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.
Latest headlines:
Beshear continues to run ahead of his 2019 margins in Kentucky
In Kentucky, 60 percent of the expected vote has reported in the governor's race, and Beshear leads by 5 points over Cameron, 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent. But there's more good news for Beshear: He's mostly running ahead of his 2019 numbers in the counties where most of the vote has come in. At this point, 37 counties have reported at least 90 percent of their expected vote (out of 120 in the state), and across them Beshear is running 4.7 points ahead of his 2019 margin. Now, most of those counties are small — together, they made up about 23 percent of the statewide vote four years ago. But those counties also don't include the two biggest Democratic bases of support in Jefferson and Fayette counties (Louisville and Lexington).
—Geoffrey Skelley, 538
Abortion has been a liability for Republicans
As our colleague Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux has written, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision last year has turned reproductive health and abortion rights into a liability for Republicans at the ballot box. After Republican-led states began restricting abortion rights in the wake of the decision, voters around the country have supported increasing abortion rights when it was directly on the ballot and helped Democrats over-perform in the 2022 midterms. Support for abortion has been rising. A win for the "yes" in Ohio tonight could mean abortion rights will stay on voters minds as we head into the 2024 election season.
—Monica Potts, 538
It’s looking good for Democrats in Kentucky
Democrats face test in Kentucky governor's race:
Polls are closing, votes to come soon (hopefully)
The clock has chimed for 8 p.m. Eastern, which means polls have closed in four more states voting today. In Mississippi, the main action is the state's governor race, although there are also down-ballot races for statewide and legislative office. In New Jersey, the state legislative elections are the main focus. In Pennsylvania, there's a contest for the state supreme court that could be important for how the court decides election law questions in the 2024 election (among other things). And in Rhode Island, there's the special election for the vacant 1st Congressional District left behind by former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline.
—Geoffrey Skelley, 538
What I’m watching in the New Jersey and Mississippi state legislature contests
Tonight I’ll be watching the fight for the New Jersey state legislature, as well as the elections for the Mississippi state House and Senate. In Trenton, Republicans would need to flip 6 seats to take control of the state Senate, and 7 seats to flip the state House. Republicans haven’t held a majority in either chamber in over two decades, but after a closer-than-anticipated 2021 gubernatorial election and a net gain of seven seats in the 2021 legislative elections, some in the party are hopeful that they can continue clawing back some of the ground they’ve lost over the last decade. This is the first cycle under new lines following the 2020 census, and redistricting has pushed a number of lawmakers to the exits — nine state senators and 22 state representatives lost renomination or opted not to run for reelection.
As little suspense as there is in New Jersey, where Democrats are expected to hold onto their majorities, there’s even less in Mississippi, where Republicans have already virutally locked in majorities in both chambers because Democrats failed to field candidates in a majority of races. The real drama will be whether the GOP can pick up five seats (including one vacant seat previously held by the GOP) to secure a supermajority in the state House. That could come in handy if Democratic Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley scores an upset in the gubernatorial race over incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves.
—Jacob Rubashkin, Inside Elections