Election 2023 results and analysis: Democrats excel in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is projected to win reelection in Mississippi.

Nov. 7, 2023, was Election Day in at least 37 states, and Americans cast their votes on everything from governorships to local referenda. When the dust settled, it was a solid night for Democrats and their allies: According to ABC News projections, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection in Kentucky, and Ohio voters passed Issue 1 to codify abortion rights in the state constitution. The AP also projected that Democrats won both chambers of the Virginia legislature and an open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. However, there were a few bright spots for Republicans: ABC News projected that Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves beat back a strong challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley.

As results came in, 538 analysts were breaking them down in real time with live updates, analysis and commentary. Read our full live blog below.


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A strong start for liberals in Ohio

All of the votes reporting so far in Ohio appear to be early and absentee votes, which skew liberal. That explains why both Issue 1 and Issue 2 are leading by so much right now, as Leah mentioned. That said, they are winning by such a big margin that they’ll probably still be passing even after Election Day votes are counted. The New York Times has a live model of Issue 1, and they’re expecting the abortion-rights measure to pass by 14 percentage points.

—Nathaniel Rakich, 538


More Ohio voters are supporting Issue 1 than Issue 2

So far, the “yes” vote is leading for both ballot measures, but with 14 percent of the expected vote reported, we’re seeing 66 percent support for Issue 1, which would enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution, and 58 percent support for Issue 2, which would legalize recreational marijuana (with limitations).

— Leah Askarinam, 538


It’s looking good for Democrats in Kentucky

Democrats face test in Kentucky governor's race:


Another projection in Kentucky

ABC News projects that Coleman will win the Kentucky Attorney General's race. It's the second projected statewide win for Republicans tonight. But as Nathaniel and Elliott noted earlier, Beshear otherwise seems to be over-performing his 2019 numbers in some parts of the state. That may include Breathitt County, which he won in 2019 by two points but is leading tonight 61 to 39 percent over Cameron, with 83 percent of the expected votes in. Breathitt County, in Eastern Kentucky, was hit hard by flooding last year, and Beshear's performance in leading the recovery could account for better-than-expected results there. Overall, Beshear is ahead 53 to 47 percent in the state, with 45 percent of the expected vote reported.

—Monica Potts, 538


Abortion is on the ballot in Ohio

Happy off-year Election Day! Tonight, I’m watching the proposed constitutional amendment on Ohio’s statewide ballot, which would codify abortion rights in the state constitution. It’s not only a temperature check on how voters view abortion rights post-Dobbs, but also a data point in a red state where Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is running for reelection in 2024.

A vote approving Issue 1 would, according to the language of the proposed amendment, enshrine the "right to make and carry out one's reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one's own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion." Controversially, though, a GOP-led ballot board had final say on the wording that appeared on today’s ballots, making changes that could dampen support for the measure.

Advocates on each side of the ballot measure have accused the other side of being too extreme and out of step with Ohio voters. Proponents point to the six-week abortion ban without exceptions that Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law (and that’s currently on hold), while opponents say that the law would allow people to have abortions at any point in their pregnancy. In reality, the proposed amendment would specify that “abortion may be prohibited after fetal viability,” though not in cases where a physician determines that the abortion “is necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.”

Next year, Brown is running for reelection in one of the key races that could decide the next Senate majority. And you can bet that strategists on both sides of the aisle will be assessing the effectiveness of their abortion messaging on this ballot as they prepare to deploy their resources in 2024.

—Leah Askarinam, 538