WASHINGTON — As the vote count continues a day after election day, officials are reacting to some projected wins, including Senate races in Maryland and Virginia.
This story will be updated as more races are called.
Maryland Senate Race Projected for Angela Alsobrooks
Angela Alsobrooks
Alsobrooks celebrated her projected win with a simple statement, saying "Thank you, Maryland!" With her projected win, Alsobrooks will become the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the senate.
Larry Hogan
The former governor released the following statement after the race went in favor of his opponent:
" want to congratulate County Executive Alsobrooks on a hard-fought victory. Tonight, regardless of who you voted for, we can all take pride in the election of the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Yumi and I offer our best wishes and our prayers to Angela and her family.
Now is the time for us to come together and move forward as one state and one nation. I want to thank you to each and every person who stood by my side throughout this campaign. If the pundits and politicians were more like the people I met every single day on the campaign trail, our country would be so much better off.
I stepped up to run because I was concerned about what kind of a future we would be leaving for all of our kids and grandkids. We got into this race for the right reasons: to fix the broken politics and to put our country on the right track. We ran the kind of campaign that represents what politics can be–and what it should be–driven by the people, not the party bosses, and focused on the issues that actually matter to families all across Maryland.
From day one, this was the only campaign in America that reached out to Republicans, Democrats, Independents alike. Because that’s what it’s going to take to solve the serious problems we face.
Americans today are thoroughly convinced that we’re hopelessly divided, that Washington is completely dysfunctional, and that our entire political system is fundamentally broken. The voices of the exhausted majority are ignored in deference to the demands of the loudest and angriest few who seem hell-bent on tearing America apart.
No matter what happens in this election, we as a country must move beyond talking only with those we agree with. And we need to stop dismissing or even hating those we disagree with.
We have got to find a way to come together, to listen, and to believe in each other once again. There really is far more that unites us than divides.
While tonight was not the outcome we hoped for, we can all hold our heads high. I can tell you we left it all on the field, and I’m so damn proud of the effort.
Thank you all. We proved that campaigns can be about so much more than just red versus blue. I kept stressing that we need to get back to the red, white, and blue.
Though this chapter ends tonight, our work and our commitment to a brighter future and a better path forward will continue.
The stakes are too high to stop now. The stakes are far too high for any of us to walk away and just sit on the sideline.
So to everyone who stood with us in this cause, who worked, fought, and believed in this campaign, let me say this:
You should never apologize for standing up for decency and common sense. Never give in to fear or cynicism. And never, ever, give up on the work of changing Maryland and America for the better.
Thank you, God bless you all, and may God bless the great State of Maryland and the United States of America."
Senator Chris Van Hollen
“Angela Alsobrooks and the people of Maryland have made history tonight. Throughout this campaign — and during her time in public service — Angela has proven her commitment and passion for serving Marylanders time and again. And to win this election, Angela overcame a flood of super PAC spending and Republican attacks aimed at distracting voters — but Marylanders knew better. In electing Angela to the United States Senate, our state has chosen a dedicated public servant who has shown that she will work every day to stand up for our interests and values. I could not be more proud to have stood alongside Angela from the earliest days of this fight, and I'm excited to have her as a partner in the Senate. We will work together to deliver for Maryland and our nation.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore
“Angela Alsobrooks will fight every single day for the values we cherish as Americans – from the ability to have economic mobility and own more than you owe, to the freedom of feeling safe in your own skin and your own community, to having control over personal health care decisions.
“Maryland is better because of Angela Alsobrooks – and the United States Congress will be better because of her presence too. I knew that when I endorsed her, and I feel just as strongly today. Her fight is our fight.”
Virginia Senate Race Projected for Tim Kaine
Sen. Tim Kaine has held onto his seat in the United States Senate for Virginia, according to the Associated Press.
Hung Cao
His opponent, Hung Cao, released a statement early Wednesday morning:
"With 70% of the votes in already, there's still 30% out. But the chances are insurmountable right now, it's mathematically almost impossible, but I will not call Senator Kaine until 100% of votes are in, but I want to tell you as my friends, that it's pretty much lost right now. I want to tell you this, though, we moved the heck out of that needle. Virginia is not blue, if anything it's purple.
"I'm so proud to have represented so many of you guys. We've been to every corner of Virginia, and people are excited. They saw hope. Let's face it, just as I think it's insurmountable right now for us to win, I believe it's also insurmountable for Kamala Harris to win.
"When President Trump is re-inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States, I will be proud to do anything he needs to serve this country that saved our lives. He's been such an amazing partner in this race and I couldn't have gotten here without President Trump, and I actually mean that. He's been such an honorable man and he's been there on my side when no one else thought we could win. They said this is unwinnable and we brought it down to a very slim margin.
"We brought it down with no outside help. We had no support from any establishment. The only support I got was from 120,000 different donations that average about $25, and we were able to raise about ten and a half million dollars.
"Usually people thank their family last and I don't want to do that because after a two hour speech, you guys are going to forget what I'm saying. But I want to thank my wife, April. She's been by my side for 26 years, through deployments, through combat, she's even had to give birth to our first child by herself while I was invading Iraq, and I want to thank her, my children, and all of our family that's been so supportive, including my inlaws Steve and Karen, my mom, Trump. I wish my father was still around to see this, and my sisters.
"I also want to thank the Vietnamese Community. They came through for me. Across the nation, the Vietnamese community has been the best partners in this, and they gave from their hearts and that's how we were able to raise so much money.
"Finally, I want to thank you all - all the voters out there that believed in this, that stood behind us. We moved a lot of things in Virginia. They said it was not doable. They had us at 20%, 13%, 9% and we just took it down to this small, slim margin, and that is because of you and I want to thank you all for that.
"Although this is my last political run, I'll tell you right now that I'll be proud to serve in any capacity this country needs us, and now I want to serve as a husband and father of my children and grandfather. I think my family needs me right now. We've paid a lot in combat and we paid a lot through this campaign, and I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart. Thank you guys. God bless you guys, God bless the Commonwealth of Virginia."
Susan Swecker
The Democratic Party of Virginia chairwoman released a statement late Tuesday night:
"When Tim Kaine announced his re-election campaign, I had no doubt it would lead to another resounding victory. But true to his character, Tim spent the past seven months doing what he does best—meeting with and listening to voters across the Commonwealth, day in and day out. He never takes anything for granted, because that's the kind of leader he is—one who shows up, works tirelessly, and stands up for every Virginian. There is no one better equipped to continue delivering for Virginians in the Senate and to unite our Commonwealth and our country in these challenging times."