Live-blogging election night, November 3, 2015

An interesting set of elections in off-year (anti-democratic) states. Some intermittent live-blogging–

Final results in the rest of the special elections must wait until tomorrow or later. Washington state has two house districts up, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts one, Missouri three, Michigan and Texas one. Georgia has a house and a senate seat up; Maine has two house districts. Of these 13 contests, four are for seats held by the GOP (in Washington, Missouri and Georgia). It will be interesting to see whether there’s any shift. At this point, Virginia’s house seats seem to be staying put, party-wise. Only the [34th] seems to be switching, [correction] and it’s a very close race.

Bevin took the Kentucky governorship. He should be good for headlines.

Now Bevin’s odd candidacy looks like enough to get him the governorship in Kentucky. He’s still solidly ahead of Conway with most precincts in. On the other hand, Grimes is still winning for Sec of State and Beshear for Attorney General. Not a statewide sweep for either party.

In Virginia, a few results are mildly interesting–not in the state senate elections, hyped as the event on which Gov. McAuliffe’s legacy depends, but in some state house elections. At this writing, Democrats may flip a couple of state house districts from red to blue–the 12th and 34th. They might have accomplished more, in the year of Trump, if they had bothered to field candidates in more districts. Out of 21 contested seats currently held by the GOP, they might take 2 or 3 or 4–doesn’t sound like much, but if they had contested twice as many, that would up their percentage in the legislature. Too many VA districts have Republican legislators running unopposed, and the effects may seep into nearby districts.

An hour after polls close in Kentucky, Democrats still ahead in several statewide races, but Bevin ahead of Conway for governor. Polls now closed in Virginia for state house and senate, and in Georgia for special election for House 122. Too early to tell. Two special elections in Maine as well. Results not in.

Half an hour after polls close, Democrats still up on the whole in Kentucky. My question for the whole evening, in most states voting, is the extent of the Trump effect. In how many state and local elections will GOPers bite the dust?

The polls closed first in Kentucky. First up: In the Kentucky gubernatorial election, Democrat Jack Conway is ahead so far. (Link is to the Kentucky Board of Elections.) Dems are also ahead in several other statewide races, though it’s early yet.