Election Day 2017 is upon us — and we're watching races in Virginia (polls close at 7:00 p.m. ET), New Jersey (polls close at 8:00 p.m. ET), New York City (polls close at 9:00 p.m. ET) and Utah (polls close at 10:00 p.m. ET).
Follow the NBC News live blog for real-time updates, results, exit polls, analysis and more, and tune into MSNBC for complete coverage.
That's a Wrap
Here are key highlights from the Election 2017 live blog on NBC News:
- Democrats began what they hope will be the start of a major political comeback Tuesday, nearly one year to the day Donald Trump pulled off an upset victory that left the party demoralized, leaderless and pointing fingers.
- Virginia Democrat Ralph Northam easily cruised to victory over Republican Ed Gillespie in a race in that looked as if it had been tightening in recent weeks. The success translated down the ballot as well, with Democrats making major gains in the state legislature.
- In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy soundly defeated Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Guadagno proved unable to separate herself from Gov. Chris Christie, who will leave office as one of the nation’s most unpopular elected officials.
- Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio handily won a second term, while voters in Maine chose to expand access to Medicaid, overruling the state's Republican governor.
Northam Rebukes Trump Without Naming Him in Victory Speech
Virginia Gov.-Elect Ralph Northam condemned the president and promised unity in his victory speech on Tuesday night.
“Today, Virginia has told us to end the divisiveness, that we will not condone hatred and bigotry, and to end the politics that have torn this country apart,” the Democrat and former military doctor said. “In Virginia, it’s going to take a doctor to heal our differences, to bring unity to our people, and I’m here to let you know that the doctor is in.”
Virginia's gubernatorial race focused on many of the themes that Trump himself ran on, including crime and immigration, with opponent Ed Gillespie running ads that accused Northam of aiding criminal immigrants by casting a tie-breaking vote against a sanctuary city ban while lieutenant governor.
“We live in a very diverse society it is getting more diverse every day, it is that diverse society that makes this country great,” he said. “As governor, I will make sure that we will be inclusive — our doors will be open.”
Northam Victory Speech Disrupted by Apparent Protesters
Virginia Gov.-elect Ralph Northam was rushed off stage by a security official at the start of his victory speech Tuesday night.
Three protesters were seen heckling Northam and holding homemade signs, including one Northam sign with the word "sanctuary" written across it. The protesters appeared to be escorted out of the victory party.
Northam said last week he would sign a ban on sanctuary cities as governor after Republican opponent Ed Gillespie campaigned on threats of MS-13 gang violence. Northam had previously voted against such a ban.
Northam returned promptly to the podium to speak and did not address the disruption.
Virginians Turned Out in Big Numbers Tuesday
Virginians turned out in large numbers Tuesday despite the rainy and cold weather that gripped parts of the state.
More than 2,500,000 votes had been counted as of 10:16 p.m. Tuesday. That total dwarfs turnout for the past two Virginia gubernatorial elections. 2,240,314 voters cast ballots in 2013, and 1,984,934 voted in 2009.
Democrats eagerly worked to mobilize voters in the state in an effort to repudiate President Donald Trump one year after his surprise election victory. Republicans were hopeful Virginia, which Hillary Clinton won in 2016, would deliver another surprise blow to Democrats.
Republican John Curtis Wins Utah Special Election, NBC News Projects
Republican John Curtis, the mayor of Provo, Utah, won the special election for Utah's 3rd Congressional District, NBC News projects, handily defeating Democrat Kathie Allen.
With 69 percent of the vote in at 11:05 p.m. ET, Curtis had 59 percent of the vote, while Allen received 26 percent.
Maine Votes to Expand Medicaid, Flouting GOP
Mainers voted to expand access to Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, overruling Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
The ballot measure will give an estimated 80,000 low-income Mainers access to health care. It also offers an important test of the health care law's popularity amid efforts of President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders to dismantle it.
Maine is one of 19 states whose Republican leadership declined to expand access to Medicaid under Obamacare. Maine is the first to use a ballot initiative to expand it anyway, after LePage vetoed five attempts by the state’s legislature to expand the program.
Maine's ballot initiative could be the first of many: Advocates have filed paperwork to try and get initiatives on the ballot in Idaho and Utah in 2018.
Boyfriend of Slain TV Journalist Elected to Virginia Statehouse
Democrat Chris Hurst, a former television journalist whose girlfriend was shot on live television, was elected to Virginia's House of Delegates on Tuesday.
The Associated Press declared Hurst the winner over Republican Joseph Yost in what was one of the state's most expensive House of Delegates campaigns.
Hurst spent six years as a reporter for WDBJ-TV where he met Alison Parker, a 24-year-old reporter shot and killed during a live broadcast in 2015.
Exit Polls: Virginia Democrats Make Gains Among Voters Under 30
Virginia's Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam picked up picked up support among a large number of subgroups Tuesday night, especially among voters under 30, white women, moderates and those with college degrees.
Among white women and voters under 30, Democrats improved on their margins compared to 2013 largely by taking support from Libertarian candidates.
Among white women voters, Gillespie was still the favored candidate over Northam, but the Democratic candidate brought the edge to a 3-point margin.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Wins Re-Election, NBC News Projects
Democratic incumbent Bill de Blasio cruised to re-election Tuesday in New York City, NBC News projects.
The mayor was expected to win handily despite less-than-stellar approval ratings, as he lacked a serious challenger in the general election or the primary before it.
De Blasio is the first Democratic mayor to win re-election since Ed Koch's third-term election in 1985; he ran a low-key campaign that championed his investments in housing and education, namely free prekindergarten, his chief first term win.
Democrats Make Major Gains in Virginia State House
Virginia Democrats have picked up 10 House of Delegates seats and lead in seven more races, putting them within striking distance of taking the majority in the state legislature.
Democrats needed to flip 17 seats heading into Tuesday to retake the majority. And while the gubernatorial contest between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie has dominated national attention, the 100 seats in the state’s House of Delegates could end up being the true bellwethers to gauge Democratic Party's strength ahead of the 2018 midterms.
Virginia House Democratic Leader David Toscano called the results “unprecedented,” noting that the last time Democrats won more than five seats in a single year was 1975. "This isn't a wave, this is a tsunami,” he told NBC News.
Alex Seitz-Wald contributed reporting from Fairfax, Virginia.
DNC Chair: Virginia Is 'Blueprint' For New Democratic Party
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez heralded Democrat Ralph Northam’s win in Virginia as “a blueprint for what we’re doing everywhere.”
“This is a really important night, and it’s not only an important night for Virginia, but it’s a blueprint for what we’re doing everywhere which is competing in every zip code, and telling our story,” he told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
The DNC has been embroiled in scandal after a new book by former interim chair highlighted a fundraising deal between the Clinton campaign and the Committee well before she’d won the nomination, earning further calls of a “rigged” election by the president.
“The new DNC demonstrated its commitment to organizing for our values,” Perez said in a statement emailed to reporters minutes later. “Tonight’s success is just the beginning."
Democrats Win A.G. and Lt. Gov Races in Virginia
Democrats continue to roll in Virginia as incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring skated to re-election and Justin Fairfax became the state’s next lieutenant governor, NBC News projects.
Fairfax will take the job vacated by Democratic Governor-elect Ralph Northam.
Gillespie ‘Did Not Embrace Me,' Trump Tweets
President Donald Trump blamed Virginia's Republican gubernatorial candidate for losing Tuesday night, tweeting that Ed Gillespie "worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for."
But Gillespie did embrace much of Trump's message, running dark anti-sanctuary city ads about crime and the MS-13 gang and vowing to protect Confederate statues. Trump tweeted support of the candidate, and recorded a robocall for him, too.
In early exit polling by NBC News, 49 percent of Virginia voters said that Trump was not a factor in their vote for governor. Another 32 percent said one reason for their vote was to express opposition to Trump. Just 16 percent said their vote was guided by support for Trump.
Quiet, Then Cheers, at Northam's Election Night Party
Fairfax, Va. — Attendees were still trickling into Ralph Northam’s election night party here when NBC News called race for the Democrat almost two hours before most were expecting a result.
The sound on the TVs at the front of the room had not been turned on when the race was initially called, but a cheer went up in the crowd as soon as their attention was turned to the screens. The room at the George Mason University student center quickly took on a party vibe as attendees headed to the bar and live musicians took the stage.
Sources: Ed Gillespie Has Called Ralph Northam to Concede
Republican Ed Gillespie has called Democrat Ralph Northam to concede, two sources familiar with the call said Tuesday night.
Northam defeated Gillespie in the Virginia governor's race, according to NBC News projections.
Updated: Danica Roem Becomes Virginia's First Transgender State Legislator
Democrat Danica Roem became the first transgender person to be elected to Virginia's state legislature on Tuesday after defeating a 13-term member of Virginia's House of Delegates.
Roem, a former newspaper reporter, defeated three other Democrats in the primary. Once she is sworn in in January, she will be the first openly transgender legislator seated.
Stacie Laughton, who is openly transgender, was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2012. She never took the seat because it emerged between Election Day and her swearing in that in 2008 she (then known as Barry Charles Laughton) had been sentenced to prison for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud. Althea Garrison from Massachusetts was elected in 1992 and served one term, but never self-identified as transgender.
Hillary Clinton won Roem's district with more than 54 percent of the vote in the 2016 election.
Democrat Ralph Northam Wins Virginia Governor's Race, NBC News Projects
Democrat Ralph Northam bested Republican Ed Gillespie to win Virginia's governor's race, NBC News projects.
Polls showed Gillespie closing the gap on Northam in the final weeks of what had become a bitter and negative campaign. But the Democrat easily held on Tuesday after a race in which he focused heavily on tying Gillespie to President Donald Trump.
Hillary Clinton defeated Trump by five points in Virginia in 2016.
Democrats Celebrate Early Local Win in New Hampshire
The Democratic National Committee congratulated Democrat Joyce Craig for winning the Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral race Tuesday, unseating Republican incumbent Mayor Ted Gatsas, who was running for his fifth term.
She will be the first ever woman to serve as mayor in Manchester.
"It’s time for a new era of economic vibrancy, and Mayor-elect Craig has what it takes to make it happen,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement emailed to reporters.
A Twitter account that appears to be Gatsas’ campaign tweeted a concession. “Congratulations to Mayor-elect @JoyceCraigNH and her team on a hard fought victory!” he wrote. The pair faced off in the same race in 2015, with Gatsas winning by just 64 votes, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Media Trickles in at Ralph Northam Election Night Party
The Virginia governor's race is the main event for many political watchers waiting on Tuesday's returns. But it appears Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam has not drawn the same level of media interest as Democratic House candidate Jon Ossoff did when he ran for Congress in June.
Ossoff unsuccessfully ran for the seat vacated by former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. Democrats hoped to score an upset win in the traditionally red district in what was one of the first high-profile races since President Donald Trump's election.
Democrat Phil Murphy Projected to Win New Jersey Governor's Race
Democrat Phil Murphy defeated Republican Kim Guadagno in the New Jersey governor’s race on Tuesday, according to an NBC News projection.
Murphy will succeed Chris Christie, who leaves office as one of the most unpopular governors in the country and his anemic 14 percent approval rating helped drag down Guadagno, the state’s lieutenant governor.
Two More GOP Reps Say They Won't Run For Re-Election Next Year
Voting is still underway in most states in this year’s elections, but two Republican congressmen on Tuesday announced their decisions to not run for re-election next year.
Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) and Ted Poe (R-Texas) both said Tuesday, in separate statements, that they would not run for re-election in 2018.
The pair are the latest GOP lawmakers to announce they won't seek re-election in 2018, following Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Lamar Smith (R-Texas), last week.
Bad Weather in Virginia Could Impact Results
FAIRFAX, Va. — A cold rain has blanketed much of Virginia Tuesday, which is generally seen as a bad sign for Democrats, since their voters tend to be less reliable in non-presidential elections.
“I’d prefer if it wasn’t raining,” Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe quipped at Democrat Ralph Northam’s election night party here. Studies have shown rain can depress turnout by as much as 1 percent, which can be critical in a close race, though other research has found the effect is only significant in non-competitive elections.
The only dry part of the state, McAuliffe noted, was Hampton Roads area, Northam’s home base and a key source of Democratic votes. And rain or not, reports suggest turnout is generally high in the Democratic stronghold of northern Virginia.
Virginia Governor’s Race: Too Early to Call
Polls are officially closed in Virginia, though voters in line at 7 p.m. can still cast their ballots.
The state’s three biggest races — for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general — are all too early to call, according to the NBC News Decision Desk.
Get the latest results as they come in here.
Early Exit Polls: Health Care Most Important Issue for Virginia Voters
Health care is a priority for Virginia voters, according to early results from the NBC News exit poll, with 37 percent citing it as the most important issue to their vote.
Gun policy follows with 17 percent, 14 percent said immigration and another 14 percent said taxes. Only 9 percent of Virginia voters said abortion is the issue that mattered most in deciding how they voted for governor.
Early Exit Polls: (Almost) Everybody Hates Christie
Early exit poll results in today’s race for New Jersey governor confirm: Chris Christie is the least popular governor in America.
Only 19 percent of New Jersey voters so far said they approve of the job Christie is doing, while a whopping 79 percent disapprove.
One year ago, during the 2016 general election, 72 percent of Jersey voters said they disapproved of Christie's performance.
Ralph Northam: We've Hit Back Against 'Despicable' Attacks
Ralph Northam called the negative ads run against him "despicable" and said he feels he has done enough to counter GOP governor candidate Ed Gillespie's attacks.
"These ads he’s been running are inaccurate, No. 1, and they’re despicable. And it's unfortunate he has taken that direction," Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial candidate told NBC News' Chuck Todd.
Watch the full interview:
New 'I Voted' Sticker Honors Women's Suffrage in New York
New Yorkers are enjoying a new “I voted” sticker at the polls this year. The sticker honors the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, which became state law November 6, 1917, three years before women were granted the right to vote nationwide.
The sticker features Rosalie Jones, a suffragist who led a 150 mile-long march from New York City to Albany in December 1912 with a petition that earned the governor-elect's support for the movement.
Early Exit Polls: Virginia Voters Favor Keeping Confederate Monuments
The debate about how to remember prominent figures in the former Confederacy rose to the forefront of the Virginia race for governor since the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past August.
Republican candidate Ed Gillespie has indicated he supports leaving monuments to Confederate leaders in place but adding relevant historical details as context for why they stand. His opponent — current Lieutenant Governor and Democratic candidate Ralph Northam — has said he would pressure localities to take them down if he were elected.
But a majority of voters say that monuments to Confederate leaders should be left in place. Just 36 percent said that statues on government property should be removed.
Early Exit Polls: Trump Not a Factor in Governor Races
One of the key questions about today’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey is whether or not these races are a referendum on President Donald Trump. Of course, he is not on the ballot today and we do not know yet which candidates have won or lost.
But we asked voters if one reason for their vote for today was to express support for or opposition to the president. According to early NBC News exit poll results, just under half of Virginia voters said that Trump was not a factor in their vote for governor. In New Jersey, 57 percent said that Trump wasn’t a factor.
So while many politicians reading tea leaves might want to see the trends of future elections based on this one, the voters so far tell us that this election is about what is going on in Virginia and New Jersey, not how they feel about the president.
The Virginia Ad Wars
The advertisements running in the Virginia’s governor’s race between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie have been dramatic, controversial, and — for many in the state — overwhelming. Here’s a breakdown from the ad tracking group Advertising Analytics LLC of who saw what.
The most run ad of the election was a Northam spot called “Enron Ed,” painting Gillespie as a Washington lobbyist intent on furthering President Donald Trump’s agenda. The ad ran 4,000 times since Sept. 21.
Gillespie’s most run ad was the infamous ad “Gang Violence,” which warned about the threat posed from the gang MS-13. That ran 1,900 times.
Both parties ramped up negative ad spending in the final two months of the campaign, Advertising Analytics found. And despite the attention given to the Latino Victory Fund ad featuring a pickup truck flying a Confederate flag chasing children, the ad only aired five times.
Chris Christie Feuds With Voter Outside Polling Place
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will not go quietly.
The outgoing governor got into a spat with a voter outside a polling place on Election Day in the Garden State after she asked why he did not merge Mendham Township and Mendham Borough during his eight years in office.
Things quickly escalated after Christie, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016, told the Mendham Township resident he did not have the authority to merge the two.
"You’re so frustrated, and you know what the easiest thing in the world, the easiest thing in the world, is to stand where you stand and stand on the sidelines and critique," Christie said.
He then told the woman he didn't think she would not run for office to address the issue because it's "too hard."
"That's the joy of public service. It's serving folks like you that really is such a unique joy," he added.
Christie’s poll numbers have plummeted since his commanding re-election win in 2013. A Quinnipiac University poll released late last month found just 15 percent of New Jersey residents have a favorable view of the governor.
His unpopularity is weighing heavy on Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno’s bid to become the state’s next governor. She trails Democrat Phil Murphy by double digits in most polls.
Virginia NAACP Warns of Effort to Send Voters to Wrong Polling Place
An NAACP chapter in northern Virginia is warning that voters there are receiving fraudulent phone calls attempting to direct people to incorrect polling places.
“It is vital that everyone knows these phone calls are fraudulent and are attempted voter suppression,” the Prince William County NAACP wrote in a Facebook post. The group said voter protection services has been notified.
Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by more than 41,000 votes in Prince William County in 2016. Voters unsure of their polling place are encouraged to visit the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Poll: In ‘Trump Counties,’ More Say U.S. Is Worse Off Than Better Off
One year after Donald Trump’s shocking election upset, many Americans who live in the key counties that propelled him to victory remain unconvinced that the country is better off now that he’s in the White House, a new poll from NBC News and The Wall Street Journal shows.
The poll, which sampled residents of 438 counties that either flipped from voting Democratic in the 2012 presidential election to Republican in 2016, or saw a significant surge for Trump last year, found that a third — 32 percent — believe the country is better off now than it was before Trump became president.
Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates Cast Their Votes
Virginia gubernatorial candidates Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam cast their votes early Tuesday morning.
Gillespie, after casting his ballot, told reporters he appreciated Trump's message of support and noted "this race is very, very close."
"Every vote is going to count today," he said.
Trump Tweets Support for Ed Gillespie
President Donald Trump, currently on an 11-day, multi-country trip to Asia, promised on Monday that Virginia's economy would boom if voters chose the Republican gubernatorial candidate at the polls.
Last month, former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail for Gillespie's opponent, Democrat Ralph Northam.
Looking for a National Bellwether? Watch Virginia's Statehouse Races.
The most useful elections to follow on Tuesday could be the ones off most political journalists' radar: All 100 seats in Virginia's House of Delegates are up for grabs, and the results could be a good harbinger of the high-stakes 2018 midterms.
How many seats Democrats gain on Tuesday could tell us whether they are on track to win the House next year.
Election Day 2017: What You Need to Know
Hello, and thank you for spending Election Night 2017 with us. NBC News politics reporters and editors will be live blogging throughout the day and into the evening Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know about the four biggest races, and what to watch for as the returns come in.
New Jersey Governor's Race: Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno vs. Democrat Phil Murphy
New Jersey elections have often elevated centrists, but not this time. The New Jersey gubernatorial race is a battle of partisans. Progressive Democratic candidate Murphy leads the state's Republican lieutenant governor, the unpopular retiring Gov. Chris Christie’s former running mate, in the polls.
What to watch: How do voters decide on key issues? Murphy said he’d support becoming a sanctuary state "if need be" to protect undocumented immigrants; former prosecutor and sheriff Guadagno accused him of protecting criminals. Taxes are the other big talker, with Murphy saying he’ll raise them to pay for his priorities, while Guadagno says she won’t run for a second term if she doesn’t cut the property tax.
Virginia Governor's Race: Republican Ed Gillespie vs. Democrat Ralph Northam
Virginia’s gubernatorial race has the potential to be a squeaker. Polls have showed the race tighteningrapidly with Gillespie closing the gap on Northam, who was leading by double digits early last month.
What to watch: Trump has loomed over this contest, with Gillespie promising to protect Confederate statues and running TV ads highlighting MS-13 gang violence, and it could be a measure of how Virginians' feel about the president. Most likely voters in the Washington Post-Schar School poll said their view of president was important to their decision.
Utah's 3rd Congressional District: Republican John Curtis holds lead in crowded race
Utah’s 3rd Congressional district will go to the polls to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who left Congress this summer. Republican nominee John Curtis, the mayor of Provo, Utah, is the favorite in the red district; he faces Democrat Kathie Allen, new moderate conservative party United Utah candidate Jim Bennett, one Libertarian, an independent and two approved write-in candidates.
What to watch: Does United Utah garner a substantial share of the vote? This is the first time the newly-formed party will appear on a general election ballot.
New York City Mayoral Race: Incumbent Democrat Bill de Blasio vs. a slew of small challengers
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is likely headed toward re-election in New York City despite limited time on the campaign trail and less than stellar approval ratings. He's got four opponents, including Republican challenger Nicole Malliotakis, a state assemblywoman. An NBC 4 New York/Marist poll saw 58 percent of likely voters citywide supporting de Blasio, with just 16 percent supporting Malliotakis.
What to watch: Just how many people vote against this unpopular, but powerful, incumbent.