Election Night Recap: Illinois Stayed Put, Washington Flipped, And F'nAround Kept Its Homework
F'nAround election night recap, November 3, 2026, reported November 4, 2026. These are projections and unofficial counts, not certified results. Different news organizations call races at different times, so totals moved through the night and were still moving Wednesday morning. The new Congress takes office January 3, 2027.
Here is the short version, before we get to the joke, because the joke only works if you know the results. Illinois did not change hands. Washington did. Democrats took control of the House and the Senate, while a Republican stayed in the White House, which means the next two years are divided government, whether you like that phrase or not. And in Illinois, the two men F'nAround has spent years filing records requests about stayed right where they were, which, for us, was the best possible outcome, for reasons we will explain in a minute, and no, it is not because we agree with them.
The Joke, Up Front: We Were Happy Kwame And JB Stayed, Because Accountability Needs An Address
Let us be clear, in F'nAround plain language. We were happy to see Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Governor JB Pritzker stay in office, not because we are fans, and not because we think they did a good job. We were happy because if they had lost, our research would have lost its main characters, and accountability would have gotten a lot harder, not easier.
Think about it like this. If you spend years building a file, and the file is about decisions made in a specific office, by specific people, in specific chairs, then the worst thing that can happen to that file is for those people to leave the chairs. Out of office, they become former officials. In office, they are still the officials. The records are still theirs. The decisions are still theirs. The questions are still theirs to answer. You cannot hold a ghost accountable for a desk he no longer sits at, at least not the same way.
So yes, we watched the Illinois returns come in, we saw Raoul win reelection and Pritzker win a third term, and we thought, good, the homework stays open. The research does not end because they won. The research continues because they won, and because they are still in the chairs where the decisions were made. That is the joke, and it is also the point. We do not want our subjects to retire. We want them to stay, and to answer, and to be on the record, in office, where the public can see them.
Now, the serious part, in the same plain language, because F'nAround does not hide behind a joke. What we allege in our reporting, based on our records work, is that state officials, including the governor's office and the attorney general's office, failed to act on, and in our view covered up, federal crimes and regulatory failures connected to Illinois cannabis licensing and related investigations. That is our position, from our research. It is not a court finding but court found it wasn’t defamation to state the crimes occurred, it is not an agency finding, and it is not a conviction. No court or agency has made that finding in the material we are citing here. We are saying it as our reporting position, and we are keeping the receipts in public, so readers can check the records themselves. Keeping Raoul and Pritzker in office does not prove our allegation. It keeps the allegation testable, because the offices, the files, and the people who made the calls are still there to be asked about them. If they had lost, the file would have gotten colder, not cleaner. That is why we were, in our own weird way, happy they stayed.
Illinois: Nothing Changed At The Top, And That Is The Story
Illinois polls closed at 7 p.m. Central on November 3. The Associated Press called the top races that night, and the margins were not close.
Governor: JB Pritzker, Democrat, 2,335,631 votes, defeated Darren Bailey, Republican, 1,438,609 votes, and Collin Corbett, independent, 130,697 votes, with 85.52 percent of precincts reporting and an estimated 90.82 percent of votes counted in that AP snapshot. This was a rematch of 2022, and it ended the same way, with Pritzker winning a third term.
U.S. Senate: Juliana Stratton, Democrat, 2,418,659 votes, defeated Don Tracy, Republican, 1,487,039 votes, and Whitfield Harrington Jr., American Center Party, 62,564 votes, with 89.17 percent of precincts reporting. Stratton, the sitting lieutenant governor, succeeds retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin. This was an open seat, not a defeat of an incumbent, and it stayed in the same party.
Other statewide offices, all called: Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Democrat, won reelection, 64.7 percent to 35.3 percent over Diane Harris, Republican. Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Democrat, won reelection, 61.5 percent to 38.5 percent over Robert Fioretti, Republican. Comptroller Margaret Croke, Democrat, won, about 60.8 percent over Bryan Drew, Republican. Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Democrat, won a fourth term, over 60 percent over Max Solomon, Republican.
U.S. House, Illinois: The delegation was 14 Democrats and 3 Republicans before the election, and the called results keep that shape. Jonathan Jackson, Democrat, District 1. Donna Miller, Democrat, District 2, succeeding Robin Kelly. Patty Garcia, Democrat, District 4. Mike Quigley, Democrat, District 5. Sean Casten, Democrat, District 6. La Shawn Ford, Democrat, District 7. Daniel Biss, Democrat, District 9. Mike Bost, Republican, District 12. Nikki Budzinski, Democrat, District 13. Darin LaHood, Republican, District 16. Eric Sorensen, Democrat, District 17. Mary Miller, Republican, District 15, completes the Republican three.
Chicago and Cook County: Jessica Biggs, a current school board member and former principal, declared victory and held a commanding lead for president of Chicago's first fully elected school board, over Victor Henderson and Hilario Dominguez. In Cook County Board District 17, the only Republican held seat and an open seat, local reporting said a Democrat won it for the first time since the districts were created in 1994, which would leave Democrats with all 17 seats. Chicago's five advisory questions were all leading Yes in AP's Cook County count, but AP had not called them at the time of the snapshot: a millionaire tax for K-12 education, Yes 497,599 to No 119,403; compensation for federal immigration operations costs, Yes 526,034 to No 93,599; permanent festival space, Yes 414,153 to No 196,542; restart gunshot detection technology, Yes 447,475 to No 169,938; vacant property penalties to fund schools, Yes 454,869 to No 161,407. Advisory means advisory. It is a signal, not a law, by itself.
What Illinois was counting on, in plain terms, was succession, not a change in party. A new senator to replace Durbin, a new comptroller, new House members in open Chicago area seats, and a first fully elected school board president. All of those successions stayed in the same party as the outgoing holder, and the top of the ticket stayed exactly where it was. For F'nAround, that means the same offices, the same files, and the same questions, with no excuse that the people who made the decisions are gone.
Washington: House And Senate Both Flipped, And That Changes The Math, Not The President
Before the election, AP listed the House as Democrats 215, Republicans 219, and 1 other caucusing with Republicans. On election night, AP had called Democrats 222 and Republicans 138, with Democrats leading in 41 more districts and Republicans leading in 34. That is enough for a Democratic majority, with the final margin still to be determined as western and close districts finish counting.
Before the election, Republicans held 53 Senate seats and Democrats plus independents who caucus with them held 47. Democrats needed a net gain of 4 to reach 51. They flipped 7 Republican held seats and lost none of their own, according to AP based summaries, which is why control changed. One AP based summary on Wednesday morning put called seats at Democrats 54, Republicans 44, with 2 uncalled. Other desks at earlier times showed lower called totals, because they had called fewer races, not because the votes differed.
What that means, mechanically, and without cheering or mourning, is this. A party that controls a chamber sets its agenda, its committee chairs, and what bills get a vote. The Senate also confirms nominees and judges. Control of both chambers does not by itself make law. A bill still needs the House, the Senate, and the president's signature, or a two thirds vote in both chambers to override a veto. A president retains executive authority, foreign policy authority, and the veto. So the next two years are divided government. Major legislation will require agreement across that divide, or it will not pass. Oversight and confirmations will shift. The presidency, the courts, and state governments do not change because Congress changed hands.
Senate, State By State: The Seven Flips, And The Two Races Left Hanging
Thirty five Senate seats were on the ballot: 33 regular Class II seats plus special elections in Florida and Ohio. Here are the flips, all Republican held before, in alphabetical order by state, because that is the only fair order.
Iowa: Josh Turek, Democrat, won the open seat left by retiring Senator Joni Ernst. Kansas: Adam Hamilton, Democrat, defeated incumbent Senator Roger Marshall, Republican, the first Democratic Senate win in Kansas since 1932, by the historical count used in election reporting. Maine: Troy Jackson, Democrat, defeated five term incumbent Senator Susan Collins, Republican. North Carolina: Roy Cooper, Democrat, former governor, defeated Michael Whatley, Republican, in an open seat. Ohio, special: Sherrod Brown, Democrat, former senator, defeated incumbent Senator Jon Husted, Republican. South Carolina: Annie Andrews, Democrat, defeated Darline Graham, Republican, in an open seat. Texas: James Talarico, Democrat, defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton, Republican, in an open seat, the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988, by the historical count used in election reporting.
Democratic holds that mattered most for the majority: Georgia, Jon Ossoff, Democrat, won reelection over Mike Collins, Republican. Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, Democrat, won the open seat left by retiring Senator Gary Peters, over Mike Rogers, Republican. Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan, Democrat, won the open seat, over Michele Tafoya, Republican. Other Democratic holds: Colorado, John Hickenlooper; Delaware, Chris Coons; Massachusetts, Ed Markey; New Hampshire, Chris Pappas, open seat; New Jersey, Cory Booker; New Mexico, Ben Ray Lujan; Oregon, Jeff Merkley; Rhode Island, Jack Reed; Virginia, Mark Warner.
Republican holds: Alabama, Barry Moore, open seat; Arkansas, Tom Cotton; Florida, special, Ashley Moody; Idaho, Jim Risch; Kentucky, Andy Barr, open seat; Louisiana, Julia Letlow; Montana, Kurt Alme; Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, defeating independent Dan Osborn; Oklahoma, Kevin Hern; South Dakota, Mike Rounds; Tennessee, Bill Hagerty; West Virginia, Shelley Moore Capito; Wyoming, Harriet Hageman.
Uncalled on Wednesday morning, and this is important, because a close race is not a called race. Alaska: Senator Dan Sullivan, Republican, and former Representative Mary Peltola, Democrat, were nearly tied in AP's count, with about 72 to 74 percent of the expected vote in. Alaska counts late arriving mail ballots and then runs a ranked choice count, scheduled for November 18. Mississippi: Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican, and Scott Colom, Democrat, were separated by 28 votes at one point overnight, 462,779 to 462,751, with about 97 percent counted and both at 48.9 percent, and by 43 votes in a later update. Affidavit ballots, reported at up to about 15,000, were still to be counted. Mississippi does not hold a runoff for a general federal election, and it has no automatic recount law; a candidate can ask a judge for one.
Governors, State By State: Five Flips, No Flips The Other Way
Thirty six governor races were on the ballot. Democrats flipped five Republican held offices and Republicans flipped none, according to the AP based state list.
Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms, Democrat, former Atlanta mayor, defeated Rick Jackson, Republican, in an open seat. She is the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state. Iowa: Rob Sand, Democrat, state auditor, defeated Zach Lahn, Republican, in an open seat. Nevada: Aaron Ford, Democrat, state attorney general, defeated incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo, Republican. Ford is Nevada's first Black governor. Ohio: Amy Acton, Democrat, former state health director, defeated Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican, in an open seat. Acton is Ohio's first woman governor. Texas: Gina Hinojosa, Democrat, state legislator, defeated three term Governor Greg Abbott, Republican. She is Texas's first Latina governor, and the first Democrat to win the Texas governorship since 1994.
Democratic holds: California, Xavier Becerra; Colorado, Phil Weiser; Connecticut, Ned Lamont; Hawaii, Josh Green; Maine, Hannah Pingree; Maryland, Wes Moore; Massachusetts, Maura Healey; Michigan, Jocelyn Benson; Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar; New Mexico, Deb Haaland, the first Native American woman elected governor; New York, Kathy Hochul; Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, reelected over Stacy Garrity; Rhode Island, Helena Foulkes; Wisconsin, David Crowley; plus Illinois, see above.
Republican holds: Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders; Florida, Byron Donalds, defeating David Jolly and succeeding term limited Ron DeSantis, and Florida's first Black governor; Idaho, Brad Little; Nebraska, Jim Pillen; New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte, reelected; Oklahoma, Mike Mazzei; South Carolina, Alan Wilson; South Dakota, Larry Rhoden; Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, succeeding term limited Bill Lee and Tennessee's first woman elected governor; Vermont, Phil Scott, reelected to a sixth two year term; Wyoming, Eric Barlow. Not yet called in the early Wednesday snapshot: Alaska, where Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Democrat, led; Arizona, where Katie Hobbs, Democrat, led; and Kansas, where AP listed the race as too early to call.
House, State By State Where It Changed
All 435 House seats were on the ballot. Most did not change party. The changes that drove the national total were concentrated in a small number of states, and counting was still incomplete Wednesday morning, so this is a partial list, not a final district by district tally.
Pennsylvania, 4 flips: Bob Harvie, Democrat, defeated incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican, District 1; Bob Brooks, Democrat, defeated incumbent Ryan Mackenzie, Republican, District 7; Paige Cognetti, Democrat, mayor of Scranton, defeated incumbent Rob Bresnahan, Republican, District 8; Janelle Stelson, Democrat, defeated incumbent Scott Perry, Republican, District 10. Pennsylvania's delegation after those calls was 11 Democrats and 6 Republicans.
Virginia, 2 flips: Elaine Luria, Democrat, defeated Jen Kiggans, Republican, District 2, and Shannon Taylor, Democrat, defeated Rob Wittman, Republican, in another district. Wisconsin, 2 flips: Mitchell Berman, Democrat, defeated Derrick Van Orden, Republican, with a second Wisconsin flip counted in the national totals. North Carolina, 2 flips in the identified list: Jamie Ager, Democrat, won the open Republican held District 11, with a second North Carolina flip counted in the national totals. New Jersey, 1 flip: Rebecca Bennett, Democrat, defeated incumbent Thomas Kean Jr., Republican, District 7. Kentucky, 1 flip: Zach Dembo, Democrat, won the open Republican held District 6, the seat Andy Barr vacated to run for Senate. Texas, 1 flip identified: Bobby Pulido, Democrat, defeated Monica De La Cruz, Republican, in a state where new mid decade maps were used. Other identified flips in national counts: Fred Wellman, Democrat, Missouri District 2; J.D. Ford, Democrat, Indiana District 5; and additional flips in Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraska counted in the 29 to 31 flip range reported by NBC and Decision Desk HQ, which differed because they had called different numbers of races at the time they were checked.
State legislatures matter too, even if they do not make national headlines. In Indiana, Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the state House by flipping at least 4 seats, from 70-30 to below the two thirds threshold, while Republicans retained a majority in that chamber. A supermajority matters because it can override a governor's veto without votes from the other party. Losing it changes what a governor can block, even when the majority party does not change. Similar chamber flips and supermajority losses were reported in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Ballot Measures: What Voters Decided Directly, Not Through A Candidate
One hundred forty five ballot questions were decided in more than three dozen states, according to AP's summary. Here are the ones that will actually change law or policy, in plain terms.
Abortion: Voters defeated Missouri Amendment 3, which would have repealed the reproductive freedom amendment approved in 2024 and restricted abortion to medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, and rape or incest up to 12 weeks, and would also have banned gender transition procedures for minors. Voters approved a Virginia constitutional amendment creating a fundamental right to reproductive freedom through the first two trimesters, and a Nevada amendment creating a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability. Voters in Idaho defeated a measure that would have created abortion protections in state law.
Redistricting: Nine states used new congressional maps in this election after mid decade redistricting. In Maryland, voters approved a constitutional amendment that could allow new congressional maps ahead of 2028. The House results show that redistricting, by itself, did not determine House control, because Democrats won seats in states that had redrawn maps in both directions.
Other measures: Citizen placed voter ID measures in California and Colorado were defeated, according to AP's ballot measure summary. Nebraska voters approved adding existing medical restrictions for transgender minors to the state constitution. Florida voters approved a property tax exemption that triples the non school exemption next year and rises to 250,000 dollars in 2028. Massachusetts Question 8, which would have repealed recreational marijuana sales and home cultivation, was defeated, 87 percent to 13 percent in the Ballotpedia count shown for that question. That last one matters for F'nAround readers, because Massachusetts voters were asked, in effect, whether to go backward on cannabis, and they said no, by a large margin, while Illinois voters, on the same night, kept the same governor and attorney general who oversee Illinois cannabis regulation. Different states, different questions, same night, and both answers are now on the record.
What This Means, In General, And What It Means For F'nAround
In general, the country voted for divided government. That is not a slogan. It is a structure. The House and Senate can set an agenda, hold hearings, and confirm nominees, but they cannot make law without the president, unless they can find two thirds in both chambers. State governments, meanwhile, control budgets, state law, and implementation, and the governor flips in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas change who holds the veto in those states, without changing federal law by themselves.
For F'nAround, the meaning is narrower, and it is the joke we started with, turned serious. Illinois did not give us new subjects. It gave us the same subjects, in the same offices, with fresh terms, and with fresh accountability. Raoul is still the attorney general. Pritzker is still the governor. Stratton is now a senator, not just a lieutenant governor, which means her record, including her time in state office, follows her to Washington, where it can be checked there too. Giannoulias is still the secretary of state. The files do not close because an election happened. They stay open because the people who made the decisions stayed in office, or moved to a bigger office, where the same questions apply.
We are not celebrating a party. We are not mourning a party. We are doing what F'nAround does, which is keeping the receipts, in public, and saying, here is what happened, here is who won, here is who lost, here is what is still uncalled, and here is what we allege, with the records to back it up, until somebody with authority makes a finding one way or the other. If Raoul and Pritzker had lost, we would have had to chase former officials. Since they won, we get to keep asking current officials, in office, on the record, with the same questions, and with new terms to answer for. That is not happiness in the partisan sense. That is happiness in the records sense, which, for us, is the only kind that matters.
What is not decided yet, and what we will not pretend is decided: Alaska Senate, Mississippi Senate, several governor races, and dozens of House districts were still counting Wednesday morning. Final certified results, which states will issue in the coming weeks, can change vote totals and, in very close races, the winner. Any claim about a final House or Senate margin, a turnout record, or a complete state by state House list made Wednesday morning is premature. We will update this recap when certification changes a result, and we will say so plainly when we do.
Election night is over. The work is not. The offices are filled, the terms are set, and the files are still open. See you in the records room.