AP calls Mark Warner winner of Virginia Senate race — The Guardian

The Associated Press has called incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Warner the winner of the Senate race in Virginia, United States. This is one of the first results of the midterm elections, in which voting took place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Millions of Americans had previously voted early or by mail, The Guardian reports.

Battle for the Senate majority

Republicans are defending the Senate majority they won after the 2024 election, holding 53 seats in the upper chamber of Congress. Democrats need to gain at least four seats to regain control of the Senate.

If successful, Democrats will be able to block President Donald Trump's bills, issue subpoenas to investigate his administration's activities, and reject nominations to federal courts, including the US Supreme Court.

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Key states and controversies

Initially, Democrats considered Maine, North Carolina, Ohio and Alaska the most promising states for gaining seats. The party later also expected competitive races in Texas, Kansas, Iowa and South Carolina. On the eve of the election, Trump campaigned in Kansas, South Carolina and Texas, among other places.

Republicans sought to take seats from Democrats in Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota. A New York Times and Siena University poll released on Sunday showed Democrats leading in five key states and a statistical tie in a sixth.

The New York Times also reported that the campaign of Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola allegedly worked with Democratic political operatives to recruit a candidate with an almost identical name to that of her opponent, incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Alaska's governor ordered a criminal investigation into these claims. In Michigan, Congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers after losing the primary to Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.