Election Results 2014: Here Are the Key Races That Are Still Too Close to Project - East Idaho News
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Election Results 2014: Here Are the Key Races That Are Still Too Close to Project

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getty 110514 votingbooth?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1415205197998iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Voters in states across the nation handed Republicans control of the U.S. Senate on Election Day 2014, strengthened their majority control of the House of Representatives and also made a strong showing in gubernatorial races.

But several key contests remain undecided as of Wednesday morning, and may not be resolved for some time, even sparking talk of recounts in some states and districts. Here’s a roundup of the races that have truly come down to the wire.

Alaska — Senate

Polls closed early Wednesday morning, but the outcome of the Alaska Senate race could be unclear for days because of slow ballot-counting procedures in far-flung communities. First elected to the Senate the same year as Barack Obama won the presidency, Democratic Sen. Mark Begich is fighting to secure a second term in the U.S. Senate in a year when three of his Democratic colleagues lost their seats. He’s opposed by Republican Dan Sullivan, the state’s former attorney general and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. As of Wednesday morning, Sullivan leads Begich, 110,203 votes to 102,054.

Democrats are banking on their strong ground game in distant areas to help Begich keep his seat, but Republicans hope Sullivan’s efforts to link Begich to Obama will help him win another seat for the GOP. Over the weekend, Sen. Ted Cruz and former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney swooped into the state to help Sullivan shore up support among the conservative base. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Sullivan leads Begich by just over 8,000, votes, but the race has yet to be projected.

Virginia — Senate

The Virginia Senate race between Sen. Mark Warner and Republican candidate Ed Gillespie was expected to be a bright spot in an otherwise bleak night for Democrats. But even one of the most favorable races for the president’s party ended much tighter than anticipated, with a recount all but certain. As of Wednesday morning, Warner leads Gillespie by just 12,150 votes, or roughly half a percentage point of the electorate: 49.1 percent to 48.6.

The race was one of several where third-party candidates received single-digit support that could have decided the contest: Robert Sarvis, a Libertarian, received 2.5 percent of the vote. While the race was too close for ABC News to project a winner, Warner declared victory by midnight on Election Night. “It was a hard-fought race. It went a little longer than we thought,” Warner told supporters. “I want to congratulate Ed Gillespie. He ran a hard fought campaign.” Gillespie has not conceded, and can request a recount under Virginia law, as the difference between the two candidates is less than 1 percent of the total votes cast. Brian W. Schoeneman, Fairfax County Electoral Board secretary, said such a count is possible. “We’re in recount territory,” he said.

Colorado — Governor

Incumbent Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper remains locked in a tight race with his Republican challenger, rancher and banker Bob Beauprez. As of Wednesday morning, Hickenlooper leads Beauprez 902,991 to 880,727 votes. Hickenlooper faced criticism from liberals and conservatives for his positions on the death penalty and gun control, though he did enjoy an improved economy under his tenure. Unemployment has fallen to 4.7 percent, down from 9.1 percent when he took office. Beauprez, a two-term U.S. congressman, first ran for governor unsuccessfully in 2006. Beauprez’s stance on key social issues has been in the limelight this campaign cycle. The Republican says he anti-abortion personally, although he did not support a “personhood” referendum that was on the ballot in the state this year.

Arizona — Second Congressional District

Possibly the most competitive House race this election between Democratic Rep. Ron Barber and Former Air Force Col. Martha McSally, a Republican, remains in play. As of Wednesday morning, the race is a 50 percent to 50 percent tie, with McSally holding a slim 36-vote lead. This race looked much like the duo’s 2012 faceoff, which was similarly tossup-race tight, when the victor, Barber, was declared 12 days after Election Day. The congressman squeaked by with fewer than 2,500 votes more than McSally to win in that race. The race likely will not be called until a full count of all absentee and early voting ballots are complete, an arduous, meticulous task given how few votes separated the two in 2012.

Arizona — First Congressional District

In neighboring Arizona district one, Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Arizona’s Republican Speaker of the House Andy Tobin are also still waiting for the final call to be made in their race. Kirkpatrick holds a several thousand vote lead as of Wednesday morning. The congresswoman was identified early on as a top Democratic incumbent Republicans were targeting in the House, and was hit throughout with aggressive ads including one by the National Republican Congressional Committee that suggested her relax view on border security left the state’s border vulnerable to ISIS invasion. In the past few weeks, top pollsters predicted that her prospects for staying in office were dimmer than ever. In 2010, Kirkpatrick was ousted from the seat in the sweeping Tea Party wave that midterm after serving just one term.

California — 52nd Congressional District

It still remains unknown whether scandal-stricken former San Diego City Councilman and openly gay Republican Carl DeMaio was able to beat incumbent Rep. Scott Peters after a House race marked by nasty attack ads, allegations of sexual assault, and a mysterious campaign headquarters break-in. The race was razor thin as of Wednesday morning. DeMaio leads, slightly with 72,431 votes compared with Peters, who won 71,679 votes.


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