The 2022 midterm elections shaped up to be some of the most consequential in the nation's recent history, with control of Congress at stake.
All 435 seats in the House and 35 of 100 seats in the Senate were on the ballot, as well as several influential gubernatorial elections in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Democrats were defending their narrow majorities in both chambers and retained control of the Senate, though control of the House isn't yet clear. But a Republican flip of the lower chamber would be enough to curtail most of President Joe Biden's legislative agenda and would likely result in investigations against his administration and even his family.
Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Nov 10, 2022, 3:12 PM EST
Maricopa County expects to wrap vote count on Monday
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Bill Gates told ABC News he expects to wrap up vote counting in Arizona’s largest county by Monday.
“We have just a little over 400,000 votes left to be counted,” he said.
An election worker boxes tabulated ballots inside the Maricopa County Recorders Office in Phoenix. Nov. 9, 2022.
Matt York/AP
Ballots for the U.S. midterm elections are counted with a machine at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix, Nov. 9, 2022.
Jim Urquhart/Reuters
A record number of "late earlies" were dropped off on Election Day -- 290,000 ballots -- which is slowing the process, Gates added.
“This is not out of the ordinary -- it's fairly consistent with what we've done in the past,” he stressed. “Again, we want to be doing this accurately.”
1:13
Arizona's Maricopa County to wrap vote count on Monday“We have just a little over 400,000 votes left to be counted,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Bill Gates, adding he expects to wrap up vote counting by Monday.
ABCNews.com
-ABC News’ Libby Cathey
Nov 10, 2022, 2:27 PM EST
Warnock centers runoff campaign around character
Standing in front of the John Lewis mural in Atlanta, an energetic and confident Sen. Raphael Warnock kicked off his runoff campaign, arguing that it’s about “competence” and “character.”
"This is not a race about Democrat and Republican. It’s not a race of the right versus the left. Fundamentally, this is a race about right and wrong. Who's right for Georgia and who's clearly wrong for Georgia,” he said
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks during a news conference, on Nov. 10, 2022, in Atlanta.
Brynn Anderson/AP
Warnock, the Democratic incumbent, argued that Republican challenger Herschel Walker “has shown us that he's not capable” and “has no vision for our state or for our country.”
“We've been running now for a little while, and he has yet to tell us what he actually wants to do,” Warnock said.
Warnock and Walker were tied each with 49% of the vote as of Thursday morning, with 99% of the expected vote reporting. Their runoff election will take place on Dec. 6.
Republican Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks next to his wife Julie during his 2022 U.S. midterm elections night party in Atlanta, on Nov. 8, 2022.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Reverend Raphael Warnock, Democratic Senator from Georgia, arrives to speak to students at Atlanta University during a midterm election campaign event, in Atlanta, Nov. 8, 2022.
Bob Strong/Reuters
Warnock said, over the next four weeks, he will focus his attention on those who didn't vote for him.
"For those of you who made a different choice, this time, whether for Herschel Walker or someone else, I want to speak directly to you: Over the next four weeks, I hope you will give me the opportunity to earn your vote,” he said.
Warnock, who unseated Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a 2020 runoff, said, "We all knew this election would be close. But I've done this before -- we've done this before. We know how to win a runoff.”
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa
Nov 10, 2022, 7:56 AM EST
Outstanding Senate races and where control of the upper chamber stands
As of Thursday morning, both Democrats and Republicans have 48 seats in the Senate and four seats remain undecided with those races still outstanding.
Alaska: No candidate received 50% of the vote, meaning that rank-choice voting will decide the winner of the race. With 71% of the expected vote reporting, Republican candidate Kelly Tshibaka has 44%, Republican incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski has 43%, Democratic candidate Patricia Chesbro has 10% and Republican candidate Buzz Kelley has 3%.
Arizona: With 76% of the expected vote reporting, Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly has 51% and Republican challenger Blake Masters has 46%.
Georgia: With 99% of the expected vote reporting, Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock has 49% and Republican challenger Herschel Walker has 49%.
Nevada: With 84% of the expected vote reporting, Republican challenger Adam Laxalt has 49% and Democratic incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has 48%.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie
Nov 10, 2022, 7:31 AM EST
Abortion rights played role in Tuesday voting, winning governor says
Voters spoke decisively in every state where abortion was on the ballot, erring on the side of access and rejecting anti-abortion efforts.
A referendum in Montana, which differed most from the other four states that voted singularly on abortion, would have required medical treatment for infants born alive after an attempted abortion. It included a provision that would penalize medical providers for violation, carrying a $50K fine and/or up to 20 years behind bars. It was defeated by voters in a ruby red state.
Kentucky voters also voted down a proposition that aimed to prohibit adding the right to an abortion or the right to public abortion funding to the state constitution.
California, Michigan and Vermont voters all supported propositions that would guarantee abortion rights in each state's constitution.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who framed herself as the "last line of defense" for abortion rights during her successful reelection effort, credited her state's abortion proposition with enthusiasm at the polls that arguably helped her win.
"We know that people were very fired up at the prospect of losing a right that has been enshrined for 49 years and that drew a lot of people into this moment and we're grateful for it," Whitmer said Wednesday.
Michiganders also flipped the statehouse to Democrats, giving them full government control.
