Well, kittens. That was one hell of a night. I signed off about 3:30 est last night.
Democrats won control of the House and Senate, flipped seven Republican Senate seats, and captured governor’s offices in states Republicans had treated like permanent personal property. The November 3 election delivered a sweeping rejection of Trump’s Republican Party. Apparently, making everyone exhausted, frightened, and broke has electoral consequences.
And because today is my birthday, let me just say: this was the greatest fucking gift ever. A blue wave, flipped seats, and Republican victory parties running out of reasons to exist? Kittens, you shouldn’t have. But I am absolutely keeping the receipt.
Results reflect reported race calls Wednesday morning, November 4. Counting continues, and projected victories still require official certification.
The Senate Flips Blue
Ballotpedia’s election recap identifies seven Republican seats that Democrats flipped, securing control of the chamber:
| State | Democratic winner | Republican defeated |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Josh Turek | Ashley Hinson |
| Kansas | Adam Hamilton | Roger Marshall |
| Maine | Troy Jackson | Susan Collins |
| North Carolina | Roy Cooper | Michael Whatley |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown | Jon Husted |
| South Carolina | Annie Andrews | Darline Graham |
| Texas | James Talarico | Ken Paxton |
Republican Senate seats fell across the Midwest, the South, and New England. Texas and Kansas alone should have Republican strategists staring silently into their coffee.
Democrats also defended important seats. ABC News reported victories for Jon Ossoff in Georgia and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. These were Democratic holds rather than flips. El-Sayed will become the country’s first Muslim senator.
The House Changes Hands
Democrats secured a House majority, with Pennsylvania providing one of the clearest examples of the wave. Republicans lost all four competitive congressional seats Democrats were targeting there. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s results coverage reported these flips, along with a pickup in neighboring New Jersey:
| District | Democratic winner | Republican defeated |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania 1 | Bob Harvie | Brian Fitzpatrick |
| Pennsylvania 7 | Bob Brooks | Ryan Mackenzie |
| Pennsylvania 8 | Paige Cognetti | Rob Bresnahan |
| Pennsylvania 10 | Janelle Stelson | Scott Perry |
| New Jersey 7 | Rebecca Bennett | Tom Kean Jr. |
That is five Republican incumbents shown the door across two states. Pennsylvania apparently brought receipts and an eviction notice.
The gains extended well beyond the Northeast. Roll Call’s House roundup reported Democratic pickups in Kentucky’s 6th District and Texas’s 23rd District, along with defeats for Republican incumbents Ann Wagner in Missouri and Victoria Spartz in Indiana. These are selected examples of the broader wave, with additional districts still being counted.
Five Governor’s Offices Flip Blue
The Stateline governor’s race recap documented Democratic flips in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas. ABC News subsequently reported the Associated Press call adding Nevada to that list.
| State | Democratic winner |
|---|---|
| Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Iowa | Rob Sand |
| Nevada | Aaron Ford |
| Ohio | Amy Acton |
| Texas | Gina Hinojosa |
Bottoms will become the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. Texas voters replaced Greg Abbott with Hinojosa, while Ohio elected Acton after a bitter contest against Vivek Ramaswamy. That is a substantial amount of Republican furniture headed for the moving truck.
The Blue Wave Reached Our Communities
The national races were only part of the story. Democrats also made gains in state legislatures and communities across the country. In Pennsylvania, Democrat Eileen Hartnett Albillar defeated Republican Frank Farry to flip the state Senate’s 6th District. In Missouri, Suzanne Luther won the state House’s 60th District. These races deserve room in the celebration, too.
State and local offices shape our schools, libraries, housing, public services, and how our neighbors are treated when they need help. Save some applause for the candidates, organizers, and voters working races that never get a cable news countdown clock.
A campaign does not need a national television audience to change people’s lives. Building power means showing up for the whole damn ballot.
And Then There’s Florida
Florida continues to be Florida. Grumble. ABC News reported a projected Republican victory for Byron Donalds in the governor’s race, while Ashley Moody held the Republican Senate seat, according to CBS News election coverage. Apparently, the sunshine comes with a contractual obligation to test my last fucking nerve.
But Florida’s statewide results do not erase the people here who voted, organized, offered rides, knocked on doors, and fought for something better. I see you. You deserved better, and we still need each other. Our neighbors still need support, and our communities are worth fighting for.
Every Vote Counts. Every Damn One.
The most important thing to remember is that every vote counts. In Missouri’s 60th House District, Suzanne Luther’s reported victory came down to just 189 votes out of more than 10,000 cast. Fewer than 200 votes separated the candidates competing to represent an entire district.
Your ballot matters. Your reminder to a friend matters. That ride to the polls matters. When someone tells you their vote cannot possibly make a difference, show them the receipts. A handful of people deciding to show up can change an election.
Remember that before the next election, especially when someone insists a race is hopeless or a district is too red to bother. Make them count your vote. Every single time.
What Is Still Being Counted?
Wednesday morning’s ABC News update listed Alaska’s Senate race as uncalled and Mississippi’s contest as separated by only dozens of votes. Neither belongs in the confirmed flip column yet. Additional House races remain unresolved, so the final size of the Democratic majority is still developing.
Close races deserve patience and a complete count. Every eligible ballot deserves to be counted, including the ones that keep us refreshing the results until our coffee develops a drinking problem.
Rest Now. Then We Get Back to Work.
Kittens, take the next couple of days to rest. Sleep. Eat something that did not come with an election results refresh button. Take your medication, drink some water, unclench your jaw, and spend time with people who make you feel safe. You are allowed to celebrate. You are also allowed to be completely fucking exhausted.
Read today’s Resistance Survival Guide on Resistance Kitty as you plan your next steps. If you need practical support, visit the Resistance Directory to look for mutual aid and community resources. If you have something to give, help a neighbor get through the week. Taking care of each other is part of the work.
We still have two more years of hard political fighting in this new American revolution: organizing, protecting our communities, demanding investigations, and holding elected officials accountable. A blue wave gives us an opening. Now we have to make the people we elected use it.
Rest for a couple of days. Then we get back to work, because these fuckers aren’t going to impeach themselves.
Kitty’s Closing Thoughts
Today, this birthday kitty is having her cake with a generous serving of Republican and Russian disappointment. Greatest gift ever. Thank you to everyone who voted, organized, knocked on doors, offered rides, checked on neighbors, and kept showing up while exhausted. Carry that care forward. We earned a celebration, our bodies need a break, and our communities still need us. Rest those claws, kittens. Then we demand the accountability we voted for.
