Path to power: House races to watch on election night
The path to power in the House winds through a few dozen districts, many of them suburban, in Tuesday’s election. Republicans defending their majority and Democrats looking to gain 23 seats they would need to win control. After the first polls close in the Eastern United States, the tallies will start revealing clues to where Americans stand in 2018 on immigration, guns, health care, gender equality in the #MeToo era — and who they want representing them in Washington during the next two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. Some races to watch for those keeping score, listed in order of poll-closing times: ___ KENTUCKY The ruby-red state known for the Derby and sweet bourbon is hosting one of the most competitive and expensive races in the country. The Lexington-area battle pits third-term Republican Rep. Andy Barr against Democrat Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot. Trump won the 6th District by more than 15 percentage points in 2016. But with the help of carefully shaped campaign ads that went viral, McGrath holds the edge on campaign fundraising. Polls in the district close at 6 p.m. EST __ GEORGIA Red-hot Georgia is home to a House race that turns on issues of race and gun laws. Republican Rep. Karen Handel narrowly won her seat in a special election last year that set a record for spending. Now her Democratic challenger is Lucy McBath, a former flight attendant turned gun control activist. McBath’s 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was killed by a white man at a gas station in 2012 when the black teenager refused to lower the volume on the rap music in his car. The district north of Atlanta leans Republican, but Trump won it by only 1 percentage point. Polls close at 7 p.m. EST. ___ VIRGINIA Rep. Dave Brat won his seat after upsetting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the 2014 Republican primary. Now, it’s Brat’s turn to fight for re-election to the Richmond-area district against Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer who is one of a record number of women running for Congress this year. Polls close at 7 p.m. EST ___ NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina’s 9th District became a key election bellwether when the Rev. Mark Harris narrowly ousted three-term Rep. Robert Pittenger in the GOP primary, giving Democrats a wider opening in solidly red territory. Democrats answered with Dan McCready, an Iraq War veteran, solar energy company founder and Harvard Business School graduate. Trump won the district by 12 points and a Democrat hasn’t been elected to represent it since John F. Kennedy was president. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. EST ___ OHIO It’s a rematch in central Ohio’s 12th District between Republican Troy Balderson and Democrat Danny O’Connor. Balderson won short-term control of the seat in August during a special election after Republican Pat Tiberi retired. Republicans in the district appear divided over the president, making the seat vulnerable to a Democrat who, like O’Connor, has supported some Republican ideas. He’s engaged to a Republican who calls herself a “Dannycrat.” Polls close at 7:30 p.m. EST ___ FLORIDA National Republicans and Democrats are pouring major resources into the Miami-area 27th District seat, held since 1989 by retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. The Democratic nominee, former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, has ramped up her Spanish-language advertising and Hillary Clinton campaigned for her. But she’s facing a stiff challenge from her Republican opponent, Maria Elvira Salazar, a Cuban-American and former broadcast journalist who, unlike Shalala, speaks Spanish. Though Trump won Florida in 2016, Clinton won this congressional district by nearly 20 points. Polls close at 8 p.m. EST ___ NEW JERSEY Along with California and Pennsylvania, suburb-filled New Jersey is a key battleground for House control. Two seats are open, vacated by veteran Republican Reps. Frank LoBiondo and Rodney Frelinghuysen, and could fall to the Democrats. Keep a close eye on the 3rd District south of Trenton, which twice voted for President Barack Obama but went for Trump by about 6 percentage points. Fighting for re-election is Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur, who helped strike a deal that pushed the GOP’s “Obamacare” repeal bill to House passage (it failed in the Senate). His Democratic opponent is political newcomer Andy Kim, a National Security Council staffer under Obama who has worked in Afghanistan. Polls close 8 p.m. EST ___ PENNSYLVANIA Democrats have particular reason to believe they can flip as many as six seats in the Keystone state. A state Supreme Court decision in January threw out 6-year-old congressional district boundaries as unconstitutionally drawn to benefit Republicans. The replacement districts approved by the court’s Democratic majority have created more competitive contests. One key race is playing out in the Philadelphia suburbs. Freshman Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, has a centrist voting record and has explicitly tried to put distance between himself and Trump. He’s facing Scott Wallace, a longtime Democratic Party donor who was co-chairman of the Wallace Global Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that supports liberal social movements. He’s heavily funding his campaign and outspent Fitzpatrick nearly 5-to-1 in the July-September quarter. Polls close at 8 p.m. EST. ___ KANSAS Trump and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi loom large over a race in Northeastern Kansas. That’s where Democrat Paul Davis, the former state House minority leader, and Republican Steve Watkins, an Army veteran and engineer, are battling for the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Lynn Jenkins. Davis has said he would not support Pelosi for speaker if Democrats win the House. And Republicans were hoping that Trump’s visit to Topeka last month would boost Republican Steve Watkins, who has faced questions over claims he made about his qualifications and background. Polls close 9 p.m. EST ___ MINNESOTA Four House seats could flip from one party to the other in this traditionally Democratic stronghold. For evidence of Democratic gains, look to the state’s booming suburbs. Clinton won Minnesota’s 3rd District west of Minneapolis by 9 percentage points. GOP Rep.
Here’s where the candidates will be on election night
Tuesday is Election Day in Alabama where candidates will face off at ballot boxes across the state. If you’re hoping to hang out and catch a glimpse of them, here is where you will find the candidates Tuesday night: Governor’s race Walt Maddox What: Election Watch Party When: TBA Where: River Market in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Lt. Governor’s race Will Ainsworth What: Election Watch Party When: TBA Where: Wintzells Oyster House: 14455 US-431 Guntersville, Ala. 35976 Attorney General’s race Joseph Siegelman What: Joe Siegelman Election Night Party When: November 6th from 7-10:30 p.m. Where: John Hand Club, 17 20th St. N, Ste 2000, Birmingham, Ala. 35203 State Auditor’s race Jim Zeigler What: Election Night Watch Party When: 7:00 p.m. Where: 3964 Airport Blvd. Mobile, Ala. 36608 Public Service Commission Place 1 Cara McClure What: Election Night Watch Party When: 7:00 p.m. Where: Rogue Tavern: 2312 2nd Ave N, Birmingham, Ala. 35203 Jeremy Oden What: When: TBA Where: Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Eva, Ala. 1st District to the U.S. House of Representatives Bradley Byrne What: Baldwin County GOP Victory Party When: Tuesday, November 6th starting at 6:30 p.m. Where: Timber Creek Golf Club; 9650 Timbercreek Blvd; Daphne, Ala. 3rd District to the U.S. House of Representatives Mallory Hagan What: Election Night Watch Party When: 6:30 p.m. CST Where: The Pavilion at Moore’s Mill Country Club: 1957 Fairway Drive Auburn, Ala. 36830 4th District to the U.S. House of Representatives Lee Auman What: Victory Party When: 7:00 p.m. Where: Bakers on Main: 336 Gunter Ave. Gunterville, Ala. 6th District to the U.S. House of Representatives Gary Palmer What: Election Night Watch Party When: 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Where: Rosewood Hall: 2850 19th Street South Homewood, Ala. 35209 Alabama Today will continue to update this article as more Election night details are released by the candidates. Candidates who wish to be included should email their election night information to info@altoday.com
Here’s where the candidates will be on primary runoff election night
Tuesday is Primary Runoff Election Day in Alabama, where the top two candidates from both major parties who failed to garner 50 plus percent of the vote on primary day, will face off at ballot boxes across the state to see who advances to the November General Election. If you’re hoping to hang out and catch a glimpse of the candidates, here is where you will find them Tuesday night: Lt. Governor’s race Will Ainsworth What: Election Night Rally and Watch Party When: TBA Where: Wintzells Oyster House (14455 US-431 Guntersville, AL 35976) Twinkle Cavanaugh What: Election Night Watch Party When: TBA Where: The Renaissance Hotel (201 Tallapoosa St., Montgomery, AL 36104) Attorney General’s race Troy King What: Election Night Watch Party When: TBA Where: The Renaissance Hotel (201 Tallapoosa St., Montgomery, AL 36104) Steve Marshall What: Steve Marshall for Attorney Election Night Watch Party When: 7:00 p.m. Where: Moe’s Original Bar B Que (1051 E Fairview Ave. Montgomery, AL 36106) Alabama Supreme Court: Associate Justice, Place 1 Brad Mendheim TBA Sarah Stewart TBA Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate TBA Gerald Dial TBA Court of Civil Appeals, Place 1 Christy Edwards TBA Michelle Thomason TBA Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2 Rich Anderson TBA Chris McCool TBA *This story will be updated as candidates release their election day schedules.
Where the candidates will be on election night
Tuesday is Primary Election Day in Alabama, where candidates from both major parties — Republican and Democratic — will face off at ballot boxes across the state to see who advances to the November General Election. If you’re hoping to hang out and catch a glimpse of the candidates, here is where you will find them Tuesday night: Governor’s race Tommy Battle What: Battle for Governor watch party When: 7 p.m. Where: EarlyWorks Museum ( 404 Madison Street SE in Huntsville, Ala. 35801) Scott Dawson What: Election night watch party When: 7 p.m. Where: The Barn at Shady Lane (290 Sunbelt Parkway in Bessemer, Ala. 35022) Bill Hightower What: Hightower for Governor will host a Primary Election Night party. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Hightower campaign headquarters: Pinebrooke Shopping Center (3964 Airport Boulevard in Mobile, Ala.) Kay Ivey What: Election night watch party When: 7 p.m. Where: Renaissance Hotel (201 Tallapoosa St. in Montgomery, Ala. 36104) Walt Maddox What: Election night watch party Where: River Market (1900 Jack Warner Pkwy in Tuscaloosa, Ala. 35401) Lt. Governor’s race Will Ainsworth Where: Returns watch party When: 7 p.m. Where: Wintzell’s Oyster House (14455 US-431 in Guntersville, Ala. 35976) Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh What: Election night watch party When: 7:00 p.m. Where: The Embassy Suites Hotel (300 Tallapoosa St. in Montgomery, Ala. 36104) Attorney General race Chess Bedsole What: Election night party When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Caveat Coffee Shop (2832 Linden Ave in Homewood, Ala. 35209) Troy King What: Election night watch party When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Montgomery Biscuits Stadium Box Office at Riverwalk Stadium (200 Coosa Street in Montgomery, Ala.) Steve Marshall What: Election night watch party When: 7 p.m. Where: Above Central Restaurant (129 Coosa Street in Montgomery, Ala. 36104) Alice Martin What: Election night watch party When: 7 p.m. Where: Habitat Feed and Social in the Grand Bohemian Hotel (2655 Lane Park Road in Birmingham, Ala 35223) Joseph Siegelman What: Democratic primary watch party When: 6:30 p.m. Where: The Southern Kitchen & Bar rooftop (2301 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. Suite 300 Uptown in Birmingham, Ala. 35203) This article will be updated as more scheduled come in.
