Pinned
The Fallout
Election results are still rolling in across the country after a very, very bad night for Republicans (or, as one Republican operative called it, a “total ass-kicking from coast to coast”). Democrats won key governor’s races, took the House and Senate, and flipped key seats in South Carolina, Texas, Iowa and Kansas.
Democrats are feeling good. President Donald Trump’s team is playing defense. Politicians and activists are rushing to shape the narrative. And races are still being called.
Follow along here as we cover the results and fallout.
It’s too early to call the outcome of California’s wealth tax
A California measure to tax the net worth of billionaires that divided liberal leaders nationally and triggered one of the most expensive ballot fights in state history was too early to call Wednesday morning as the vote tally continued.
Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of Californians whose net worth exceeds $1 billion, with most of the revenue dedicated to replacing federal funding cuts to healthcare. The measure left the ultra-rich, some of whom spent heavily to defeat it, scrambling to figure out whether they would pay the tax or leave California.
Thousands of votes are still being counted in NY-17
November 4, 2026
Hours after Republican Rep. Mike Lawler conceded to his Democratic challenger Cait Conley in one of the most closely watched House races, thousands of votes are still being counted due to issues with Westchester County’s ballot-scanning machines.
A judge signed off on a plan on Tuesday evening for thousands of ballots to be transported and counted at a secure warehouse. Voters placed completed ballots in bags that were subsequently transported under police escort.
A programming glitch caused ballot scanners to reject votes when the polls opened in the county on Tuesday morning. The issue was quickly raised, and the Board of Elections worked to deploy replacement machines.
The Washington Sun Perspectives digs into the results
At Perspectives, Sun columnist Dana Milbank writes: “Even more than a win for Democrats or a loss for Republicans, Tuesday night’s result was a resounding vote of no confidence in Donald J. Trump himself.”
But columnist Matt K. Lewis shares a word of warning for Democrats about affordability: “Going forward, Democrats will share governing responsibility — and the blame if nothing gets done to alleviate this problem.”
Rep. Max Miller ousted from Congress
November 4, 2026
The Ohio Republican lost to Democrat and union ironworker Brian Poindexter after Miller faced domestic violence allegations that overshadowed his campaign. Miller, who has denied the allegations and filed a defamation case against his ex-wife, was endorsed by Trump, who wrote in the election’s closing days on Truth Social: “GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MAX — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Democrat Rebecca Cooke wins her rematch against Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden
November 4, 2026
Democrat Rebecca Cooke won her bid to represent Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, flipping control of the largely rural district that covers much of the western half of the state. She defeated Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, in a rematch of the pair’s contest from two years ago.