jake said, a pickup in Pennsylvania, but also a kind of moral victory for Democrats on a national level. Because this was where they went -- I mean, President Biden basically was there so much.
There you go. Look at how excited the people in Fetterman headquarters are right now as they, not only understand that they -- that their candidate won against some pretty big odds, but they're enjoying seeing it being projected on CNN.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: And Dana, you know, one thing I really cannot get out of my head just going back to earlier in the night when we saw those exits coming out of Pennsylvania, the basically said that voters had made Fetterman's health as an issue a wash.
[01:15:03]
And then on the question of has Oz lived long enough in the states represented effectively, 55 percent said no. To me, that was I think probably the first sign that we had tonight that something was going to be happening in Pennsylvania. Republicans thought this race was over after that to be. They thought that it had disqualified Fetterman. And the voters tonight said something totally different. They were wrong.
CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: I think, Abby, this was a personal judgment. And yes, obviously, John Fetterman had a stroke, and he still shows the effects of it. But voters were saying, we trust this guy. We think that he's there for us. And they just didn't feel that about them at all. They thought he, you know, was a guy who came in to try to pick up a seat across the state line, and that he wasn't there for them, I think was a personal endorsement of their faith in Fetterman and really kind of a personal rejection of Mehmet Oz.
BASH: I should also say what they're seeing in Fetterman headquarters is a delay of CNN, which is why you're seeing us kind of twice. We are expecting John Fetterman to come out soon. We talked earlier in the night about how this has been a race of two very strong, very distinct personalities. And it was certainly a national race, but also about these two men like you were both talking about.
I think we also need to note that these this is very much a proxy battle and has been between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
PHILLIP: Yes.
BASH: And on this one, Joe Biden won.
PHILLIP: Yes.
BASH: He was there so many times. And the only reason Mehmet Oz is and was the nominee for the Republicans is because of Donald Trump.
PHILLIP: Yes. I mean, Joe Biden is a native son of Pennsylvania and really leaned into that really hard. But what made this impossible, frankly, for Mehmet Oz at the end was that --
BASH: Here he is, he's coming out.
PHILLIP: John Fetterman.
BASH: Finish your thought.
PHILLIP: What made it impossible for Fetterman were approved for Oz was that he was trying to sell two different messages, appearing with Trump while --
BASH: OK, let's listen in.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (in unison): Fetterman! Fetterman! Fetterman! Fetterman! Fetterman! Fetterman!
LT. GOV. JOHN FETTERMAN (D), PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: Yes, I --
(CHEERING)
FETTERMAN: Yes, I -- I'm not really sure really what to say right now. Oh, my goodness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you.
FETTERMAN: Yes.
(CHEERING)
FETTERMAN: I am --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thank you're the winner.
FETTERMAN: Yes.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it.
FETTERMAN: Yes. Yes, I mean -- yes. So I am -- I'm so humbled. Thank you so much, really? Thank you. Thank you. Like it's -- what is it? It's like 1:30 in the morning, and you're still here hanging in.
We launched this campaign almost two years ago. And we had our slogan, it's on every one of those signs right now. Every county, every vote, every county, every vote. And that's exactly what happened. We jammed them up.
We held the line. I never expected that we were going to turn these red counties blue. But we did what we needed to do and we had that conversation across every one of those counties. And tonight, that's why I'll be the next U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.
Thanks to all of you. All of you, thank you. Thank you so much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
FETTERMAN: That made me so grateful right now. And I just -- I want to thank, of course, all of -- all the supporters all across Pennsylvania, all in this room, all across the nation. Every one that chipped in 10 bucks to help us get here. Thank you.
[01:20:04]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe in you.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you.
FETTERMAN: Yes. And also I want to -- I also really want to thank my family. Yes. Mom, my mother, my father Karl, Susan. My brother Greg. Where's Gisele? Everyone's here. Yes, Gisele. Who's six months ago, she saved my life, walking out of a Sheetz bathroom, she recognized what was happening. And also, and my children, Carl, Grace, August, August, hey, there you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
FETTERMAN: So, so everyone, just thank you. And I also want to thank my team as well, the best team. So many names I, you know, Brandon, my campaign manager, Rebecca, Bobby, Jo, I mean, Jason, everybody on my team, you know, so many that made that part of it, you know. And also, I thank all the supporters also. I'm just so proud of the race that we ran. And, you know, this campaign has always been about fighting for everyone who's ever been got knocked down, that ever got back up.
This race is for the future of every community all across Pennsylvania. For every small town, or person that ever felt left behind, for every job that was ever been lost, for every factory that was every closed, for every person that works hard, but never got -- ever get ahead, I'm proud of what we ran on. Protecting a woman's right to choose.
Raising our minimum wage, fighting the union way of life. Health care is a fundamental human right. It saved my life and it should all be there for you when you ever should needed. Standing up the corporate greed, making more things right here in America and right here in Pennsylvania, and standing up for our democracy.
Twenty years ago, I came to Braddock to start a GED program. And I've spent --
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And you're listening to John Fetterman giving his victory speech in Pennsylvania, a remarkable turn of events in a very closely watched and vitally obviously important race to Democrats for -- in this election. David Urban? I got to go to you. Son of Pennsylvania.
DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So listen, it's incredibly hard for me to watch obviously. This is, you know, this is a Pat Toomey seat and before that it was my former bosses seat Arlen Specter, who held it so proudly for so many years, and it's a big loss for Pennsylvanians, for Republicans in Pennsylvania.
Listen, I hope, I wish John Fetterman the best. He won tonight. He's got to do a great job for all Pennsylvanians, all 12 million. Congratulations and good luck. We need them to do the best job. But look, it's a big blow for Republicans and Republicanism in the state of Pennsylvania. And this is a loss which I think is going to reverberate across, you know, the United States --
COOPER: Mehmet Oz was handpicked by Donald Trump.
URBAN: Well, handpicked by Donald Trump, right. My good friend Dave McCormick ran the race. I supported Dr. Oz's opponent in this race, who I think would have been a far stronger candidate in this race and would probably be up there giving a speech tonight, instead of John Fetterman. And so, a lot of people going to ask questions about, you know, can you lay this loss at the feet of the President, the former president? People are going to ask that come in tomorrow and the day after, the day after in Pennsylvania.
(CROSSTALK)
URBAN: You lost the governor's mansion and a Senate race in Pennsylvania tonight. And I know Republicans across the Commonwealth are pretty upset right now.
[01:25:01]
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, this is a bad night for him, for Donald Trump.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: But before we burry Donald Trump, I think --
URBAN: Oh not burry Donald Trump.
JONES: I think we should praise John Fetterman, because it is very hard to what he did.
BORGER: Yes.
JONES: And that this guy was almost -- he was at death's door. He had a serious stroke. He might not have been here tonight alive at all. And he decided to stay -- to get in there and to fight for it. And I thought it was a terrible idea for him to do that debate. But that's the kind of guy that he is. He didn't want to back down from that challenge.
And I criticized him, a lot people criticize him, but people saw some heart in him and some guts in him that they want to see in themselves. And I just think before we turned into political, what a triumph for a human being to do what he just did.
URBAN: My argument isn't with John Fetterman's health or his personality, it's with his policies. So just make it clear.
JONES: Sure, sure. I just want to make sure --
DAVID AXELROD, SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It shows exactly what Dr. Oz should have said in that debate, rather than cruelly making fun of Fetterman in that debate. Actually, I think, you know, when I watched that debate, clearly, Fetterman struggled. And so yes, you asked yourself, how is this going to affect the race? But there's a fundamental humanity to the guy. And there was a kind of cruelty to Dr. Oz that I think, in some ways, he was as revealed by that debate, as Fetterman was.
But I must say just in terms of the global implications of this, this was the seat Democrats had to have.
BORGER: Right, right.
AXELROD: This is the insurance policy. We don't know they're counting votes in Nevada right now, that could go either way. They're counting votes in Georgia right now, that could go either way. Obviously, if Republicans were to win both, they would take --
URBAN: And there's been a Republican seat in Pennsylvania.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I just going to go to Boris Sanchez for our projection.
SANCHEZ: Yes, Anderson, an important projection to bring you from the state of Wisconsin in that governor's race. This state was decided by only about 20,000 votes in the last presidential election. As it stands right now, Tony Evers, the incumbent Democrat, excuse me, has tripled, nearly tripled that total. He stands to win reelection in the state of Wisconsin defeating Republican Tim Michels. We also have some key race alerts to bring you beginning with the state of Arizona. There, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is leading the unrepentant election denier Kari Lake 164,000 votes with 54 percent of the vote in in the state of Arizona.
Let's take a look at Nevada now. Steve Sisolak, a very vulnerable Democratic incumbent, right now, he stands 43,000 votes ahead of the Sheriff of Clark County Joe Lombardo, 44 percent of the vote in in the state of Nevada.
Let's get another look at Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer has steadily been building this lead. Every time we've checked in on this race, she now stands 187,000 votes ahead of conservative commentator. Tudor Dixon, 71 percent of the vote in in the state of Michigan.
We take a look now at the state of Kansas. This is perhaps the reddest state in which a Democrat gubernatorial candidate was running for re- election. Laura Kelly 22,000 votes ahead of Derek Schmidt, who question the results of the 2020 election, 87 percent of the vote in in Kansas.
Let's send it over to Jake Tapper and John King at the magic wall.
TAPPER: All right, thanks so much, Boris. And we're taking a look at the balance of power in the U.S. Senate because right now, 50 Democrats are leading including one pickup and a Republican seat. John Fetterman, Lieutenant Governor, is about to become the U.S. senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that used to be a Republican seat. That's a pickup.
49 Republicans in the lead, zero pickups in democratic seats. So I guess the big questions we have right now are Georgia and Nevada. Is that right?
KING: Right. And we're still looking at Arizona. But if you just want to do the math, when we start the day, it was --
TAPPER: Those three -- I'm sorry, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
KING: Yes. It was -- so it was 50-50 when we started the day, the Vice President breaks the tie, which makes that so huge. So now with -- that's 51 essentially, if you start, you know, 51 looking at the map right now. And so the Democrats can afford to lose one of theirs, if you will now and still have a 50-50 Senate.
They're not -- I'm not saying they're going to do that, but I'm just saying now you have -- now if, you know, you could lose one of the ones you still have. This one, Senator Warnock still ahead. We're up to 95 percent. Welcome to Georgia, 20,990 votes, incredibly close here as we watch this one come out.
And at the moment, this will be a run off no matter who ends up on top. You have to have 50 percent, you know, plus one vote to get us -- to get a majority tonight. We'll watch as that one plays out. But Democrats at the moment leading in Georgia. Let's look at Wisconsin, still outstanding here. 88 percent of the vote. This one here, I was just asking because we know the Republican candidate for governor has conceded, called Governor Evers and conceded the race.
[01:29:44]
So the Democratic governor -- you come here -- is winning this race, a very close race -- a very close race. But 72,000 votes --
TAPPER: -- we just projected -- we just projected that Evers has won.
KING: Right. Right. Evers will win.
So you see, Senator Johnson has a lead here. Think about the swing, a Democratic governor in a very competitive state leading by 72,694 votes, that's a Democratic governor.
And then you come to your Republican incumbent Senator with a smaller lead but in the lead. That tells you a lot of ticket-splitting happening across the state of Wisconsin tonight.
Can Mandela Barnes make up the difference is the question. So you look at the big Democratic bases, 77 percent . So there's still a lot of votes to come in in Milwaukee and you see, it's a pretty good range there. Are there enough votes out to get there? The math gets dicey but if you look at that, you say, do you want to see that number -- it's up 85, closer to 90 percent before you make any calls for this one.
Check the other big area, Democratic area in the sate is here. Dane County, Madison, College area. 93 percent there. So some votes still to come in but a smaller pool for both.
TAPPER: Mandela Barnes, by the way, outperforming Biden in there.
KING: Yes, Mandela Barnes is running a strong race as is Ron Johnson in a very competitive state.
So you're looking here now at the moment, Republicans holding Wisconsin, we'll see if it stands up.
Republicans held Ohio. Republicans held North Carolina among the competitive seats. So here we go. We come up.
And this one, Republicans said they were going to mount the big challenge to Michael Bennett. They did not.
TAPER: Not even close.
KING: They simply did not. Actually let me come back to this for a minute because this is important in the governors race as well. And we're watching this complete and come back when we get over to the House map, there's an interesting dynamic possibly at play there.
One of the big question was because of inflation, and gas prices are higher as you west in the United States. Because of the inflation, because of gas prices.
With the suburbs and the crime issue Republicans uses and where the suburbs are going to come back to Republicans because they're mad and frustrated with Democratic governors. Look at what Michael Bennet did in the Denver suburbs. Arapahoe County 61 percent. Adams County, 57 percent. you come into Denver County, 79 percent. We move over to Jefferson County, close to 60 percent.
Michael Bennet and Governor Polis as well if you switch it to the governors' race, did even better here.
And so you have a country that unquestionably thinks -- two-thirds of Americans or more think we're in the recession. Two-thirds or more think we're on the wrong track. We know they're mad about Inflation.
They clearly don't trust Republicans. You're seeing, you know -- you're just seeing in some of these states where you would think that could a Democrat be beat or would that race be more competitive? Not so far.
You come over to the Arizona governor's race, Boris was talking about this, Keri Lake already tonight irresponsibly raising questions of shenanigans. They're still counting votes. 54 percent in.
But (INAUDIBLE) we were in the Senate mass, Mark Kelly running even stronger than Katie Hobbs at 57 percent. But again. A long way to go here but again, 75 percent of the vote in Arizona is in Maricopa and Pima County.
And in the count so far, Mark Kelly running healthily ahead here. This is a Democratic plus two for Joe Biden. You see that there but again --
TAPPER: It's early.
KING: It's early. And most likely -- most likely that's disproportionately early votes.
And then Pima County, again this is plus 18 for the Democrats. Mark Kelly running way ahead of that. But we need to see a lot more votes before we can make a judgment about that.
TAPPER: So let's go to Nevada because Nevada was one of the states where Republicans thought they had the best chance of picking off an incumbent Democratic senator.
KING: Right.
This -- she was and Democrats would concede. Catherine Cortez-Masto, the most vulnerable Democratic senator with just 44 percent of the estimated vote in. I was just texting with somebody out in Nevada, I'll get to that in a second.
She's leading at the moment. Look, this is what matters most, right here. Clark County is 74 percent of the state population. She's leading there right now. Joe Biden won Clark County by nine points so she's a little bit ahead of that. She's at 13, just shy of 13 points there at 64 percent.
And then if you come out here, watch her appear in the northwest corner is another 15 percent of the population. So we have no votes in here. This tends to be more of a swing.
So if you're looking at the Senate map, right now again, you know, can Republicans still get to 50? Yes, they can. Is the math a hell of a lot harder because the Democrats have flipped that, oh yes, they did.
TAPPER: Yes. And we'll have to see what happens. We're still waiting for more votes to come in, in Arizona and Nevada. And of course, we're waiting for more votes to come in from Georgia. And we're hearing that Democratic Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock may speak in Georgia eminently about his close race. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy also might come out soon.
Stay with us. We'll let you know what they say. Be right back.
[01:34:24]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: We can now make a projection in the Senate race in Utah. CNN is projecting that incumbent Republican Senator Mike Lee will be reelected by the good citizens of Utah. He defeats Independent candidate Evan McMullin.
Let's look at the balance of power in the Senate right now. 100 seats -- 47 of them belong to the Democrats including one pick up in Pennsylvania.
47 of them belong to Republicans. There are six seats remaining. Republicans need to win two net Democratic seats in order to win control of the U.S. Senate.
We have governor's races for you to talk about now as well.
Boris Sanchez has that.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jake, a big projection for CNN. We are projecting that Gretchen Whitmer, the incumbent Democrat in the state of Michigan will win reelection. She made abortion rights the centerpiece of her campaign. She filed a lawsuit to stop a 1931 abortion ban that took effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade in the Dobbs Decision. She also introduced legislation in that state to expand and protect abortion access. It pays off for her as she defeats Tudor Dixon, a Trump-endorsed election denier, Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Boris Sanchez, thanks so much.
And we can now make projections in three states that have ballot measures on abortion. CNN projects that Californians have voted yes on establishing a state constitutional right to an abortion.
Voters in Michigan has approved a similar ballot measure saying yes to abortion rights. The trend is holding in Vermont, another yes vote to ensure the right to an abortion.
And take a look at Kentucky, a measure that would amend the state constitution to explicitly state that there is no Kentucky Constitutional rights in abortion. That is trailing as of right now.
Dana Bash.
[01:39:52]
BASH: So fascinating. Thank you so much, Jake.
First let's just talk for a second about the abortion referenda because we saw what happened over the summer with Kansas. Democrats saw that as a big green light saying that this is what is going to get our voters to the polls.
We have to sift through everything but if you just look at Michigan and the fact that Gretchen Whitmer the incumbent Democrat we are project, is winning and Prop 3, the referendum, also is winning which is pretty broad when it comes to abortion rights.
WALLACE: Yes. I don't know that it's particularly a surprise that voters in blue states like California and Michigan and Vermont would vote to have a constitutional right to an abortion. But you know, the canary in the coal mine was what happened in Kansas, you know, a red solid conservative state and overwhelmingly they voted not to take away abortion rights in the constitution.
So this clearly was an animating issue and it was the best issue for Democrats all summer. There was some thought that it might have faded as we got further from the Dobbs decision. But you look at the results tonight and people who were pro-choice and pro-keeping rights for abortion won in state after state and of course, you see the initiatives they won as well.
PHILLIP: Yes. I mean I agree with all of that although I would Michigan, I would characterize Michigan as a clear battleground state which has been for a while which is what made I think Gretchen Whitmer's race so important for Democrats.
The abortion issue has actually been, you know, pretty clear in this country. Voters largely do not want absolute bans on abortion. They don't necessarily support draconian bans on abortion.
They are somewhere in the middle. And when you see these valid issues that either try to establish broad bans on abortion, they are necessarily succeeding and where they have been put on the ballot to codify abortion rights even in blue states but also in some red states, those have gone through.
I think voters in the United States are making their voices heard on this issue.
BASH: Abbey, I'm going to go to Jake for a projection.
TAPPER: Thanks Dana, that's right. CNN has a projection for you right now.
CNN projects that Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, the Democrat will be reelected defeating Republican Bob McDermott.
Let's bring the balance of power on that right now because we've just added a seat to the Democrats. Democrats -- there a 100 seats in the Senate -- and Democrats have 48 of them including a pick up in a Republican seat, that's Pennsylvania, Republicans have 47.
In order for Republicans to wrest control of the U.S. Senate from the Democrats they now need to win two net Democratic seats, two net Democratic seats.
Kasie Hunt we go to you now with more on the battle for the Senate.
HUNT: Well, Jake, we can walk through what the possibilities are for Republicans right now and what they aren't.
Let's start in Georgia where Raphael Warnock is still barely ahead of Herschel Walker, the Republican. So this is on where again, if this holds, we're looking at four more weeks of fighting. This could of course, go either way under those kinds of circumstances. It could all come down to the race here depending on what happens on the rest of the map. 96 percent of the vote in there.
And let's look at what else is out. Wisconsin, Ron Johnson the incumbent sitting at 50.7. This has been pretty steady here as the vote has continued to roll in that this margin is about the same. Mandela Barnes at 49.1 percent.
We obviously have called the Wisconsin governor's race for the Democrats but Ron Johnson is on a different path right now with 80 percent of the vote in there.
Let's check in Nevada where, of course, Democrats have been pessimistic or at least they were at the beginning of the night but obviously their optimism has increased as results have rolled in through the evening.
Catherine Cortez Masto, currently at 53.3 percent and the Republican Adam Laxalt 44 percent. We have 54 percent of the vote in here in Nevada. A lot of questions about whether it's mail or how that's all coming in.
We're going to have to go to John King and David Chalian for some of those answers. So let's check in on Arizona where Mark Kelly is sitting comfortably ahead of the Republican Blake Masters at 57.2 percent to Blake Masters' 40.5 percent.
If this kind of lead can hold, Democrats can hold there. We're looking at that trio of races -- Nevada and Georgia, perhaps Wisconsin as this night gets later and later, Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Kasie, we're tracking the Senate races that are still undecided including those nail biters in Georgia and Wisconsin. The battle for control of the U.S. Senate still too early to call. Our coverage continues after this.
[01:44:45]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TAPPER: Welcome back to CNN's ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA.
I want to bring you back up to speed on those competitive House races on which hinges all Democrat and Republican hopes to control the U.S. Senate.
Republicans need to win 21 of the outstanding competitive seats that we have decided are still too early to call.
Of those 21, Republican are leading in 24. They are exceeding what they need to do in order to control the House.
Of the Senate seats -- I'm sorry -- of the Democratic seats, Democrats need to win 38 of the outstanding competitive seat. 38 of them and they're leading in 34 of them.
Meaning that right now based on the numbers that we have available this moment, we believe that Republicans are still on their way to achieving what they need to achieve in the 82 outstanding -- the 82 total competitive House districts, John.
KING: Clear favorites, Republicans even now as we approach 2:00 a.m. are clear favorites to win the House majority but -- but and it's a big but, there is still a small possibility, modest possibility -- I shouldn't call it small -- modest majority Democrats could hold their majority.
Did you think we would be having that conversation at 2:00 in the morning?
TAPPER: No, this is a big but.
KING: It's 2:00 in the morning and Republicans do win the majority now because we're getting fewer and fewer races still on the board. It's likely to be a more narrow majority.
Here's another way to look at it. You just laid it out just modestly, I'll get there. Building it down just from the top.
[01:49:56]
KING: This is where we stand right now leading the vote. And these are not called races, this is leading the vote, right. But if we -- if this were over right now, the Republicans would have a three-seat majority in the House of Representatives.
It's not over, just think about the narrow round we're talking about now. You mentioned earlier tonight. Kevin McCarthy earlier in the year said 60 seats. Some Republicans in the last week have been saying 30 seats. We're not. We are not in that ballpark. 219, 216 -- leading right now,
right, in terms of called races, 193 to 169. So Republicans clearly are getting close, it's 218 in terms of the called races, they're getting close.
This is what you were just talking about here in the races that are still uncalled. And the Democrats leading in more of the competitive seats, you would say that's good for the Democrats. It is good for the Democrats. It's not good enough to prevent a House majority.
We're not done yet, again. But where we stand right now, it looks like the Republicans are on the path to get a narrow majority. But I just want to step back again and just look at this map.
That's not like a red wave. That's nothing like a red wave.
TAPPER: No.
KING: That could end up being enough for Republicans to get a small House majority, maybe a modest house majority depending on how you define it. But that is a very competitive map in which a lot of Democrats in frontline districts scratched and clawed their way to victory.
That includes, we talked earlier tonight, in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one off here and with these the races, they're off the board.
Let me come out -- that's uncalled, let me come out there. And you look. Democrats won two of the three. They won this one here, a more Democratic district. They should have won. But if there were a red wave that would be red, it is not. If there were a big red ripple, this one would be -- next one down, sorry. Let me come over here to Abigail Spanberger. Even a big red ripple, this one would red, it is not.
And so these frontline Democrats scratched and clawed, not just in Virginia, you come out to Ohio, you see all this blue, they picked up a seat. This is a pick up. That was a Republican incumbent that will now be a new Democratic congressman.
So on a night that Democrats were supposed to lose a lot, if I could pick up some to offset that, there's one right there in Cincinnati even though the Republican governor won big. Even though the Republican Senate candidate won reasonably, comfortably. Marci Kaptur (ph), again, a veteran Democratic scratching it out against a January 6 participant who lied about military service, good candidate, beat that candidate.
Here in Ohio, see if this comes back out, you could keep going through these races. Let's go out to Colorado right now. The Democratic governor wins big. The Democratic Senator, Republicans said they were going to give him a race of a lifetime, they did not.
In the House races right out there. This is Lauren Boebert, many of you may have heard of her, a more controversial pro-Trump member of the House, Republican conference. Only at 83 percent. there's a ways to go here. There's room for her to catch up.
But it's supposed to be the Democrat on their heels and here you have a Republican incumbent.
TAPPER: I mean just for people to understand, this is a district that has r plus eight. R plus eight and right now, look, she still might pull it out but the fact that it's so competitive says there's something going on here that certainly Kevin McCarthy, who by the way, we expect to come out and speak live at any moment.
Certainly Kevin McCarthy did not see coming at all.
KING: And so, texting with some House Republican consultants more who work with us and you're looking at this again -- Lauren Boebert, has time and room with 83 percent.
She may still pull this out but the conversation, sarcastic conversation among Republicans right is if you're going to have 5 or 60 majority, would you rather have five and not her because she's one of the agitators.
The Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Lauren Boebert, the members of the Freedom Caucus, the people who if Kevin McCarthy has a very narrow majority are going to be on the phone with Donald Trump all the time. What do you want us to tell him to do.
And so that's the calculation now. McCarthy with a 10, 15, 20 seat majority has at least has some room, has some maneuverability. McCarthy with a very small majority like that, it will be a really interesting Washington.
And jake, especially if you take this, it's not a final number. But this is trending towards it looks like -- looks, there's still a possibility Democrats keep the majority. Looks like the Republicans get a relatively narrow majority and then you come here and you're looking at a map where Mitch McConnell right now, if he hasn't gone to bed is having, you know one more fine Kentucky Bourbon.
And because once again, he has looked a ta map and said, I have a chance to be the a majority leader and he's still possible but that is not.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: Mitch McConnell is saying Donald Trump pushed nominees in states that we could have won and those nominees whether I mean Mehmet Oz or others blew it.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy's about to speak. And we'll bring that to you, live.
Our election coverage continues with Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins after this.
[01:54:40]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. Don Lemon here this is CNN's continuing coverage of ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA depending on where you are. It's election morning as well.
Right now control of the Congress is up for grabs and we have nail bitters in key races that will determine the balance of power in the Senate and the House.
Before we get to all of that, We want to go to the House Minority Leader speaking now in Washington D.C., Kevin McCarthy. Let's go.
(LIVE EVENT)
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): And I want to thank the millions of supporters across this country. you know, two years ago, And when I became leader, Republicans had less than 200 seats in the house. That cycle we picked up 14 seats when every single person said that would be impossible.
If you believe in freedom, hard work and the American dream, these results proved that there was a place for you in the Republican Party.
Now tonight, we built upon those gains two years ago and it is clear that we are going to take the House back.
[01:59:52]
MCCARTHY: In New York, we defeated the Democratic chairman -- Sean Patrick Maloney which will be the first time in over 40 years a DCCC chair lost his reelection.
