Live Blog: Election 2010 Results

Welcome to our live blog of the Election 2010 results. We'll track results of the important races and point you to analysis of the latest developments as the results trickle in.   

You can also check out our maps and up-to-the-minute election results at our Campaign 2010 Special Report, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. 

Be sure to check out our webcasts with Katie Couric and the CBS News political team here throughout the night, beginning at 9:00 PM ET, ending around 2:00 AM ET. We'll also be streaming our coverage on YouTube.

4:01AM ET: After a long night of heavy Democratic losses - and a GOP takeover in the House of Representatives - Republicans are celebrating what is largely considered a conservative wave of success. But a number of crucial contests remain in play into the morning - and perhaps for weeks to come.

In Alaska, incumbent write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski, who is battling Republican nominee Joe Miller and Democratic underdog Scott McAdams, appears to have forced a count of the state's write-in votes. Given the unprecedented nature of a potential write-in victory (the first and only candidate in American history to have pulled one off was Strom Thurmond, in 1954), the results of the race could take weeks to resolve.

In the Colorado Senate race, Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck remain locked in a dead heat, after weeks of polling neck and neck.

The Washington Senate race, between Democratic incumbent Patty Murray and Dino Rossi, her Republican challenger, is also too close to call.

Several gubernatorial races remain unresolved as of Wednesday morning. In Florida, Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Rick Scott continue to fight for what is seen as a crucial leadership role in the state, and to some degree in the national political spectrum.

Other gubernatorial races still in play include those in Illinois, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota, Connecticut and Vermont.

3:17AM ET:  In remarks to supporters early this morning, Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle said that her campaign had inspired America - and noted to the audience that "I want you to see that I'm still smiling."

"I still believe in American exceptionalism - and you are the example of that," she said.

After a tough and much-watched contest, Angle is projected to lose the Nevada Senate race to House Majority Leader Harry Reid.

3:09AM ET: In remarks delivered to a cheering crowd early this morning, Alaska incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski - who is running for the seat as a write-in candidate - told her supporters that "we can make history" as the second ever candidate to win a major election via write-in campaign.

"Yes we can!" the crowd shouted, invoking the inspirational phrase often employed by President Barack Obama.

Murkowski, who has mounted a tough campaign against Republican Tea Party candidate Joe Miller and Democratic underdog Scott McAdams, appears to have garnered enough support tonight to warrant the counting of Alaska's write-in votes.

2:54AM ET: There were a record 37 gubernatorial seats up for grabs this election, but only three women managed to get elected to state executive seats - and all of them were Republican.

Joshua Norman discussesthe how and why of the phenomenon.

2:51AM ET: Susan H. Pinkus explainshow Democrat Jerry Brown managed to beat Republican Meg Whitman in the California gubernatorial race - despite Whitman's contribution of more than $140 million to the campaign.

Read about it here.

2:44AM ET: Special to CBSNews.com this morning, Susan H. Pinkus, the former director of the Los Angeles Times Poll who now conducts her own public opinion research at S. H. Pinkus Research & Associates, explainshow Democrat Barbara Boxer defied a national trend in order to beat Republican Carly Fiorina in the California Senate race.

Read the full report here.

2:35AM ET: CBS News' Charles Cooper explainswhy enormous personal contributions failed to translate into midterm election wins for Republican candidates Meg Whitman and Linda McMahon.

Read the full story here.

2:26AM ET: In California, Proposition 19, a controversial measure that would have legalized marijuana, has been voted down by a 56.5% to 43.5% margin, the Associated Press reports.

2:20AM ET: Republican Carly Fiorina is not conceding the California Senate race, which CBS News has projected Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer will win.

Fiorina says the race is too close to call.

2:15AM ET: Special to CBSNews.com tonight, Doug Schwartz, the Director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, reports on why Midwest battleground states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio flipped to the GOP in the Nov. 2 elections.

Read the full report here.

2:01AM ET: Take a look at CBS News' galleryof the Republicans in play for congressional leadership positions in a newly-GOP dominated House of Representatives.

And check out CBS News' galleryof the newest Senators on the block.

1:58AM ET: In a victory speech early Wednesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid thanked supporters for helping him pull off a hard-fought win against Tea Party Republican Sharron Angle in the Nevada Senate race, and invoked the words of President Obama by opening the speech with, "Yes we did."

"I'm not finished fighting," said the Senate Majority Leader. "I'm more determined than ever."

Reid emphasized plans to work toward alleviating Nevada's deep economic woes, and promised that Nevadans "are going to bounce back stronger than ever."

1:46AM ET: Outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi released a statement this morning lauding Democrats for their accomplishments in Congress over the past four years, and emphasized that "the outcome of the election does not diminish the work we have done for the American people."

"Over the last four years, the Democratic Majority in the House took courageous action on behalf of America's middle class to create jobs and save the country from the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression," Pelosi said.

She added: "We must all strive to find common ground to support the middle class, create jobs, reduce the deficit and move our nation forward."

1:37AM ET: Of the seven Tea Party candidates who ran for Senate in this election cycle, three have won and two have lost. Two contests are currently undecided.

Florida's Marco Rubio, Kentucky's Rand Paul , and Utah's Mike Lee are projected to win their respective Senate races.

But two of the more controversial Tea Party candidates on the ballot - Nevada's Sharron Angle and Delaware's Christine O'Donnell - lost to their democratic opponents.

Two closely-watched races have yet to be decided: In Alaska, Joe Miller is fighting an uphill battle against write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski, and in Colorado, Ken Buck is locked in a dead heat against Democrat Michael Bennet.

Read more about how Tea Party candidates fared in the election here.

1:20AM ET: Republican Governors are projected to win control of the majority of 2012 swing states - including in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

The RGA spent $49.5 million in these 10 swing states, according to a statement released early Wednesday morning by the Republican Governor's Association.

1:19AM ET: Of the 49 Democratic seats McCain won in 2008, Democrats have so far lost 31 and held 9 tonight. Eight of those seats are currently undecided.

(One of the seats was lost in AL-5 - when Democrat Parker Griffith switched parties mid-year and lost the GOP primary, resulting in a Republican win for the seat.)

The GOP has so far picked up 24 seats won by Obama.

Overall, Republicans have had 55 pickups over the course of the night.

1:12AM ET: CBS' Nancy Cordes is projecting a possible GOP House gain of 55 to 65 seats - which, if realized, would be the biggest House pickup since 1948.

1:05AM ET: In a statement released early Wednesday morning, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said the 2010 election results showed that voters were "rightly frustrated by the economy," and that both parties would have to work together to "move the nation forward."

"I am extremely proud of our Party and the Democrats across the country who ran strong races based on records of fighting for the middle class, holding Wall Street accountable, ending the worst insurance industry abuses, and repairing the economic damage created by nearly a decade of failed economic policies.

Kaine continued, however, that "the American people are rightly frustrated by the economy, and Democrats are ready to redouble our efforts to create jobs and accelerate growth. With the two houses of Congress now divided between Democrats and Republicans, it is incumbent upon both parties to take responsibility for governing so we can move the nation forward."

12:45AM ET:  In the critical Nevada Senate race between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle, CBS News now estimates that Reid will win re-election to the Nevada Senate seat.

12:36AM ET: CBS News is projecting a win for Democrat Jerry Brown in California's gubernatorial race, besting Republican Meg Whitman in a contest for which she spent more than $140 million in her personal wealth.

12:32AM ET: CBS News is projecting that Republican Pat Toomey will win the Pennsylvania Senate race, beating Democrat Joe Sestak in what has been a tight and bitter contest. 

CBS News is also estimating that Republican Mark Kirk will beat Democrat Alexi Giannoulias in the Illinois Senate race. 

The very good numbers by Giannoulias in Chicago and the neighboring suburbs was simply not enough to offset the strength of Kirk throughout the rest of the state. Kirk won convincingly everywhere outside of the Chicago area.

12:17AM ET: Republicans have flipped both the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate. Fourteen chambers have now gone from Democrat to Republican control.

12:00AM ET: The polls are now closed in Hawaii, and CBS News estimates that Democrat Daniel Inouye will win the Senate race.

12:00AM ET: CBS News is projecting that Democrats have now secured the 50 seats necessary to retain the Senate.

In the event of a 50-50 vote, Vice President Joe Biden could serve as a tiebreaker.

11:58PM ET: CBS News is projecting a win for Democrat incumbent Barbara Boxer in the California Senate race, besting Republican challenger Carly Fiorina.

11:50PM ET: Tonight's elections have now seen 42 GOP pickups, 26 of which were in McCain-won districts in 2008, and 16 of which were in Obama-won districts.

There is so far one democratic hold in a McCain-won district: PA-4.

11:38PM ET: Special to CBSNews.com tonight, Doug Schwartz, the Director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, reportson how Democrat Richard Blumenthal pulled out a projected win against Republican Linda McMahon in a tough Connecticut Senate race.

McMahon spent more than 40 million dollars on the campaign - most of it her own  - contributing more than any other Senate candidate this year.  And Blumenthal suffered from significant character attacks following reports that he had misrepresented his service in the Vietnam War.

Read the full report here.

11:25PM ET: As a result of tonight's elections, the new Senate will have no African-American members.

Roland Burris, who was appointed to fill out the rest of Barack Obama's term after he was elected president, is currently the sole African-American in the current Senate. Burris is retiring, and neither of the contenders to fill his seat is African-American.

Meanwhile, all three African-American candidates who ran for Senate are projected to lose their races: Florida's Kendrick Meek to Marco Rubio, Georgia's Michael Thurmond to Johnny Isakson and South Carolina's Alvin Greene to Jim DeMint. (All three are Democrats.)

Read more here.

11:16PM ET: On Katie Couric's election night Webcast special, CBS' Chip Reid calls tonight's election results "a slap in the face," and adds that "if it's cold, it's icy in there right now."

"It's going to be so interesting to see how the president deals with this tomorrow," Reid adds.

Watch the webcast live here.

11:06PM ET: Republicans have gained control the North Carolina House, the Ohio House and the Michigan House, according to recent projections. 

Ten state legislative chambers have flipped from Democrat to Republican control: NH House, NH Senate, IN House, PA House, NC House, NC Senate, AL House, AL Senate, NC House, MI House, and OH House.

11:02PM ET: Polls have now closed in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. CBS News is estimating a win for Democrat Ron Wyden in Oregon's Senate race, and a Republican Senate win for Mike Crapo in Idaho.

CBS News is also projecting a Republican victory in the Wisconsin Senate race, with Ron Johnson beating out Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold in a pickup for the GOP.

Feingold did not do as well as he needed to do in the traditionally Democratic areas of Milwaukee and Madison to offset Johnson's strength in the rest of the state.

In the California Senate race, Democrat Barbara Boxer is leading Republican Carly Fiorina, but the race is too close to call.

There is not yet enough data to characterize the Washington Senate race between Democrat Patty Murray and Republican Dino Rossi.

"I hope that we're able to put a repeal bill on the floor," Cantor said, referring to the health care reform bill that passed earlier this year. "We've got to go back and give the American people what they want, which is lower costs."

"Tonight belongs to the American people. This election victory belongs to millions of Americans who stood up, spoke out and said 'enough is enough' and would no longer tolerate an imperial Congress that ignored the will of the people," Pence said.

He continued: "Republicans have not just been given a new majority in Congress, Republicans have been given a second chance. House Republicans will welcome our new generation of leaders with open arms and work every day to deserve the confidence the American people have placed in us. And we will work to re-establish American exceptionalism rather than denying or apologizing for it."

10:50PM ET: There have so far been 33 turnovers in tonight's elections - including 21 in districts that Senator John McCain of Arizona carried in the 2008 elections.

Twelve seats won by Obama in 2008 are projected to be lost tonight so far.

10:38PM ET: CBS News projects results for gubernatorial races in Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

In Michigan, CBS News projects a win for Republican Rick Snyder. CBS News also estimates wins for Republican Rick Perry, in Texas, Republican Tom Corbett, in Pennsylvania, and Democrat Deval Patrick, in Massachusetts.

10:29PM ET: On tonight's CBS News Election Special with Katie Couric, CBS' Bob Scheiffer reflected on the current election night results:

"This is just more than a message to president Obama" Scheiffer said. "This is more like a Halloween rerun."

Read more about tonight's Tea Party wins here.

10:20PM ET: On tonight's CBS News Election Special with Katie Couric, democratic strategist Jamal Simmons had some advice for President Obama:

"The president should look for some moment to define himself to stand up against the republicans in the house," Simmons said.

10:18PM ET: The Pennsylvania House is now the fourth state to change from Democrat to Republican control, and could potentially lose a House seat in redistricting as a result.

The New Hampshire Senate, the Indiana House, and the North Carolina Senate have also flipped from Democrat to Republican control.

10:15PM ET: So far in the results tonight, CBS has projected Republicans have picked up 18 seats - 14 of those were in districts won by Republican John McCain in 2008.

10:08PM ET: In the critical Missouri Senate race between Democrat Robin Carnahan and Republican Roy Blunt, CBS News now estimates that Republican Roy Blunt will win the Missouri Senate seat.

Blunt offset a very strong showing by Carnahan in the St. Louis area by running well across the rest of the state.

Blunt ran up large leads outside of St Louis and Kansas City.

10:01PM ET: The Illinois Senate race between Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk is very close.

Giannoulias is running very strongly in Chicago and is competitive in the Cook County suburbs. Republican Mark Kirk is running well in the rest of the state. The outcome may depend on the size of the lead that Giannoulias can generate in Chicago and its suburbs.

President Obama campaigned for Giannoulias in Chicago last week in an attempt improve the chances of keeping the president's former Senate seat in Democratic hands.

9:59PM ET: The Senate contest in Pennsylvania is a very close race between Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey.

Sestak is running very strongly in Philadelphia, but he and Toomey are neck and neck in the Philadelphia suburbs. The outcome will depend on whether Sestak's totals in these areas are high enough to offset Toomey's strength in the western and, especially, the central parts of Pennsylvania.

9:52PM ET: In her concession speech for the Delaware Senate race, controversial Republican Christine O'Donnell thanked supporters and said "the Republican party will never be the same" as a result of her campaign.

"That's a good thing," O'Donnell added. "Our voices were heard, and we're not gonna be quiet now."

O'Donnell closed out the speech with an invitation to celebrate: "We've got a lot of food, we've got the room all night, so God bless you, so let's party," O'Donnell said.

9:44PM ET: On tonight's episode of "Washington Unplugged," Huffington Post's Arianna Huffington said the Obama administration had been wrong on the big issues.

"[Obama] still thinks they got the big things right and they didn't," Huffington said.

Watch the broadcast here.

9:32ET PM: CBS News now estimates that when all the votes are counted, Republican David Vitter will win the Louisiana Senate race against Democrat Charlie Melancon.

9:28PM ET: On CBS' "Washington Unplugged," CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller speculates that the Obama administration is not happy with the election results so far.

"It says to me that they're [White House] is not happy with the way things are going and the way things are going to proceed throughout the evening," Knoller said.

CBS projects that the Republicans will regain control of the House of Representatives.

Watch the live broadcast of "Washington Unplugged" here.

9:21PM ET: CBS News is projecting that Republicans will win control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

CBS News estimates that New York Democrats Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have won in the Senate, and that Democrat Andrew Cuomo has won the race for Governor.

In Kansas, CBS News is projecting a win for Republican Jerry Moran. CBS News is also projecting wins for South Dakota Republican John Thune and North Dakota Republican John Hoeven.

8:58PM ET: At 9PM ET, tune in to a special election night edition of CBS' "Washington Unplugged" with CBS News' John Dickerson and Sharyl Attkisson. 

Watch the live broadcast here.

8:52PM ET: Polls in Bridgeport, Connecticut will stay open until 10p.m. ET tonight due to a ballot shortage, according to the A.P.

Republican State Chairman Chris Healy filed a complaint earlier today, after reports came in that officials in the city were handing out photocopies of ballots.

Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz said the photocopied ballots would be hand-counted in public.

CBS News has projected that Democrat Richard Blumenthal will win the Senate raceagainst former WWE CEO, Republican Linda McMahon.

8:41PM ET: CBS News projects a win for Democrat Joe Manchin in the West Virginia Senate race, after a tough contest against Republican John Raese. 

Manchin ran strongly in the north industrial areas and in coal country. Raese is not doing as well as he needed to in more conservative areas.

The estimated win is seen as a key victory for Democrats in the effort to maintain control of the Senate.

8:30PM ET: Polls are now closed in Arkansas, and CBS News is estimating that Republican John Boozman will win the Arkansas Senate seat, beating out embattled incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln. The seat is a pickup for Republicans.

CBS News is now also projecting that Republican Rob Portman will win the Ohio Senate race; Republican Richard Burr will win the North Carolina Senate seat, and Republican Johnny Isakson will win the Georgia Senate race.

In another pickup for the GOP, CBS News is projecting that Republican Daniel Webster will win in Florida's 8th district, over incumbent Democrat Alan Grayson.

CBS News is estimating that Democrat Richard Blumenthal will win over Republican Linda McMahonin the Connecticut Senate race.

8:20PM ET: CBS News is projecting that Republican Robert Hurt will win in Virginia's 5th District, beating out incumbent Democrat - and Obama ally - Tom Periello in the largely conservative district.

President Obama traveled to the district on Friday to campaign on Perriello's behalf.

8:07PM ET: The polls have now closed in 15 states and D.C., and CBS News is projecting winners in several races.

In the Senate, CBS News projects Democrat Chris Coons as the winner in Delaware, beating out Republican Christine O'Donnell.  Democrat Barbara Mikulski is the projected winner in Maryland.

Republican Marco Rubio is the projected winner in Florida, besting Independent Charlie Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek. Republican Richard Shelby is the projected winner in Alabama, along with New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte.

In Connecticut, Democrat Richard Blumenthal is leading, but the race is still too close to project a winner.

Rubio is running strongly all over the Florida. He is doing particularly well in the Northern Panhandle and Orlando, and is also running strongly in the most reliably-Democratic areas of the state.

7:49PM ET: An early note from the national exit poll is that President Obama is getting more blame for the nation's economic woes than previously seen in CBS news polls.

Twenty-four percent of voters, according to exit polls, blame President Obama for the nation's economy.

But, in an October CBS News/New York Times Poll, only 8% of respondents blamed Obama. In that poll, 30% blamed the Bush Administration and 22 percent blamed Wall street. In today's exit polls, Wall Street bankers were blamed by 34% and Bush by 29%.

7:33PM ET: The polls have now closed in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.

CBS News estimates show Republican Rob Portman leading in the Ohio Senate race, but the race is still too close to project a winner.

It's still too early to project results for the North Carolina and West Virginia Senate races.

7:22PM EST: According to new CBS News exit polls, Republicans have the edge with men, who are voting for them 55% to 43% for the Democrats. Among women, Democrats have a one point edge, 49% are voting for Democrats and 48% for Republicans.

In 2008, more women voted Democratic. In 2002, women voted 49% Republican and 49% Democratic.

Blacks made up 10% of voters this year, compared to 13% in 2008.

And 18-29 year-olds were only 9% of voters, according to the exit polls, compared to 18% in 2008. The polling data indicates that this demographic was voting 58% Democratic.

Independents were 28% of the voters surveyed, and polls indicate they are voting 29% Democratic and 56% Republican.

Hispanics, who are voting 66% Democratic, were 8% of voters this year.

Read more here.

7:04PM EST: CBS News projects that Republican Dan Coats has won the Indiana Senate race, and that Republican Rand Paul has won the Kentucky Senate race.

In the South Carolina Senate race, CBS News projects the wins of Republican Jim DeMint, and in Vermont, Democrat Patrick Leahy.

The Indiana Senate seat is a pickup for Republicans; it was previously held by Democrat Evan Bayh.

7:00PM ET: The polls have now closed in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. Now we're waiting for the results.

Republicans need net gains of 39 seats in the House to win control and 10 in the Senate.

Stay tuned...

6:20 PM ET: The polls don't start closing for another 40 minutes, but CBS News' preliminary national exit polling has some early stats on voter sentiment. According to the preliminary polls, voters are disillusioned with President Obama - and even more so with Congress. (There will be final exit poll results later in the evening.)

According to the preliminary exit polls, 54 percent of Americans approve of the job that President Obama is doing, and just 45 percent approve.

But the sentiment regarding Congress was significantly more negative: 73 percent of voters said they disapprove of the job that Congress is doing; 25 percent approved.

Read  more about the preliminary exit poll results here.