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Midterm election 2018: Results in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Follow along all day for the latest Election Day updates and results from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Supporters at the Democratic Nominee for Congress in Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District, Mary Gay Scanlon, election watch party cheer as results are shown on a television at the Inn at Swarthmore in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
Supporters at the Democratic Nominee for Congress in Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District, Mary Gay Scanlon, election watch party cheer as results are shown on a television at the Inn at Swarthmore in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

After a divisive campaign season, voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the midterm election.

Among key results from Election Day in Pennsylvania and New Jersey:

  1. Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf won reelection, defeating Republican Scott Wagner.

  2. In the region's Senate races, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Lou Barletta to represent Pennsylvania and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, fended off a challenge from Republican Bob Hugin.

  3. Philly voters approved $181 million in spending for capital projects around the city, while New Jersey voters approved borrowing $500 million for vo-tech schools and school safety.

  4. On a night when Democrats took back control of the U.S. House, the 18 House seats in Pennsylvania were won evenly between Democrats and Republicans. One race remained too close to call in New Jersey early Wednesday morning; of the other 11 seats in the state, 10 were won by Democrats.

  5. Women won four of the U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania, breaking up what had been an all-male delegation.

Here is a recap of results and scenes from the day.

The 30 U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania and New Jersey: 19 to Democrats, 10 to Republicans, 1 too close to call

Out of the 30 U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, only one remained too close to call Wednesday: New Jersey's Third Congressional District, in which U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur, a Republican, is seeking reelection and Democrat Andy Kim is hoping to unseat him. Late Wednesday afternoon, Kim took the lead after vote-by-mail ballots in Burlington County were added.

Of Pennsylvania's 18 seats in the U.S. House, nine were won by Democrats and nine were won by Republicans. Six of the winners are new to Congress.

Of the 11 New Jersey congressional races that had been called early Wednesday morning, 10 were won by Democrats. Three winners are new to the U.S. House, including Tom Malinowski, who unseated incumbent U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance.

In the Philadelphia area:

Jeff Van Drew wins Jersey Shore congressional seat

In a race not called until midnight, Democrat Jeff Van Drew won New Jersey's Second Congressional District, defeating Republican Seth Grossman.

Van Drew, a former state senator, far outraised Grossman and led in all the polls. The district was considered Democratic-leaning, though Trump carried the district in 2016.

Grossman, a longtime friend of Van Drew, won the Republican nomination but within a week of the primary was criticized for a video of him saying diversity is "a bunch of crap and un-American" and for sharing white nationalist tweets. The national Republican Party withdrew its endorsement of him and called for him "to reconsider his candidacy."

Reached by phone, Grossman said he did not concede the race: "I'm going to bed because I'm tired. So much confusion. I just want to wait in the morning when I have a real clear picture."

In tight Pennsylvania race, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick declared winner

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican running as a moderate, declared victory before a crowd of supporters Tuesday night after NBC News and ABC News projected he would win.

The Associated Press later called the race for Fitzpatrick.

The crowd in the Bucks County GOP headquarters erupted when Fitzpatrick took the stage, chanting "Brian! Brian!" as he took the stage.

"It is a big victory for us tonight," Fitzpatrick said in a short speech thanking his supporters, whom he said he considers family.

"These are tough, tough fights. These elections in these districts are tough," he said, saying Republicans had a "rough night" nationally in a nod to Democratic victories across the country.

Wallace, who said he had not yet talked to Fitzpatrick, conceded the race in a speech to supporters at his own event.

"I hope that his problem solvers caucus will be able to solve some problems," Wallace said of Fitzpatrick, "because we have some serious problems to be confronted."

Nail-biter in New Jersey

The race to represent New Jersey's Third Congressional District, encompassing Burlington and Ocean Counties, remained extremely tight Tuesday night.

With 99 percent of the vote in, U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur, the Republican incumbent running for reelection, had 136,408 votes. His Democratic challenger, Andy Kim, had 134,093.

MacArthur won't speak at his watch party. George Gilmore, chair of the Ocean County Republicans, said the race was too close to call and that they would have to wait for absentee and provisional ballots to be counted.

Four women win Pennsylvania congressional races, breaking up all-male delegation

Women won four of Pennsylvania's 18 seats in the U.S. House, breaking up what is currently an all-male delegation.

All four women are Democrats and will represent a stretch of southeastern Pennsylvania:

  1. Madeleine Dean in the Montgomery County-based Fourth Congressional District

  2. Chrissy Houlahan in the Chester County-based Sixth Congressional District

  3. Mary Gay Scanlon in the Fifth Congressional District, covering Delaware County, South Philadelphia, and portions of Montgomery County

  4. Susan Wild in the Lehigh County-based Seventh Congressional District

In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill won the Eleventh Congressional District, defeating Jay Webber in a nationally watched race, and Bonnie Watson Coleman won reelection in the Twelfth Congressional District.

Madeleine Dean wins in Montco congressional district

Madeleine Dean, a Democratic representative in the state House, won election to Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District.

The redrawn district is based in Montgomery County. With her election, Dean defeats Dan David, a political novice who identified himself as fiscally conservative and socially moderate.

Pennsylvania gubernatorial race: Gov. Wolf thanks supporters, Republican Scott Wagner concedes

Gov. Wolf and his Republican challenger, Scott Wagner, addressed the crowds at their respective events Tuesday night after Wolf won reelection.

"What you did is make a great future for Pennsylvania," Wolf told supporters in a renovated industrial venue in downtown York. "You voted for better lives. You voted to hold on to our democracy. You voted to continue to make our schools better. You voted for access to quality and affordable health care."

He continued: "You voted to make Pennsylvania a fairer place for everybody, regardless of color of skin, regardless of who you love, regardless of the religion you profess, regardless of your gender."

Wolf's opponent also hails from York, and in the Wyndham Garden Hotel there began speaking to his crowd around 10:15 p.m.

"Listen, I don't have a prepared speech. I've told you all, I'm not trying to be politically correct," Wagner said to a round of applause. He said he expected the outcome to be different.

Wagner said he had "traveled every corner of the state" and had some experiences that "no amount of money could ever buy," including buying a pig at a county fair for $40 a pound.

"I'm not going away. I'm going to take a vacation, though," he said.

As he exited, a song called "Bitter Sweet Symphony" began to play.

Susan Wild wins Lehigh Valley congressional seat

Democrat Susan Wild won election to Pennsylvania's Seventh Congressional District, a top Democratic target in the state. Wild, a former city solicitor, defeated Republican Marty Nothstein in the race to replace former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a Republican moderate and leading critic of President Trump who resigned this year.

The district is a true swing district, voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016 while backing Republicans for Congress in recent years.

With Wild's victory, Democratic women have now won three Pennsylvania seats seen as critical in the fight for control of the U.S. House.

Chrissy Houlahan wins open seat in Pennsylvania in another pick-up for Democrats

Democrat Chrissy Houlahan won election to the Chester County-based Sixth Congressional District.

She defeated Republican Greg McCauley. With her victory and that of fellow Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania will have at least two women representing it in the U.S. House.

As some races are called, anxious candidates and supporters wait for others

As of 10 p.m., the competitive congressional races around Philadelphia had not yet been called, leaving throngs of supporters anxiously checking phones and watching TV screens as they mingled at watch parties across the region.

"We're anxious to get the results," said Kathy Murray, one of U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's sisters. Murray and another sister said they were cautiously optimistic as they waited for the rest of the family to arrive at the watch party at the Bucks County Republican headquarters in Doylestown: "He worked very hard, so we hope he does well."

In one of the closest races in the country, Fitzpatrick is running against Democrat Scott Wallace to represent Pennsylvania's Bucks County-based First Congressional District.

Meanwhile, at Wallace's party at the Sheraton in Langhorne, his son Robert began playing keyboard, accompanied by a vocalist.

Mary Gay Scanlon wins open seat in Pennsylvania, a pick-up for Democrats

Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon won the race to represent Delaware County, South Philly, and portions of Montgomery County in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District.

Scanlon, an attorney at the Center City firm Ballard Spahr, defeats Pearl Kim, a former prosecutor for the Delaware County District Attorney's Office and state Attorney General's Office.

The newly drawn district favors Democrats. Scanlon's victory in the open seat represents an important victory for Democrats, who are hoping it will be one of several they pick up across the country in their bid to take control of the U.S. House.

Scanlon's victory also means the end of the all-male status of the Pennsylvania delegation.

Philly voters once again sign off on the city borrowing money

Philadelphia voters approved $181 million in borrowing Tuesday, giving the city a financial boost to pay for building and maintenance projects. The borrowed funds will be split into several pools of money, including $5.1 million toward transit projects and $26.6 million toward parks, recreation and museums, among others.

Philly voters have approved borrowing money every year for more than two decades.

With 56 percent of the vote tallied, the measure was being supported by a nearly 7 to 3 margin.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross wins reelection in South Jersey

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, a Democrat from Camden, won reelection to New Jersey's First Congressional District.

He defeated Republican Paul Dilks.

With 75 percent of precincts reporting, Norcross had 64 percent of the vote, while Dilks had 34 percent.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle wins reelection in Philly

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat from Philadelphia, handily won reelection to represent Pennsylvania's Second Congressional District.

He defeated Republican David Torres.

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans wins reelection in Philly

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a Democrat from Philadelphia, easily won reelection in Pennsylvania's Third Congressional District..

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez wins tight reelection race in New Jersey

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez won reelection in a race that became so close that Democrats began to worry voters would oust the New Jersey Democrat in a state that hadn't elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972.

In the end, Menendez weathered the barrage of attacks from Republican Bob Hugin, a former pharmaceutical CEO who regularly highlighted Menendez's federal corruption trial, which ended in a hung jury last year. Federal prosecutors later dropped the case, but the trial — and a later Senate Ethics Committee reprimand — continued to dog Menendez throughout the campaign.

That left the state's voters, who generally vote Democratic, with a dilemma: Support an unpopular senator or potentially give up their shot at taking control of the Senate.

Tuesday, the voters made their decision, reelecting Menendez.

Hugin, speaking to supporters at his watch party after the networks' projections, did not concede the race.

Menendez is expected to address his supporters shortly.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey wins reelection in Pennsylvania

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a two-term Democrat from Scranton, has won a third six-year term.

Casey defeated his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta.

The race in many ways became a referendum on President Trump: Barletta was cochair of Trump's campaign in Pennsylvania and urged by the president to run for the seat. Trump held rallies with Barletta, and Vice President Mike Pence held a fundraiser for him in Philly earlier this year. Casey, meanwhile, had support from former President Barack Obama, who held an event with him in Philadelphia in September.

Gov. Wolf wins reelection

Gov. Wolf, a Democrat, has won a second term.

Wolf defeats his Republican opponent, Scott Wagner.

Wolf, who was first elected in 2014, ran a relatively mild campaign that created a contrast with Wagner, a former state senator known for his colorful, blunt language, and tactics.

His reelection was considered a priority for Democrats, including national Democrats, because Republicans are widely expected to retain control of both chambers of the state legislature.

Voters in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote

Polls closed at 8 p.m., though voters who are in line at that time will be allowed to cast their ballots as long as they do not leave.

However, no one new is allowed to join the line.

Pennsylvania congressional candidate uninjured in Election Night car accident

Madeleine Dean, the Democratic candidate for the Montgomery County-based Fourth Congressional District, was involved in a car accident, her son tweeted.

"But the driver was a supporter and 'had been praying for [Dean's] victory,'" Pat Cunnane wrote. "All in all, it's been a bang-up day (and everyone is okay)!"

Rendell on the bullhorn to get out the vote

In the last hours of the election, former Gov. Ed Rendell is driving around South Philly to get out the vote.

South Philly is part of the newly redrawn Fifth Congressional District, which also includes Delaware County and part of Montgomery County. Rendell traveled with fellow Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon, who is running for U.S. Congress in the district.

"We've got one thing to do, and rain can't stop us," he said through megaphones on top of the car. "The one thing to do between now and eight o'clock: If you haven't voted yet, get out and vote."

Rendell said he saw high turnout first-hand Tuesday while criss-crossing the Lehigh Valley. "Anger at Donald Trump" was the common theme, he said, especially in black communities across the region.

"The turnout in Philadelphia is remarkable when you consider we don't even have any competitive races," said the former mayor of the city.

Why is there a Bible at my polling place?

Bibles provided to election workers as an option for them to use to be sworn in were left visible on tables in some polling places in Philadelphia, causing confusion among voters, some of whom took to social media to express concern.

City Commissioner Al Schmidt said the Bibles have long been made available for judges of election, who can choose to pick one up alongside other materials — including "I VOTED TODAY" stickers — before polls open. Election workers can then use the Bibles to swear in, if they choose. (No one is required to use a Bible.)

This election, Schmidt said, the Bibles came with a note to clarify the longstanding policy: After being used to swear workers in, the Bibles should be placed back in the box and returned with other materials after the election.

"Nothing is different this year than in years past," he said. "The only thing different is we provided additional written guidance for election boards so they're aware."

Bibles being left out on polling place tables has happened before — there were two calls about it in the May primary, Schmidt said — but social media drew increased attention to them this election.

Asked what a voter concerned about seeing a Bible should do, Schmidt was emphatic: Report any concerns.

"If voters feel intimidated for any reason — it doesn't really matter what the reason is — voter intimidation is something that should be reported to the District Attorney's office," Schmidt said. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office election task force is available at 215-686-9641.

Oh, and there's one other reason you might find a Bible in your polling place: You're voting in a church.

Strong early turnout reported

A larger-than-usual turnout is being reported at polling places around the region.

Lines formed even before polling stations opened and some voters faced up to half-hour waits to cast ballots.

Social media posts showed long lines at Philadelphia polling places.

By 7:20 a.m. — 20 minutes after the polls opened — 46 people already had voted at one district in Oreland, Montgomery County. A poll worker said that was unusually high considering that in past years as few as five voters had arrived by that time.

 >>IMAGE GALLERY: Photos from polling places in and around Philly

In Cherry Hill at the Trinity Presbyterian Church polling site, more than 300 had voted as of 11 a.m. despite the rain and some lines. That number exceeds the 200 who voted all day in the last midterms, according to a poll worker.

At Haverford College, which has a new polling place this Election Day after a yearslong battle, voters on campus cast ballots at a closer location. A long line was reported when the polling station opened, and about 225 voters had cast ballots by 10:15 a.m.

Late openings, machine malfunctions delay voting for some in Philly

Some early-morning voters in Philadelphia were inconvenienced because at least seven polling places opened late and at least 13 others had malfunctioning machines, according to election protection watchers.

"This unfortunately is a typical election morning in Philadelphia," said Micah Sims, executive director of Common Cause of Pennsylvania, part of the coalition of organizations statewide working to protect voting rights. Philadelphia has more than 800 polling places.

But, he added, the higher-than-usual turnout in the morning meant more people were affected by the problems than during a typical midterm.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said late afternoon it had received 40 calls to its election fraud task force, of which 19 included instances of alleged electioneering. "No other significant issues as we head into the evening rush," the office said.

In the 51st ward, sixth division, where voters from a deep-blue corner of Southwest Philadelphia cast their ballots in the basement of the Kingsessing library, one machine was out of commission entirely and poll workers had to repeatedly restart the other. As a result, a line snaked out the door.

Despite the problems, committeewoman Gloria Turner was in high spirits, saying turnout was the highest for a midterm in recent memory, with 115 voters casting ballots by 8:45 a.m.

Another Philadelphia voter, Leslie Billhymer, said problems at her district had dragged on to the point that some voters left without casting their ballots.

Billhymer said in an interview that she was in line just before 7 a.m., but didn't vote until nearly 8 a.m. due to issues with the voting machines. She said she was voter number 12 when she left around 7:50 a.m., and that dozens of people were in line behind her.

Others reported similar late starts, with one voter, Rob Rosen, a paralegal, reporting that his polling station, located in a house in Northeast Philadelphia, did not open until an hour after it was supposed to. Rosen said about three dozen people were waiting to vote when he arrived a little after 7 a.m. and some left in frustration before the polling place opened.

Elsewhere, problems so far appear to be mostly minor. At one polling station in Mount Laurel, the machines were not working when it opened and early voters had to cast provisional ballots. In Phoenixville, the first 108 people who voted at the Phoenixville Senior Center were given incorrect ballots. Mayor Peter Urscheler posted a photo of an inaccurate ballot on his Facebook page, and encouraged voters with receipts that read "467 Phoenixville MID-1 155th," and were numbered between 0001-0108, to return to the center before polls close to re-cast their votes.

Why today is Election Day

Election Day is set on the first Tuesday of November after the first Monday of the month. So the earliest day for an election is Nov. 2 and the last is Nov. 8.

It dates back to a law passed by Congress in 1845 to specifically address the election for president and vice president. But why Tuesday?

It may seem like a hassle to plan your vote around a random Tuesday, but in 1845, it was pretty convenient. Back then, voting day couldn't be on a Monday — that would mean that some people would have to start making the trek out to vote in their horse and buggies on the Sabbath. But, Wednesday was "market day," according to an NPR article detailing the tradition. So Tuesday it was. And why November? The fall harvest had ended and weather was still OK enough for travel.

Luckily, things are a little different now. Philadelphia has more than 800 polling locations, which means many able-bodied voters live just a stone's throw away from where they cast a ballot.

About those ‘I Voted’ stickers

Your social media feeds are likely filled with friends, family, and loved ones showing off their newly minted "I Voted" stickers.

While grabbing one after casting a ballot may be second-nature to you now, did you know that those little stickers aren't actually that old? While the sticker's origins aren't completely known, it's believed that they came about in the 1980s as a way to raise awareness on Election Day, according to Time.

The Miami Herald made mention of such a sticker in 1982, while the Phoenix Realtors Association says that it "initiated" the sticker three years later, the magazine reported in 2016.

 >> READ MORE: Free election day food: salted caramel budino, Shake Shack fries and more

Janet Boudreau, of Intab, an election-supply company, says the North Carolina-based business started making the classic oval-shaped sticker featuring a billowing American flag in 1987.

"Others claim to have created that design, but I copyrighted it long ago," Boudreau told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2016.

But all "I Voted" stickers are not created equal.

Some cities step outside of the box — ones in Georgia feature a peach, the state's official fruit — while voters in Las Vegas wear stickers that depict the famed strip, according to CityLab.

What about Philly? City Council shared a few ideas early Tuesday.

The Susan B. Anthony tradition

Rochester, N.Y., voters have made a habit of paying their respects to famed suffragette Susan B. Anthony by leaving their "I Voted" stickers on her grave, but a similar tradition happened at The Woodlands cemetery in West Philadelphia just a few years back.

Columnist Will Bunch checked out the scene during the 2016 presidential election:

"Here in Philadelphia, partisans started swapping instructions on social media for finding the faded West Philadelphia tombstone of Mary Grew, the city's best-known 19th century fighter for female voting, which led to a steady stream of visitors.
'My mother was 88 years old and before she died she told me she wanted a women president, so I'm doing it for them,' said Colleen Gasiorowski, a 64-year-old Penn administrator who left work early to visit Grew's grave site at the Woodlands Cemetery. 'For my mother, for Mary [Grew], for Susan B. Anthony for all the women over the years I had to be here and write something' on a white board. 'I can't talk about it without crying.'"

"Given the rain, unfortunately we haven't had a lot of visitors here," Emma Max, program and operations coordinator at The Woodlands, said Tuesday.

Max is hopeful, however, that voters will turn out later this afternoon when the weather is expected to clear.

Grew's grave is found in Section C, Lot 559 at the cemetery. Find a map and read a little more about her life on The Woodlands' website as you await today's election results.

Your Election Day weather forecast

It has stopped raining in Center City, but the forecast says lingering showers are likely until an hour or two before the polls close at 8 p.m.

A line of thunderstorms, packing potentially damaging high winds, could move through the area this afternoon.

It will be warmer than usual for this time of year with a high of about 64 degrees this afternoon and going down to about 60 when the polls close at 8 p.m.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high around 61 on Wednesday.

What’s at stake

In Pennsylvania, statewide balloting will be underway for governor and one U.S. Senate seat. Also, all 203 seats in the state House of Representatives and 25 of the 50 seats in the state Senate are up for election.

The only statewide race in New Jersey is for one U.S. Senate seat. Garden State voters also are being asked to approve a $500 million bond issue for education.

Every U.S. House seat is up for election and in Pennsylvania there are special elections to fill the remaining terms of two House seats, including the old Seventh District covering parts of Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster Counties.

You can use our voters guide to see who is running for state or federal office based on your address or to see the overview of candidates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. We also answer frequently asked questions.

Run into problems at the polls on Tuesday? Let us know.

Races to watch

It may take a while for election results to pour in, but the Inquirer and Daily News has rounded up what to watch locally and nationally before the polls close.

Political writer Jonathan Tamari looks at what's going on in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, breaking down the battlegrounds, what races could indicate a blue wave or red tide, as well as other important themes and races across the country to keep an eye on, like the governor's races in Georgia and Florida.

National congressional races more your speed? Rob Tornoe has a digestible look at the 10 most competitive Senate races to watch, from Arizona to West Virginia.

 >>READ MORE: What Pa., N.J. results could say about the U.S. House and Senate outcomes
 >>READ MORE: The most important Senate races for the 2018 midterm election

Staff writers Jan Hefler, Ronnie Polaneczky, Samantha Melamed, Chris Palmer, Mark Fazlollah, Erin McCarthy, Jonathan Tamari, Amy S. Rosenberg, Justine McDaniel, Laura McCrystal, Angela Couloumbis, Tommy Rowan, and Maddie Hanna contributed to this report.