Mid-Term Election Roundup

One week after the November mid-term elections, there are still a few races yet to be decided - both at the federal level and in at least one PA state race.

Nationally, Democrats now have a majority in the House of Representatives, while Republicans keep control of the Senate. 36 states had elections for Governor last week. 16 Democrats and 18 Republicans were elected, while 2 races remain undecided.

The 2018 election brought a number of "firsts" to Congress, including the first Native American Congresswomen, the first Muslim Congresswomen, and, for some states, their first African American or female legislators. PBS and The Washington Post have more information on the most diverse group of people elected in American history. 

Here are some takeaways on the election:

• From FiveThirtyEight: 
• Voter turnout was huge, with an estimated 116 million additional people voting in the 2018 midterm compared to 2014. 
• 104 new people are going to the House of Representatives.
• This Congress will see the most female lawmakers ever, with 114 winning in the House and Senate.
• Here's some of 538's take on the exit polls.
• From PBS NewsHour:
• 41% of voters were motivated by healthcare, overtaking the economy and jobs
• Around 1/4 of voters said their vote had to do with the economy
• 23% of voters said immigration was the most important issue to them
• From the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
• Voters in three states (Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah) passed ballot measures to expand Medicaid, while several newly elected Governors have planned to look at Medicaid expansion in their states
• Voters in two states decided to increase the minimum wage
• Check out the Spotlight's look at other ballot initiatives.

Here's a quick rundown of who won in Pennsylvania and nationally:

Senate

• PA: Bob Casey retained his seat.

House of Representatives

• PA: Redistricting, retirements, and vacant seats all come into play when looking at the winners who will be representing Pennsylvania in Congress next year. Of note: Pennsylvania is sending 4 women to the House for the first time in history. Until now, Pennsylvania had never seated more than two women in the House at once.
• PA 1: Fitzpatrick (R)
• PA 2: Boyle (D)
• PA 3: Evans (D)
• PA 4: Dean (D)
• PA 5: Scanlon (D)
• PA 6: Houlahan (D)
• PA 7: Wild (D)
• PA 8: Cartwright (D)
• PA 9: Meuser (R)
• PA 10: Perry (R)
• PA 11: Smucker (R)
• PA 12: Marino (R)
• PA 13: Joyce (R)
• PA 14: Reschenthaler (R)
• PA 15: Thompson (R)
• PA 16: Kelly (R)
• PA 17: Lamb (D)
• PA 18: Doyle (D)

Pennsylvania State Seats: Philly.com has a breakdown of changes in the PA House and Senate, along with information about upcoming leadership elections within those bodies.

• PA Governor: Tom Wolf retained his seat, with John Fetterman becoming Lieutenant Governor.
• PA House: The 203 member PA House will now be made up of 110 Republicans and 93 Democrats. The 11 new seats for the Democrats come from the five county region around Philadelphia.
• PA Senate: The 50 member PA Senate is projected to be made up of 29 Republicans and 21 Democrats. Five seats shifted from the Republicans to the Democrats in the election, while a sixth is too close to call.