Summary

  • The Republican Party has taken control of the Senate by picking up at least six seats from the Democrats

  • They have also strengthened their grip on the House of Representatives

  • Ballot initiatives expanding marijuana use and increasing minimum wage passed in some states

  • The economy, government dysfunction and President Obama's unpopularity were key issues

Live Reporting

Tom Geoghegan, Debbie Siegelbaum, David Walker, Taylor Brown, Kate Dailey, David Botti, Helier Cheung, Victoria Park and Alison Daye

  1. Republican Rick Scott has emerged victorious in the rancorous race for the governorship of Florida, exit polls suggest.

  2. Republican Cory Gardner has defeated Senator Mark Udall for the Colorado Senate seat, bringing the Republicans to five out of six needed.

  3. Military Congress

    Only 20% of current US Senators and Representatives are military veterans, which is far lower than a recent high of 77% during the 1977-1978 Congressional session.

    But already tonight they can add one more to their ranks - Republican Tom Cotton of Arkansas, an Iraq veteran (below), has been elected to the Senate. Three other veterans are running for Senate tonight as well. For more, check out the Military Times' tracking of veterans running for office.

    Tom Cotton in Little RockGetty Images

  4. Tara McKelvey
    BBC News, Kansas

    At the Greg Orman party in Overland Park, Kansas, Steve Kraske, a political reporter for the Kansas City Star, says no-one knows how things will turn out - and probably won't till 23:00 Central time.

    "It's all just nervous energy."

    Steve Kraske

  5. Charlie Mahtesian, NPR politics editor

    tweets: Republican Terry Branstad of Iowa, the longest serving governor in American history, has been re-elected

  6. While it looks like a good night for Republicans in Congress, Democrats can take cheer from their performance in gubernatorial races, says Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania.

    If Democrats can also topple Republican governors in Florida, Wisconsin and Michigan, "it'll be a great night for the Democrats", Rendell says.

  7. Republican Steve Daines has won the Senate race in Montana, another pick-up for Republicans - but an expected one. He faced Democrat Amanda Curtis after the current senator John Walsh dropped out due to a plagiarism scandal.

  8. Supporter walks past Nunn signReuters

    The Georgia Senate race is keenly awaited. Democrat Michelle Nunn is hoping to beat David Perdue to the post vacated by Republican Saxby Chambliss.

  9. Momentum for GOP

    Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota, tells BBC World Service the results of today's mid-terms so far will give Republicans "momentum" and a "sense of the possible" and they'll be going into 2016 with optimism.

  10. The home of the hanging chad is no stranger to close elections - or problems with voting. And tonight Florida is getting a taste of both.

    With more than six million votes counted in Florida's governor's race, Republican Rick Scott holds a narrow lead over Democrat Charlie Crist.

    The Crist campaign had sought to extend voting hours in one county after problems were reported. But as CNN reports, a judge has denied that request.

  11. Marathon ad challenge

    It would take until 2016 to watch every mid-term campaign advert back-to-back, if you started now, according to Bloomberg Politics.

    Graphic showing Americans' attention to political adverts

  12. The state of Louisiana will go into a Senate election run-off between Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and candidate Bill Cassidy.

  13. Republican Dave Brat made headlines earlier this year when he defeated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary race for Virginia's 7th district. Tonight, as expected, he easily saw off his Democratic challenger, Jack Tramell.

    Republican Dave Brat appeared in Ashland, Virginia, on 8 October 2014AP

  14. The Democrats have received a rare pickup in the House of Representatives, with Gwen Graham defeating incumbent Steve Southerland in Florida's 2nd District.

  15. Democratic candidate Wendy Davis has lost her bid for the governorship of Texas to Republican Greg Abbott, the Associated Press reports. Davis rose to prominence after staging a lengthy sit-in to protect abortion rights during a Texas statehouse filibuster.

  16. Upset brewing

    In Virginia, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who was expected to win re-election handily, is in trouble. With 90% of precincts reporting, Republican ex-lobbyist Ed Gillespie is ahead by 1.2 percentage points, according to the AP news agency. Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis has 2.7%.

  17. 'No to conflict'

    Republican Mitch McConnell could be the new Majority Leader of the Senate by the end of the night. In his victory speech in Kentucky, he said: "Just because we have a two-party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict." Watch his speech in full here.

    Mitch McConnellReuters

  18. Tara McKelvey
    BBC News, Kansas

    Vice-president Joe Biden caused a mini-flurry in Kansas when he made it seem as though Greg Orman, an independent Senate candidate, would vote with Democrats if he were elected. His campaign manager says he remains an independent - and undecided about which party he'll vote with. At his balloon-and-oatmeal- cookie party at the Overland Park Convention Center, Orman's brother David Hanzal, 37, says: "Anytime Joe Biden opens his mouth, he says something stupid. Come on."

  19. Kate Dailey
    BBC News, Washington

    LegoMashable

    When it comes to high-tech election displays, Mashable can't compete with some of the more traditional reporting services. However, when it comes to whimsy, they are close to the top - the online news service is depicting the changing balance of power in the Senate using Lego.

  20. Democrats made a "critical mistake" by not making more of President Barack Obama's foreign policy successes during the campaign, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson tells the BBC.