Open Thread: 2018 Election Day

With the midterm elections in the United States concluding today, as usual I feel it’s appropriate to create a separate thread to cover the news that will unfold.

Also as usual, this thread will have two notes:

1. This is an inherently political thread. If you are not comfortable with discussing politics, then you may wish not to participate in this thread. If you do participate, keep discussion respectful. The simplest way to put it: attack ideas, not people.

2. There will be no hectoring from me saying that you should or shouldn’t vote. If you don’t have a major dog in any race, then by all means feel free to pass this election by. But if you do, then there is worth in casting your vote. Also remember that federal and state elections are only a portion of what’s at stake. There may be elections in your localities–city or county governments, citizen initiatives, school districts, highway districts, and the like–where your vote may be more impactful due to being part of a smaller electorate.