Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 9:27amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 9:27am
So, what happens to MAGA now?
Much of the Republican Party is embarking on a search for answers to explain its massive midterm election losses this week.
As my ABC colleague Brad Ryan, who is currently in North Carolina, writes this morning: US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) brand appears “badly damaged” in the wake of the results.
“Is this the beginning of the end for Trump’s MAGA movement?” he writes.
“While Mr Trump continues to enjoy support in much of the US, and his endorsement still carries huge influence among the party’s MAGA faithful, this week’s results show it can also backfire.”
You can read more of Brad’s coverage, here:
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 9:19amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 9:19am
The Democrats and Republicans emerging as 2028 White House contenders
I’m reading of the possibility of a Rubio-Leavitt ticket for the next Republican President and VP. Who are the Democrats contenders ? No names have been mentioned that I’m aware of for two years.
— Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
You read my mind with your question!
With the midterm campaigns over, the race to succeed President Donald Trump is set to intensify, with a potentially sprawling field of contenders already positioning for 2028 but no clear standard-bearer emerging.
Potential Democrat contenders spent months of courting donors, raising their profiles and publishing books, familiar steps toward a White House run, during the midterm campaign.
Karoline Leavitt (far left) and Marco Rubio (centre right) at an event in Washington DC in July. (Reuters: Supplied/Saul Loeb)
Republicans face a less crowded field, with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio the most widely discussed potential successors to Trump, who is constitutionally barred from being elected president a third time.
Here are some of the Democrats generating buzz:
Kentucky Governor Andy BeshearCalifornia Governor Gavin NewsomIllinois Governor JB PritzkerGeorgia Senator Jon OssoffNew York House of Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
And here some of the other potential Republican contenders:
Former New Jersey Governor Chris ChristieTexas Senator Ted Cruz
Reporting with Reuters
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 9:13amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 9:13am
Mississippi GOP chairman flags possible legal action in tight Senate race
As we’ve been reporting for you over the past day, the Senate race in Mississippi is coming down to the wire.
Democrat Scott Colom has seen his lead of a few dozen votes over Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith grow to 1,822 votes with more than 96 per cent of ballots counted.
Earlier today, Mike Hurst, the GOP’s state chairman, said the race in Mississippi was “far from over”.
The GOP estimates that as many as 20,000 votes are outstanding, including a combination of late-arriving mail and provisional ballots from Republican-leaning areas, according to Hurst.
He also said the GOP was ready to take legal action if the count was determined to be improper, but it would accept the results if the count was fair and legal.
“There is no election denying going on here,” he said.
If you’d like to take a closer look at all of the US midterm race results, you can via the link below.
Reporting with AP
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:48amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:48am
Could the Democrats remove Trump from office?
A question I’m sure everyone is asking… does this all mean that the democrats have the power to kick out trump?
– Kylie
Thanks for the question Kylie!
It’s certainly possible that the new-look, Democrat-controlled Congress could look to impeach US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump. (Reuters: Elizabeth Frantz)
Democrats would need a simple majority (50 per cent) vote in the House of Representatives to impeach the president.
That means if they win the chamber, they’ll have the votes to push through such a motion.
But they may not want to.
You might remember Trump has been impeached two times before – in his first term – and was never removed from office.
The Senate would put the president on trial if he were impeached, with House members acting as prosecutors.
Here’s where the bar gets a lot higher.
To actually convict him, the Senate would need a two-thirds vote (also known as a supermajority vote).
Even if Democrats win the Senate, the chance of them gaining enough seats to form a supermajority by themselves is slim.
They’d likely need the backing of some Republican senators to get such a vote over the line.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:40amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:40am
Why the Senate race in Alaska takes so long to count
Why is Alaska still only at 74%. Is the place a logistical nightmare or is there some other hold up?
— Craig
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your question!
Alaska typically counts its votes slowly. In fact, it took roughly two weeks to call a winner of the state’s Senate race in 2008 and 2010.
The slow pace is due in part to the fact that state law allows overseas absentee ballots to arrive as many as 15 days after election day.
(Reuters)
Second, the state uses a system called ranked-choice voting.
Ranked-choice ballots allow Alaskan voters to number the candidates in order of their preference.
But the system can result in multiple vote counts. The initial count tallies the candidates ranked as voters’ top choice. If one of those candidates gets more than 50% of the vote, they win the election outright.
If no candidate passes the 50% threshold, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and a new round of vote-tallying commences. Supporters of the eliminated candidates see their votes redistributed to their second choice.
Plus, it’s difficult to run an election in a vast, sparsely populated state like Alaska where some communities are only accessible by air or water and rely on air service for mail delivery.
As of now, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan by 637 votes with 74% total counted, according to the Associated Press.
Reporting with AP
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:15amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:15am
Texas governor-elect promises bipartisan in new-look blue state
In Texas, which has turned blue for the first time in decades, governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has been speaking.
In an address to the media, she says she’ll lead a bipartisan administration.
Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa. (Reuters: Joel Angel Juarez)
Hinojosa made that pledge in her first press conference since beating Republican Governor Greg Abbott, becoming one of several Democrats who won statewide in Texas for the first time in more than 30 years.
“People are tired of the divisions, tired of the fighting, tired of the culture wars,” she said.
“I’m going to be a governor for all of Texas.”
She then introduced Ernest Bailes, who described himself as a conservative Republican who would be part of her transition team.
Hinojosa also said that Abbott “made sure to make me understand that they are going to fully cooperate with this transition”.
When asked whether she was concerned about Republicans in the legislature working to undermine her, Hinojosa said “Texans have spoken” and she hoped “elected leaders from both parties don’t get in the way of the progress we can make together to deliver for working people”.
Reporting with AP
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:06amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 8:06am
California Governor Gavin Newsom commutes all death sentences
(AP)
We’ll just step away briefly from midterm results to news that California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted all California death sentences.
He declared: “State-sanctioned killing is incompatible with values.”
In an open letter to constituents, Newsom said taking this step was “among the most difficult of my career” because it would surface painful memories for crime victims’ families.
“As Governor, I alone bear responsibility for this decision and its impact, just as I alone would bear responsibility for each execution,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom said his executive action would affect the “548 people now under death sentence in California”, making for “the largest death row in the western hemisphere”.
California has not put a prisoner to death since January 17, 2006, when Clarence Ray Allen was put to death via lethal injection.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:56amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:56am
Analysis: Could Rubio leave Trump White House?
There is a report swirling around Washington DC this afternoon (it’s still Thursday here) that Marco Rubio is considering leaving the Trump administration in the wake of the Republicans devastating midterm election results.
If Rubio did quit his role as secretary of state, it would be both seismic and not totally unexpected at the same time.
Any time a senior member of a government leaves suddenly, it prompts serious questions about division and dysfunction. At absolute best, it will be a major distraction for the White House.
There are reports Marco Rubio could quit. ( Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
But here’s the other side of that equation: While Trump’s critics often bemoan his bluster and aggression, Rubio is sometimes described as the adult in the room. He has a more conventional political pedigree and is widely regarded as an intelligent and effective operator. His decision to leave (if it eventuates) could spark more resignations.
Rubio has long been described as likely to run for president in 2028 on the Republican ticket (after all, he previously stood against Trump in the 2016 primaries when he described his rival as “a con artist”). Rubio endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2024.
The midterms result was an emphatic rebuke of Trump’s performance as president. If Rubio is serious about running himself, it would not be surprising if he was keen to distance himself from the current government.
One of the biggest issues at the midterms was the US’s war in Iran, and Rubio as secretary of state cannot help but be linked to it (even if his role has been cast as linked to peace negotiations rather than the decision to begin bombing).
The report Rubio is weighing his future is by Bloomberg.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:49amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:49am
Marles says Australia will defend its interests while managing US ties
Speaking on ABC News Breakfast, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says Australia will continue to advocate for its national interests while maintaining a strong relationship with the US, regardless of who occupies the White House.
“We articulate Australia’s national interests,” he said.
“We’ve made our position clear in respect of the war in Iran. We want to see a de-escalation there and we want to see a return to normality in terms of the global fuel supply chain.
“We live in a world today where we face a very challenging, strategic landscape and in that context, our alliance with the US is critically important.”
(ABC News)
Asked about lessons from political developments in the US, Marles said cost-of-living pressures remained a dominant issue globally.
“From our perspective, we are focused on what we can contribute to that, and that’s the management of our own budget, which we do in a very prudent way, and also making sure we are putting in place cost-of-living measures where we can,” he said.
“But we obviously understand that Australians are doing it tough in relation to this as well.”
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:26amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:26am
How gerrymandering failed in North Carolina
North Carolina’s first congressional district (NC-1) has now been formally called for Democrat Don Davis.
The result represents another failed Republican attempt at flipping a seat through redistricting.
The state’s Republicans redrew the map to favour the party last year.
They moved a significant share of Black voters into a neighbouring district.
They also pushed the hometown of incumbent Davis out of the district. It was explicitly done to get Republican Laurie Buckhout elected to replace him.
I was in the district, in the state’s north-east, on polling day.
Black Democrats I spoke to were angry about this. NC-1 has elected Black Democrats since 1992.
“It’s unfair they’re doing it that way,” Rocky Mount voter Addie Johnson said.
“It’s cheating, that’s what it comes down to.”
Rocky Mount voter Addie Johnson (ABC News: Brad Ryan)
But it has not worked.
The AP has now called the race for Davis, who has 50.1 per cent of the vote, compared to Buckhout’s 46.8 per cent, with more than 95 per cent of votes counted.
It was a similar story in North Carolina’s 11th district (NC-11), on the other side of the state. Its boundaries have been redrawn several times in recent years.
NC-11 was held by Republican Chuck Edwards, and was considered a pretty safe red seat.
But Edwards pulled out of the race after an ethics committee found he acted inappropriately towards young female staff (though he disputes the findings).
Democratic farmer Jamie Ager (57.1 per cent) then defeated replacement Republican candidate Jennifer Balkcom (41.3 per cent).
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:17amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:17am
New projections for House seats
There has been some movement in the House of Representatives results, with the Associated Press calling six more seats.
Four of the seats have gone to the Democrats and two to the Republicans.
Here’s a breakdown:
Democrat JoAnna Mendoza won the election in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, defeating Republican incumbent Juan CiscomaniDemocrat Jessica Killin won in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, defeating Republican incumbent Jeff CrankRepublican incumbent Anna Paulina Luna won in Florida’s 13th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Leela GrayRepublican Brent Taylor won in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Justin PearsonDemocrat Kristina Knickerbocker won in Ohio’s 10th Congressional District, defeating Republican incumbent Mike TurnerDemocrat Richard Ojeda II won in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, defeating Republican incumbent Richard Hudson
That would bring the total to 251 seats for Democrats and 155 for Republicans in the lower house.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:13amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 7:13am
Democrat says ‘200 investigative letters’ are roadmap for likely probes
Further to Chuck Schumer’s earlier comments about the Democrats looking into voters’ concerns on ”costs, chaos and corruption” in Congress, Maryland representative Jamie Raskin says he has already laid out a roadmap for investigating Republicans.
Democratic representative for Maryland Jamie Raskin during a US House Judiciary subcommittee hearing. (Reuters: Aaron Schwartz)
Raskin, who was re-elected this week in Maryland’s Eighth District House seat with more than 82 per cent of the vote, is the incoming House Judiciary Committee chairman.
He told a Center for American Progress forum today that he’s written 200-plus investigative letters to the Department of Justice and White House during Donald Trump’s second presidency.
”It’s a pretty good trail of crumbs of what we’re going to do,” he said.
”This is not a game of surprise or gotcha. We’re talking about trying to defend our system of government against authoritarians here.”
He also argued that Trump issuing any pardon related to criminal activity he was involved in personally could constitute an impeachable offence under the US Constitution’s ”high crimes and misdemeanours” standard.
Reporting with AP
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 6:52amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 6:52am
Republicans starting to turn on Hegseth
In the wake of this week’s major Republican midterm losses, the political future of Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s defense secretary remains in limbo.
Some Republican members are starting to turn on Hegseth, as many blame the war on Iran for the party’s election defeat.
Kentucky House Republican Thomas Massie posted on social media a short time ago that he believes, “if Trump’s going to replace appointees like Hegseth, he should do it while he can still get the replacements confirmed in the Senate”.
However, Massie has promised to impeach Hegseth before he leaves the House at the end of this year.
US Republican Representative for Kentucky Thomas Massie. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
“My Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress,” he said on X.
“They’ll have hearings & trials.”
Massie, who is renowned for his opposition to some Trump policies, lost his re-election bid to represent Kentucky’s Fourth District during the party’s primary to Ed Gallrein — who went on to win this week’s midterm election in that district.
His comments come a day after US Vice-President JD Vance also subtly took aim at the Iran war in his breakdown of the election result.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 6:48amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 6:48am
Hillary Clinton celebrates ‘historic gains’ by Democratic women
In a post on X, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has praised the “historic gains Democratic women made in representation” this election.
She noted that for the first time in history, more than 100 Democratic women will serve in the House and at least 14 will serve as governors.
(X: @HillaryClinton)
Clinton added that four states — Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee — elected their first woman governor.
Here are some other historic firsts she highlighted:
Georgia Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the first Black woman to serve as governor anywhere in the USNew Mexico Democrat Deb Haaland will become the first Native American woman elected governor of a US stateDemocrat Gina Hinojosa will become the first Hispanic woman to hold the gubernatorial seat in TexasMinnesota Democrat Peggy Flanagan will become the first Native American woman elected to the Senate
Gina Hinojosa. (Reuters)
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 6:07amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 6:07am
Melania hosts Ukrainian, Russian officials
The first lady has hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House as the US ramps up its efforts to secure a deal to end the war.
Melania Trump hands letters she’s written for the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to Davyd Arakhamia and Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev. (AP: Alex Brandon)
Melania Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
The event recognised the six-day ceasefire she helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky.
“We have chosen humanity over war,” Melania said.
“We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people.”
The visit marked the first in-person contact between Russian and US officials since Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The incoming Democratic majority in Congress is tipped to push for more aid for Ukraine.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 5:45amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 5:45am
College students blame Trump administration for defeat
Republican-supporting American college students have signed an open letter “unequivocally” blaming the Trump administration for the “greatest Republican defeat”.
The College Republican Patriot Coalition said “the outcome was no accident” and called for a “revolution” within the party.
“Millions of us young Americans knocked on doors, made calls and cast first-time ballots for a movement that promised affordability, mass deportations, reindustrialisation and an end to foreign wars,” the group wrote.
“Instead, we received a war on behalf of Israel, stunted deportations and a flailing economy.”
The letter, signed by more than 30 college republicans, said “young Americans are being priced out of their own country”.
“A generation told it could build a family and a future has been handed excuse after excuse for an unmitigated failure to deliver results,” it said.
“We call on President Trump to purge his administration of those who have not and will not deliver on the mandate voters gave him in 2024.”
The letter said Trump’s top priorities must be ending the Iran war and making life affordable for young Americans.
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 5:27amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 5:27am
New projections for House seats
The Associated Press, which the ABC uses for official calls and projections of US elections, has made calls in 14 more US House seats in the last hour.
Eight of the seats have gone to the Democrats and six to the Republicans.
That would take the total tally, according to AP, to 247 seats for the Democrats and 153 seats for the Republicans in the lower house.
No movement yet on the Mississippi or Alaska Senate races, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled!
Fri 6 Nov 2026 at 4:41amFri 6 Nov 2026 at 4:41am
Good morning and welcome to our live blog
We’re on deck to bring you the latest developments through this Friday after this week’s decisive midterm results.
There’s still a decent number of US House races and two key US Senate races still up in the air, and we’ll be bringing you the latest from those counts as they progress.
We’ll bring you the latest reaction from across the US and around the world, as Republicans face a stunning midterm defeat which will see Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress.
Thanks for joining us!