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Voters in Massachusetts have voted to support a state law protecting transgender citizens that was first passed in 2016.

If repealed, transgender people would have no longer been allowed to access public places (like bathrooms) that have separate areas for men and women, if they did not correspondent to their gender at birth.

"When Massachusetts leads on equality, the nation watches - and often, it follows," said Carol Rose, the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts was first to legalise gay marriage in the US.

Re-elected Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, in her victory speech, vowed to "work with the president and keep this nation on the path to prosperity that we are on today".

"Just as I said on Day One of this campaign, I was running to take those values that we share and to work in DC on the things that you want to see done: more constitutional judges, lower taxes, less regulation, making certain that we protect life and defend the Second Amendment," she said.

"And to a make certain that we build the wall" she added to applause.

"If we don't do more to contain the southern border it makes every state a border state, and every town a border town," she said.

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Democrat Gretchen Whitmer - one of 11 women contesting governorships this year - is projected to win her race against Republican Bill Schuette, according to AP.

Her projected win would mark an end to eight years of Republican rule in Michigan.

Whitmer was the former minority leader in the state Senate and focused her campaign on clean water, expanding healthcare access and fixing "the damn roads".

Republicans are now projected to retain control of the Senate - they currently have a slim 51-49 majority, but only nine of the party's seats were up for grabs, while Democrats were defending 26 seats.

In the House, however, Democrats scored significant gains and are projected to win control.

By maintaining control of the Senate, Republicans will be able to keep pushing some of Donald Trump's agenda - notably, they will be able to continue confirming and appointing judges.

Polls on the US west coast close in 30 minutes, including in all of California. Here are the numbers so far, with Republicans projected to keep the Senate while Democrats are on track to regain control of the House.

US rapper Common urged voters to no matter the challenges - stay in line and vote" for Stacey Abrams.

If Abrams wins, she would be the first ever African-American female governor in the US. She would also become the first woman and the first person from an ethnic minority to ever lead Georgia.

But a Democrat has not held the red state's governor's mansion since 2003.

Read more about Abrams and her impact in Georgia here.

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Conservative Democrat Conor Lamb has won his working class Western Pennsylvania district - which Trump won by 20 points in 2016 - sending a stark message to Republican House candidates.

After Lamb won a cliffhanger special election in March, analysts predicted a bloody nose for Trump in the mid-terms.

Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan warned at the time that the US veteran's victory should be a "wakeup call" for his party.

Read more about how Lamb's previous victory back in March was received:

A terrible night for Trump in Pennsylvania

In a hard-fought contest in Texas, Senator Ted Cruz, a former Republican presidential candidate, is projected to win re-election in the traditionally Republican state, CBS News reports.

He is expected to defeat Democrat Beto O'Rourke, a rising star who wanted to become the party's first senator for Texas in 30 years.

O'Rourke fundraised a massive amount of cash from supporters around the country but was unable to eke out a lead over Cruz, even as polling narrowed in recent weeks.

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A vocal critic of Trump, Romney was seen as a shoo-in for outgoing Republican Senator Orrin Hatch's seat.

Romney has kept a low profile since losing his 2012 race to oust President Barack Obama, but assiduously maintained his links to the Republican party.

In 2016 he positioned himself as the voice of mainstream conservatism with stinging attacks on Trump.

With 16 seats left to call, the Republicans need just five more to retain control of the Senate. See our results page for detailed results as they come in.

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Republican Mike Braun gave his victory speech in Indiana, where he defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly.

Braun said that while travelling around the state, he rarely stayed in hotels and instead relied on the kindness of residents who put them up in their own homes.

He said he "made friend with hoosiers the way a campaign like this should be", using the nickname given to Indiana residents.

"I would love to see change in politics because its gotten way too nasty on both sides," he told the crowd.

"It should be about ideas. It should be about what you bring to the table."

At 22:00, polls in Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Utah and parts of Oregon and Idaho have now closed.

Democrats are hoping for a victory in Iowa, where Republican incumbent Steve King has been repeatedly criticised for his support of white nationalists and neo-Nazis on Twitter.

California, Hawaii, and Washington state will be among the next to close at 23:00.

Image source, @LESLIECOCKBURN

A Republican candidate who once wrote a book called Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him has been elected to the House of Representatives for his district in Virginia.

Earlier this year, his Democratic opponent accused him of being a "devotee of Bigfoot erotica".

"This is not what we need on Capitol Hill," Democrat Leslie Cockburn wrote with the drawing of a naked Sasquatch that the just-elected congressman posted on his Instagram page.

'Bigfoot erotica' row turns Virginia congressional race ugly

With five uncontested seats still to be declared, the Democrats have gained two House seats in Florida.

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Colorado Democrat Jared Polis is projected to become the first openly gay man elected governor in the US.

Polis is currently leading Republican opponent Walker Stapleton 51.4% to 45.2%, according to AP results.

He had served as a representative since 2009 and has been open about his sexuality while on the campaign trail, particularly as it highlighted differences between him and the Trump administration.

Oregon's Kate Brown was elected as the first openly LGBT governor in 2016.

Florida has voted to restore voting rights to 1.4 million resident felons who have completed their sentences.

The amendment to Florida's constitution required 60% approval to pass.

It is a change that could have a significant impact in a key swing state with 29 electoral votes - in 2016, Donald Trump won over Hillary Clinton by just 112,000 votes.

In most states, convicted felons do not lose their voting rights. In Vermont, for example, convicts can vote even while incarcerated.

The president's favourite news outlet, Fox News is projecting that the Democrats will gain control of the House of Representatives.

So is NBC News, which estimates Democrats have a 65% chance of winning a majority in the House.

But polls in California - a key Democratic stronghold - as well as Washington state, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska are still open - which means it's too early to tell.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 28, first made headlines earlier this year for defeating political veteran Joe Crowley, 56, in the Democratic congressional primary in New York City.

The political novice, who describes herself as a socialist Democrat, had huge grassroots support.She raised more small-dollar donations than any other New York City congressional candidate, external.

She now faces Republican Anthony Pappas in the general election.

If she wins, she will become the youngest ever woman elected to Congress.