Election Night 2012

[Phony Moderate]

Good evening, I'm Chris Matthews, and welcome to the Election Night 2012 special edition of Hardball here on MSNBC. Tonight, after a long and formidable campaign, we will find out who will lead this country for the next four years. Will Americans give another mandate to incumbent President Barack Obama, or will they give former Utah Governor and former U.S. China Ambassador Jon Huntsman a chance to be arguably the most powerful person on earth? Well, the pollsters aren't calling it, we aren't calling it, and I doubt that either campaign is calling it. Aside from the presidential race, a third of the Senate is up for grabs tonight, as well as the entire House of Representives, and several Governors Mansions. We will be keeping you up to date on events as they happen over the next 10 hours or so. We can now join Rachel Maddow to give us updates on the Obama campaign. Rachel?

Thank you Chris. President Obama and the First Lady cast their votes this morning in their home state of Illinois, before the President made final campaign stops in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Meanwhile Vice President Biden and wife both spent today campaigning in Florida. They will join the Obama family later in Chicago to watch the returns. The campaign team remains confident of a victory tonight, and thinks turnout could be higher than expected. Back to you Chris.

Okay, let's go now to David Gregory who has been following the Huntsman campaign.

Well, after a 17-month run for the White House, Jon Huntsman looked calm and confident as he gave a final campaign speech in Ohio. He had cast his vote early in the morning in Utah. Senator Cornyn was campaigning in Virginia through most of today. The campaign is disappointed that the polls have tightened in recent weeks, but they remain optimistic. Chris.

[Yelnoc]

I'll be reading this

[HST1948]

Great! I've been waiting for a Huntsman-Obama 2012 TL!

[Simfan34]

About time!

[Phony Moderate]

Welcome back. Its 7PM in the East, and the polls in six states have just closed.

Vermont Presidential - Barack Obama is the projected winner. No surprise.

Barack Obama - 196,774 - 62.4%
Jon Huntsman - 115,416 - 36.6%

Vermont Senatorial - We are projecting that the Independent Senator Bernie Sanders will win a second term.

Bernie Sanders - 211,831 - 67.8%
Thom Lauzon - 96,855 - 31%

Indiana Presidential - Jon Huntsman is the projected winner. This is again no surprise, although Indiana did vote for then-Senator Obama in 2008.

Jon Huntsman - 1,433,184 - 54%
Barack Obama - 1,175,742 - 44.3%

Indiana Senatorial - Republican Senator Dick Lugar, who narrowly won his primary against the Tea Party-backed Richard Mourdock, is projected to win a seventh term.

Richard Lugar - 1,682,213 - 64.6%
Joe Donnelly - 869,751 - 33.4%

[Phony Moderate]

South Carolina Presidential - We are projecting that Jon Huntsman is the winner. Another expected result.

Jon Huntsman - 1,044,671 - 56.2%
Barack Obama - 795,586 - 42.8%