THIS half of our Live Blog will focus outside of Orange County, from the East Coast to California, focusing mainly on will the Democrats take the Senate and by how much, and how much are we going to kick ass in the lower House? Certain governorships as well. And, in California, we’re rooting closely for Jane Kim, and very Prop-40-curious. And okay, it’s 5:00, let’s look at:

Eastern Standard Time

Georgia:

Jon Ossoff is winning re-election spectacularly, over one of the Mike losers / Collins losers. With 59% the race has been called, duh, it’s nearly 2/3! 63% to 27%. We all knew he had become a great orator, making heart-stirring poetry out of Trump contempt and miscellaneous patriotism. This augurs well for a President Ossoff in ’28. And does Jon have coattails?

Hell yes, because look at Keisha Lance Bottoms! It looks to me like Keisha is gonna be Georgia’s next Governor! And this wasn’t even expected! A black female Governor for Georgia! Scratch that – Keisha is the FIRST BLACK LADY GOVERNOR IN THE NATION. HISTORY RIGHT HERE.

North Carolina

There was little suspense here as the old warhorse Roy Cooper flipped Tom Tillis’ seat Democratic, also with nearly 2/3 of the vote. Wipe-out! No progressive, but a hell of a nice guy, this new Senator Roy Cooper. Just heard it’s NC’s first Dem Senator in 18 years!

Maine (Ranked Choice Voting)

Here, we’ve only got 3% showing. We’re rooting hard for firewood toter Troy Jackson to finally get rid of nasty concern-fossil Susan Collins. Right now Troy’s ahead 52.4% to 47.6%. We will have to keep coming back to this race.

South Carolina

This will be amazing, a Democrat Senator in the Secession State? Cuz Lindsey Graham’s sister is really THAT BAD AND STOOPID! Right now it is looking good for us – with 65% reporting, Dr. Amy Andrews is ahead 53-45. What happens if *I* call this? I’m calling it! Senator Amy! And our second Democrat gain!

Florida

A tougher nut to crack. We love socialist Angie Nixon but it doesn’t look like so far like she’ll pull this off. No. Shame. She beat a 10-to-1 better-funded moderate in the primary. As I write it’s been called for the Republican. Ashley Moody is the next Florida senator.

BUT GOVERNOR? Ah, shit, that was close. David Jolly is at 48.74% to MAGA moron Byron Donalds‘ even 50%. Some of those panhandle racist knuckle-draggers must have held their noses and voted for a black guy after all. And a real dumb one at that. Good try, Jolly.

While we’re in the lame-ass Sunshine state, I wanna see if that lunatic Anna Paulina Luna (from our own Santa Ana) gets beat – that’d at least be good… Shit. it’s close. But 99% is in and she’s about 3000 votes ahead of her Dem challenger Leela Gray. Worth going back to look at later though!

New Hampshire

Looks like we kept this Senate seat, replacing Jeanne Shaheen with Chris Pappas walloping John Sununu 60-40 and it is CALLED. Senator Chris Pappas will be the first openly gay US Senator! No, Lindsey Graham was not openly gay, he was a Republican and everyone knew he was gay but nobody said it. Meet the FIRST OPENLY GAY US SENATOR, CHRIS PAPPAS!

In New York, can we see that assbite Mike Lawler go down?

Looking good so far in NY’s 17th, with Cait Conley above Lawler 58-42 … but that’s with only 10% in. So we’ll come back later.

Central Time

Ohio!

Too close for comfort. We need Sherrod Brown to kick John Husted’s celebrated ass. As of this writing, Sherrod is ahead 49-46. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Sherrod is a good one. . .

But the Governor’s race there is personal for all of us, with the dirty attacks the scumbag Republican Vivek Ramaswamy threw at Dr. Amy Acton. And right now Amy’s ahead 51-46. We’ll keep coming back to Ohio – we want Sherrod and Amy!

Michigan!

We’re rooting for progressive Muslim populist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed probably more than any Senate candidate, for a bushel of reasons. (Damn, we sure have a lot of “Doctors” running!) Right now (6:45 our time, 8:45 their time) only 18% is counted, but Abdul is 11 points ahead of that weenie Mike Rodgers. Let’s hope it stays that way, and fuck that maniac Haley Stevens! (Will have to keep checking)

Had to check in on this one controversial progressive Michigan Congressional candidate, Will Lawrence… but womp womp… doesn’t look like he’s gonna make it. Sorry.

Kansas of all places!

.I call it for that minister Adam Hamilton, who with 58% in is ahead of that greedy doctor 57-40! What’s everyone waiting for? This is our next Kansas Senator, THE FIRST DEMOCRAT SENATOR FROM KANSAS SINCE 1939! (And that gets us to the 3 flipped Senate seats we need to regain the Senate, NOW LET’S KEEP SLOGGING FORWARD.

Iowa!

I think that paralympic Josh Turek is gonna win here. There’s only 34% reporting, but Josh is ahead 55-43. I’m just gonna put his picture right here, I believe he’ll be the next Iowa Senator. FIRST PARALYMPIC SENATOR! And the first Democrat Iowa Senator since that swell Harkin fella. And makes a 4th flip, from the retiring ghoulish Republican Joni “Everyone’s gonna die” Ernst.

Iowa’s Rob Sand is looking to be the next Governor, at similar margins to Josh. We should really go back and check at some point, but I think Rob and Josh have got it.

Mississippi

Very sorry not to see the great Scott Colom doing better, he’s five points behind that ghoulish “Pick another protein” Chrissie Hyde Smith. I don’t think he can overcome this, with 61% reporting. But Scott did give us this year’s best ads.

Nebraska

38% reporting in Nebraska, and independent Dan Osborn (who promises to caucus with neither party) is up 52 to 42 over Republican Ricketts. I think Dan’s gonna win. Don’t know how to count this then, but it’s definitely a Republican loss, and the Democrats wanted Dan to win, and stayed out of his way. Congratulations Senator Osborn!

Minnesota

Uh-oh. THIS could be a flip from Democrat to Republican. This was Democrat Tina Smith’s old seat, and at the moment Republican Michele Tafoya is WAY ahead of progressive Democrat Peggy Flanagan. But only 8% is in right now, so… we’ll see.

Mountain Time

TEXAS!!!!

Here’s the REAL historic one. I lived in this state 1989-96, and I knew Governor Ann Richards and Jim Hightower. And Senator Lloyd Bentsen. That was the end of Democrats there. But they are BACK, baby.

Talarico .

Gina Hinojosa a

Arizona

Governor – We want competent Democrat Katie Hobbs to beat MAGA election denier Andy Biggs so he can get to work denying the results of one more election. How’s that going…

Nevada

Governor – we are rooting for Aaron Ford. . .

Pacific Time

Alaska – Peltola!
California – JANE KIM???
Prop 4; Prop 40? (39 & 41 & 42 go down?)
Nithia vs. Karen LA Mayor?
(also, Randy Villegas vs. Valadao?)