Election Night 2056: The Fate of America

[Blackacre]

So a little while back, in the random maps thread, I made a mini-timeline consisting of several posts detailing US Presidential elections. Everything from 2032 to 2052 and sorta beyond is there and accounted for, which you can check out over here. The big finale was going to be the 2056 election, but you know what? Why not make it more than just a post in an overcrowded thread? This is election night 2056! Pop in your favorite election night theme and let's get started!

6:45 PM EST

Good evening! I’m Taylor Weiss.

And I’m Ted Bessell! It’s 6:45 PM and you’re watching the Atlas News Network coverage of Election Night 2056! Thank you for tuning in, and happy Election Day!

Hope you’re enjoying your federal holiday, and don’t forget to submit your electronic ballot!

You have until your state’s poll closes to submit your vote! However, note that if you are waiting in line at your local library, they will let you in to vote, even if polls have already closed. So stay in line!

The first set of polls will close momentarily! We’re going to be keeping track of Presidential and Senatorial results throughout the night.

Taylor, tell them what the magic numbers are!

Certainly! President Derek Richardson and Governor Anna Byrd are both looking to get at least 278 electoral votes to win the Presidency. The Democratic and Republican parties are also vying for control of the Senate. They’ll need 53 seats to win control, or 52 seats plus the vice-presidency. The current balance of power in the Senate is 55 Republicans, 49 Democrats.


President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 0 EVs
Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 0 EVs
278 to win

Democrats: 37 Seats
Republicans: 32 Seats

[Blackacre]

Excited for this!

Thanks! I have it like 95% written on google drive already, so you dont have to worry about me not finishing this one

First update's coming in a couple minutes, after that it'll probably be a nightly thing

[Blackacre]

7:00 PM EST

Welcome back! We’ve just had poll closings in a number of states, and we have some results to report to you!

In the state of Georgia, a state that has voted Democratic more times than any other state in the union, we can project that Governor Anna Byrd has won. Governor Byrd has won the state of Georgia and its 19 electoral votes.

Similar news in Kentucky. Kentucky has voted Democratic in every Presidential election since 2024, often by large margins, mainly due to its prosperous and loyally Democratic Appalachian region. No surprise here, Governor Byrd has won this state and its 10 electoral votes.

Same story, different state! Puerto Rico has never voted Republican at the Presidential level since its admission to the union as a state in 2025. Tonight it continues that streak, awarding Governor Anna Byrd its 7 electoral votes. Similarly, Governor Byrd has won Vermont and its 3 electoral votes. The union’s second-smallest state hasn’t given a Republican its electoral votes since 1988, and President Richardson knew that wasn’t going to change tonight. Governor Byrd has won the state.

Speaking of President Richardson, the incumbent has something to celebrate at this hour, thanks to Indiana! The President is projected to win Indiana and its 12 electoral votes. No surprise in South Carolina either. The President’s homeland is the most Republican state on the East Coast, having only voted Democratic once since 1980. At risk of stating the obvious, President Richardson has won his home state of South Carolina and its 10 electoral votes.

Finally, Virginia is too close to call. Virginia has gone for the winner of the popular vote in every election but one since 2004. President Richardson is favored due to the continued rightward trend of the northern part of the state, but Governor Byrd is expected improve on past Democratic performance in the part of the state south of NoVa, so it’s anyone’s game. We repeat, Virginia right now is too close to call.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 39 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 22 EVs
278 to win

We’re also looking at the Senate races of the evening. When this class was last up in 2050, in the 6th year of the Lopez administration, Republicans made massive gains. It’s now up to them to defend those gains.

It starts out strong for them in Virginia, where Senator Daniel Holt will win re-election. Holt did have a credible opponent, State Attorney General Virginia Greene, but my man “Leinad” quickly proved to be the superior campaigner, and tonight it looks like he will win a second term in the Senate.

On the Democratic side, we can project that Georgia Senator Scarlet Carter will win a third term. No surprise here, Georgia is a solidly Democratic state and has had two Democrats in the Senate since 2033, but we can officially project that Senator Carter will serve another six years in the Senate.

We can also project that Kentucky Senator Louis V. Thunderman will win a second term, and by a substantial margin to boot. This is the seat once held by Mitch McConnell, now held by basically the exact opposite. Just goes to show how far Kentucky has fallen.

Hey, show our viewers in Kentucky some respect! Anyway, there are two races that are too close to call. In South Carolina, longtime Republican Senator Shane Martin chose not to seek a sixth term. Republican Lt. Governor Thomas Sunrise and Democratic Congresswoman Amber Moonfall have been locked in battle for this seat, and right now all we can say is that it is too close to call. The other is in Puerto Rico. Juan Miranda was the first Republican to ever win a Senate seat in this solidly Democratic state, and now he fights for his political life against former Democratic Governor Roberto Mendoza. This race is also too close to call.

Democrats: 39 Seats
Republicans: 33 Seats

While we wait for more results to come in, let’s play a game with our viewers! Election Day is all about learning about the civics and rich political history of our great nation. So go to our website and ask us a question and we’ll give you an answer! It can be about any state, a Presidency, a region, an issue, an election, anything that’s happened in the last 40 years! The two of us and New York’s very own Senator Dettwyler will answer any questions you’ve got!

What can Dettwyler contribute to the conversation? He’s just a Dem hack, always has been, always will be. Plus he never used to finish his timelines on the Atlas forum.

Yeah, he’s annoying, but he’s good with dumb trivia, so he might be useful here for once in his life.

Oh dear god what have I signed onto...

(author's note: if you want to be represented in the Senate races here, just give me a shout, and let me know the state and party! I can't squeeze everyone in, in part because I already have several atlas references here, and it has to be for a Class 2 Senate seat)

[Blackacre]

One of the posts I linked you guys to in the OP contains the Class 2 Senate map going into this election, but I figured I may as well also share the current map of Senate control.

Senate map pre-2056:


Green means the state has a single Senator from each party. Red is two Democrats, blue is two Republicans, I double-checked to make sure this would be 55 Republicans and 49 Democrats, though my internal math (about which senate seats changed hands each year from 2017 until this point) is off. So some of the Senatorial sections of those election recaps in posts in the OP should be taken with a grain of salt.

Also, DC and Puerto Rico were given statehood, and they each have a Class 1 and Class 2 Senator.

Normal update is coming tonight!

[Blackacre]

7:30 PM EST

Oooooooh, new poll closings!

We know, Zombie.

Let us do our jobs in peace, Senator. Please.

No. You invited me here, now suffer the consequences!

Anyway, we have poll closings in three more states. Let’s take a look at some projections!

Let’s start with a critical swing state, North Carolina! Home of longtime Democratic Senate leader Moises Serrano. It’s also a critical battleground state, and the projection we have right now is that it’s too early to call. That says nothing about the closeness of the race, just that we do not have enough information to make any kind of projection.

However, we can’t say the same for the state’s Senate race! Outgoing Governor Emily McCarthy will handily defeat embattled incumbent Josh Jones Abrams, making this the first Democratic pickup of the night!

Woohoo! Go Peebs!

I know the polling said that McCarthy was favored to win this race, but I wasn’t expecting it to be called so soon! If this is a harbinger of things to come, I think I’m going to need a drink...

Not on camera! Why don’t you talk about West Virginia next?

Ah, yes. It’s Governor Byrd’s home state and a longtime Democratic stronghold, so shocker, she will win the state’s 8 electoral votes. Also, Senator Cynthia Toothman will win a third term, defeating former Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Dimple. Again, I didn’t expect this race to be called so early given how strong the challenger was. Justice Riley Keaton is probably sad right now.

Credible challenger or no, this is West Virginia. They’d vote Satan (D) over Jesus (R).

That leaves Ohio! Possibly THE most solidly Democratic state in the union, and despite Republicans chasing after it like fool’s gold, it’s safely in the Byrd camp tonight! Hey, remember when Donald Trump won Ohio by like 7 points, and everyone was saying that the GOP had a lock on the Buckeye state, and no Republican’s come close to winning it since? Isn’t that amazing?

....

...just show the damn maps. The brighter colors indicate a pickup.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 64 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 22 EVs
278 to win

Democrats: 41 Seats
Republicans: 33 Seats

[Blackacre]

So, in this alignment, is the GOP more socially liberal, globalist, and less anti-Government (I'd guess so, given the way the map looks)?

You've hit the nail on the head! The GOP is sort of a technocratic center-right party these days. They still sort of have an evangelical wing, but overall the party's not even close to the social conservatism it had in the Bush-Trump era. President Richardson is no Mike Pence. Meanwhile, the Democrats have slowly but surely gotten more economically populist, culminating in the candidacy of Anna Byrd.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

President Richardson only lost the DC suburbs overall by 1 point, 48-49, four years ago. This time around, polling indicates that he might actually win the DC suburbs, a first for the GOP in a long, long time. Either way, the DC suburbs aren't won by nearly the kinds of margins as they were in elections past, which allows the rest of their states to control the political landscape. Maryland is Democratic because of its Baltimore metro area, Virginia was Republican four years ago because the state's southern region voted so heavily Republican.

Also, yeah, Thomas Rhinoceros is an excellent fit for the state of Illinois. He's played an instrumental role over the years in helping the state transition politically from a solid Democratic state into a likely Republican one.

I better be a Senator the Governor from Maine New York.

Can Israeli Foreign Minister Tom Parrotstein congratulate the winner thx
Also, this is awesome (and amusing)!

I can oblige these requests, no problem! Sadly I doubt I'll have the opportunity to reference New York's other Senator or Florida's delegation because neither state has a Class 2 Senator, and well, Maine doesn't have any Democratic Senators to speak of

[Blackacre]

I see SD is open. Wink wink

Am I calling you Kamala Commiela? Or something else? Your call!

[Blackacre]

I meant to ask this when you were fleshing it out, but do you have rough population estimates for each state circa 2050? No Senate requests here.

Sadly no, all I have is their population relative to other states, as you can see in the electoral map. If anyone wants to take the electoral map data and extrapolate state populations as of the 2050 census, that would be awesome!

Edit: I can say that the four smallest states are Rhode Island, Vermont, North Dakota, and New Columbia (aka DC) in that order,

I see SD is open. Wink wink

Am I calling you Kamala Commiela? Or something else? Your call!

Kamala Sawant.

You got it!

[Blackacre]

So, in this alignment, is the GOP more socially liberal, globalist, and less anti-Government (I'd guess so, given the way the map looks)?

You've hit the nail on the head! The GOP is sort of a technocratic center-right party these days. They still sort of have an evangelical wing, but overall the party's not even close to the social conservatism it had in the Bush-Trump era. President Richardson is no Mike Pence. Meanwhile, the Democrats have slowly but surely gotten more economically populist, culminating in the candidacy of Anna Byrd.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

President Richardson only lost the DC suburbs overall by 1 point, 48-49, four years ago. This time around, polling indicates that he might actually win the DC suburbs, a first for the GOP in a long, long time. Either way, the DC suburbs aren't won by nearly the kinds of margins as they were in elections past, which allows the rest of their states to control the political landscape. Maryland is Democratic because of its Baltimore metro area, Virginia was Republican four years ago because the state's southern region voted so heavily Republican.

Also, yeah, Thomas Rhinoceros is an excellent fit for the state of Illinois. He's played an instrumental role over the years in helping the state transition politically from a solid Democratic state into a likely Republican one.

I better be a Senator the Governor from Maine New York.

Can Israeli Foreign Minister Tom Parrotstein congratulate the winner thx
Also, this is awesome (and amusing)!

I can oblige these requests, no problem! Sadly I doubt I'll have the opportunity to reference New York's other Senator or Florida's delegation because neither state has a Class 2 Senator, and well, Maine doesn't have any Democratic Senators to speak of

I'll be a socialist RINO if that's okay.

Works for me. New England can be... idiosyncratic, so it works! I'll just need a name to work with!

edit: alternatively, I can reference you as the state's popular Governor

[Blackacre]

8:00 PM EST

We have a flurry of new poll closings!

So many states! Where to start?

Well I always prefer to hear the bad news first, so let’s start with the Richardson calls.

Nobody asked you, Senator. But sure. We can project that the wealthiest state in the union, Connecticut will be voting for President Derek Richardson tonight. No shocker here, Connecticut is a very Republican state, and tonight it gives the President its 8 electoral votes. We can also project that the states of New Jersey, Maine, and New Hampshire will all go for the President tonight.

For the Governor’s camp, we can project Democratic wins in Delaware, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. We can also project that she will win the nation’s smallest state, Rhode Island, as well as the state of New Columbia, also known as Washington DC.

There are a bunch of states that ANN cannot call at the moment, too: Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee are all too early to call. I never thought I’d see the day when Alabama’s outcome would be in doubt, let alone Massachusetts. They each have the longest streak of voting for the same party at the Presidential level for their respective party.

Well, Governor Byrd’s been making a play for old Confederacy states that the GOP’s taken for granted and that Democrats haven’t contested in a long time. President Richardson’s invested a lot of resources into Massachusetts. We’ll see tonight if any of those efforts pay off.

We also have results at the Senatorial level to report, and it’s a doozy.

In Alabama, my friend Marth Lesse is facing a challenge from Democratic state Attorney General Belle Blitz. This race is too close to call.

In Delaware, Democratic Senator Al Mason has won a third term against no serious opposition.

In Illinois, Republican Senator Thomas Rhinoceros is facing Congresswoman Natalia Teel. The race is currently too close to call.

In Maine, Senator Max Power has retired, and Republican Neil B. Zod will hold the seat for his party.

Maine went from having two Republican Senators in 2011 to... having two Republican Senators now. Some things never change.

You might be right, but if Governor Maineäco ever eyes one of those Senate seats, the GOP's in trouble. He's super popular in Maine despite governing like he's in Vermont. He's a total MAINEiac, and I love him!

Get out. Get out right now.

ANYWAY, Senator Samantha Starlton has won a second term in Massachusetts, holding the seat for the Democrats.

The same thing happened in Mississippi. Her name is Cynthia Bloom, this is her third term, yada yada.

Let’s wrap this up. Republican Madigan Murko won a second term in New Jersey. Republican Kevin Sununu won an open seat in New Hampshire. Harriette Sunderland wins an open seat in Rhode Island with no GOP opposition. And New Columbia’s Senate seat will continue to be held by Democrat Beet McBeetsman.

Don’t forget Tennessee! Incumbent Roland Corker is facing Democratic Congressman Clarence Boddicker. The race is too close to call at this hour. Also, in Oklahoma, Democrat Maxwell Christie is facing former Secretary of Agriculture Jake Johnson. The race is currently too close to call.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 89 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 52 EVs
278 to win

Democrats: 46 Seats
Republicans: 36 Seats

So far, this isn’t looking great for the GOP. Democrats have already picked up one Senate seat, and we should remind our viewers, they only need a net pickup of 4 seats, or 3 and the White House, to take the Senate. The GOP only has 3 potential pickups, one being Oklahoma, but they’re all shaky. Even if Richardson wins a second term, he might end up like Aaron Seagull, having to deal with an opposition-controlled Congress for the rest of his Presidency.

You say that now, but the night's still young. I remember 2044. Everything started out looking so good for Petersen; he won Illinois as soon as the polls closed, took Florida, and then he ended up watching someone else's inauguration.

(author's note: I got bigly tripped up by Heisenberg's awesomeness. When you mentioned that you would see RINO Tom as an Illinois Senator, you made me think I had already posted the update that includes polls closing in Illinois! You read my mind, and it's creepy, and I am beyond impressed.)

[Blackacre]

I better be a Senator from Maine New York Florida.

Also, this is looking great!

Thanks so much!

Okay, to everyone who wants to be included as a Senator or Governor of a state: Let me know the state, the job, the party, (different alignment, so sometimes the parties might be different. Also for the sake of simplicity, no third parties) and the name I'll be using. I'll try my best to squeeze as many people in here as possible. It'd be harder if you're from a state that doesn't have a Class 2 Senator, but I can still try!

[Blackacre]

Out of curiosity, are there any current Senators still serving?

Yes there are! Exactly two current US Senators are still in the upper chamber. The first is Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, currently 83 years old. (40 at this point ITTL) The second is a Class 2 Senator, so I won't give it away now, but I'll talk about them in due time

Could you refer to me as closely tied to the Labor Unions (Also for my name, I was thinking Hubert Bruh McGmger)?

Sure! Though to be completely fair, almost the entirety of this iteration of the Democratic Party is closely tied to the labor unions. Organized labor made a gigantic comeback in the 2020s and is now pretty much the organizational backbone of the party. It would be more surprising if a prominent Dem didn't have ties to unions.

[Blackacre]

Could I be a R-Gov PA?

Republican Senator from Florida, please

Absolutely, but I'm going to need a name to use. Even if it's something s simple as Gov. Jala West or Sen. Tim Saint, I'd like confirmation on that before I use you guys

[Blackacre]

Because it's going to affect how many people/who I can give a statewide office to, after the 2054 midterms and 2055 elections, the current Gubernatorial count is 31 Democrats, 21 Republicans. Not that I'll get 22 gubernatorial requests, but still (also, the Governor of West Virginia slot isn't open, because it's held by Anna Byrd)

Republican Governor of Illinois Joanna Campbell please

Could I be a R-Gov PA?

Republican Senator from Florida, please

Absolutely, but I'm going to need a name to use. Even if it's something s simple as Gov. Jala West or Sen. Tim Saint, I'd like confirmation on that before I use you guys

That works.

Duly noted!

[Blackacre]

8:30 PM EST

Polls have just closed in Arkansas! Arkansas is thought to be one of the most conservative states in the nation. It has yet to vote Democratic this century, and it’s the home of former Republican Senate Leader Tom Cotton.

However, that might all be about to change tonight, as Governor Byrd’s been campaigning heavily in this state, and it’s too close to call! We also have an open Senate race between Arkansas Secretary of State Billy Rodstol and Lt. Governor Jackson Elliott. Like many races right now, we can only characterize this one as too close to call.

However! We do have another race that we can call right now! President Richardson will win the state of Virginia. Despite Byrd’s gains in the southern part of the state, Fairfax County and its brethren have just been getting more and more Republican with each election. Virginia remains in Republican hands tonight.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 89 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 67 EVs
278 to win

Democrats: 46 Seats
Republicans: 36 Seats

[Blackacre]

8:45 PM EST

We have a call to make! Governor Byrd has won the state of Alabama. A state that had not voted Democratic since 1980 is in the Governor’s column tonight. However the state’s Senate race remains too close to call.

Stay tuned, as the next round of poll closings will happen in 15 minutes!


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 94 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 67 EVs
278 to win

What are you doing?

Messaging Senator Ross to remind him that I won the bet. We bet on who would win Alabama, and since Byrd did, Bob Ross Jr, Republican Senator from Oregon, has to sing on the Senate floor on my birthday.

You know you're kind of an ass, Senator.

Muahahahahaha

[Blackacre]

9:00 EST

It’s 9 PM on the East Coast, and a number of states have closed. Let’s start with the good news for Governor Byrd. She is projected to win Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and Wyoming. No surprises there. Each of these states voted Republican at some points this century, but they’re all modern-day Democratic strongholds.

I want to give special attention to Wyoming, because it going Democratic would have seemed to weird to so many people in the Pre-Seagull era. This is one of only five states that never voted for Sherrod Brown or Kamala Harris. It was a Trump/Trump/Pence/Sullivan/Hawley state, and yet today we just accept that it’ll go Democratic.

Yeah, sudden population influxes can do that to a state. Just look at Vermont.

Yeah, my party thanks God for BrownRoads every day.

Also, how'd New York get called so quickly? It usually takes its sweet time counting all the votes from the liberal cesspool.

My home state can haul votes if it wants to. Not only is Byrd really popular in the upstate region, but we New York Democrats pulled out all the stops campaigning for her.

Why didn't you do that for Smith?

I campaigned for him, but Governor Jake Jewvinivisk wasn't enthused. His eyes lit up when Byrd won the nomination this year, though. They've been friends for a long time and he put in real work helping her win the nomination. Our Governor can be a political wizard when he wants to be, it's amazing!

Okay... enough sappy talk about your stupid Governor. On to the Richardson states, we can project that Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota will be won by the President.

We have three different categories of states we cannot call yet. The first are New West states that Richardson has been contesting: South Dakota and Colorado. The second are Republican states in the South and Midwest that Byrd is contesting: Wisconsin and Louisiana. And finally, two critical swing states: Texas and Michigan.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 157 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 90 EVs
278 to win

We also have a lot of Senate races to cover. Let’s get to the big one: in Michigan, Former Senator Pavol Brower has defeated Senator John Ronson in their rematch, making this the Second Democratic pickup of the night.

Woohoo! JoRo is gone and the Chad Democrat is back!

In Colorado, incumbent Republican Senator Quentin Rothschild is up against 30-year-old US Congressman William J. Rutherford. The race is too early to call. The story is the same in South Dakota, where Republican Flynn Rider seeks a third term against Democrat Kamala Stewart; and in Texas, where Senator Calvin Coolidge (no relation) faces State House Speaker L. D. Smith. (also no relation) In the Minnesota Seat once held by Al Franken, Republican incumbent Wulfric Dragon is locked in a tight match against Congressman B.R.T. Delaney. That race is also too close to call. Finally, the Louisiana Senate race between Senator Butch Cassidy and 32-year-old Congressman Kyle Sundance cannot be called at this hour.

.....note to self: never visit Minnesota.

Quick word about that Louisiana race. No matter who wins, someone from Florida’s going to be very happy. Butch Cassidy and Senator Tim Saint are peas in a pod, the Graham and McCain of the modern era. It’s honestly adorable. Kyle Sundance learned everything he knows through a certain political mentor from the Sunshine State: Thomas Razze. Their relationship is also amazing. No matter who wins, this is going to be a victory for Senatorial friendship.

Here’s what we can call: Republican incumbents Jeanne Yates and Ben Sasse have been re-elected in Kansas and Nebraska, respectively. Democratic Senator Jesús Gonzales of New Mexico will win re-election over Abraham Kaine. Finally, in Wyoming, Democratic Senator Cleveland Chafee will easily win re-election.

I can tell you right now that Ben Sasse would have retired if there wasn't a Republican in the Governor's mansion. I don't usually like Republican wins, but Governor Ovid Chong kept my friend in the job he loves for a little while longer, and who can be anything but happy about that?

Democrats: 49 Seats
Republicans: 38 Seats

[Blackacre]

Woohoo! JoRo is gone and the Chad Democrat is back!

I can't fit God into Pat Brower, so I can't fulfill the Feingod joke.

Pat GODwer?

Pat Godwer works

[Blackacre]

Woohoo! JoRo is gone and the Chad Democrat is back!

I can't fit God into Pat Brower, so I can't fulfill the Feingod joke.

Pat GODwer?

Pat Godwer works

Actually I changed the name to Pavol Brower. So he can be PaGOD, or GODwer

[Blackacre]

Thanks for the inclusion!

No problem!

[Blackacre]

9:15 EST

We have a very important call to make. With 98% of precincts reporting, and with only a 1 percentage point margin, we can project that former Governor Roberto Mendoza has defeated Senator Juan Miranda, picking up the seat for the Democrats.

Such a shame. Miranda was a great Senator and I really thought the GOP could hold on to that seat.

We can also project that Governor Byrd has won the State of Massachusetts and its 10 electoral votes.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 167 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 90 EVs
278 to win

Democrats: 50 Seats
Republicans: 38 Seats

You do know what this means, right? Pryor-Miranda isn't going to become law. Sad!

I honestly didn't hate that law too much, but I'll take any chance I get to rub this into Richard Pryor's face!

Now, come on, Senator Pryor's a good man. I know you hate everything that comes out of New Jersey but he's probably the easier Republican to work with. It can become Pryor-Dettwyler if he changes the bill up a little.

I hate you, Senator.

[Blackacre]

By the way, how's your junior Senator doing?

Ah, my friend Hubert McGmger. He's pretty great actually. He's watching the Senate races closely. He's always wanted to Chair the Finance Committee, and if we win just three more seats tonight he's going to be really happy.

Why would the Democratic Party have a New York Senator chair Finance? Over here their reputation is tainted by Wall Street.

New York's Democratic Party divorced from Wall Street a while back, actually. I think it was a combination of me not cowing to their interests and President Seagull showing that Wall Street, the GOP, and New York can get along. Remember how I won my second term in 2040 by only three points and got outspent 7 to 1? Me winning that election was the end of the Wall Street influence on the New York Democratic Party.
That's how we got Jewvinivisk as Governor, me continuing to be a Senator, and so on.

We all know you're dying to tell the story of your best friend's rise to power. There are no calls right now, you have a captive audience. Do it.

Okay! So after Wall Street tried and failed to destroy me, they had an opportunity to mend bridges with the NY Dems two years later. Kirsten Gillbrand was retiring after 32 years in the upper chamber, and there was this really nice Democrat named Link Cuomo who was geared up for the seat.
 But New York City Comptroller Hubert McGmger put up a real fight in the Primary, matching Cuomo's Wall Street money with resources from the AFL-CIO.

We all know this, sir. My question is, why did you endorse McGmger? Everyone expected you to throw your weight behind Cuomo...

Because I knew Hubert, both as Comptroller and especially as Senatorial candidate.
 He was a populist liberal, sure, but he also had a command of detail that you don't see very much in politicians in general, let along union populists. He had very specific plans for Wall Street regulations,
 for UBI, for trade, you name it. It was almost like the spirit of President Brown himself had entered this New Yorker. He's a once-in-a-generation guy. Every day I'm grateful to myself for making the right decision, and to him for being a wonderful friend and an outstanding Senator. This nation is better because of him, and I don't say that lightly.

Okay, enough sappy stuff. We have commercials to go to.

[Blackacre]

9:30 PM EST

Polls have just closed in the state of Maryland. No surprise, Governor Byrd has won the state. The DC suburbs are getting more Republican, but Baltimore and its metro area are too Democratic for it to matter.

We have another call to make, as well: President Richardson has won the state of Illinois and its 17 electoral votes. The Senate race remains too close to call. The balance of power in the Senate could hinge on this race, so all eyes are on Illinois.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 178 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 107 EVs
278 to win

Illinois Governor Joanna Campbell did a lot of campaigning for President Richardson, do you think that helped him in Illinois?

Who knows? Illinois is a Republican state anyway, just one that takes its sweet time counting votes. Richardson was going to win here with or without Campbell.

So why isn't Tom Rhino coasting to victory?

He'll pull this one out, just you wait.

[Blackacre]

Any spots left?

I can make you the D candidate for ID-Sen or MT-Sen

[Blackacre]

9:45 PM EST

Polls close in Montana, Iowa, Nevada, and Utah in 15 minutes, but while we wait for that, we have some calls to make. First of all, President Richardson has won the second congressional district of Nebraska and the first congressional district of Maine, netting him two electoral votes.

In more exciting news, President Derek Richardson has won Florida! Florida has been a must-win state for the Republican Party for my entire life, so it being in the Richardson camp should give the President some relief. His path to 278 just got wider.


Governor Anna Byrd (D-WV)/Rep. Dan Kushner (D-CA): 195 EVs
President Derek Richardson (R-SC)/Vice President Timothy Tang (R-WA): 131 EVs
278 to win

Let’s talk about those paths to 278. Compared to the 2052 map, Governor Byrd has already flipped North Carolina and Alabama. If she flips Texas and California, that’s 284 electoral votes and the Presidency, even if Richardson wins literally everything else that has yet to be called. Richardson won Texas by a healthy margin, but his California win was razor-thin, and Kushner’s from there. At this point, if Byrd wins California and every Marcus Smith state that has yet to be called, that’s also a win. California is a must-win for the President.

If Richardson wins California and Texas, he gets 221 electoral votes. That still isn’t enough; he’ll need to find 57 more electoral votes. We can safely say that he’ll get Washington, Utah, Hawaii and Oregon, which with California and Texas get him to 247. He’d still need 31 more electoral votes to win.

At that point it would be fairly straightforward for him to get the remaining electoral votes. There are three regions in contention tonight: the Midwest, the South, and the New West. The current numbers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania all look good for the President, though ANN isn’t comfortable calling any of them yet. Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania combined give the President 39 electoral votes, enough for a win if he also gets Texas and California, and enough to effectively replace Texas should it go to Byrd.

Next is the South, or Old South as some call it. These are states that either have been voting Republican or have been toss-ups but where Governor Byrd has revitalized Democratic interest. She’s already flipped Alabama and North Carolina, but Richardson might flip Tennessee in exchange, and the rest is looking very close. If Richardson pulls it out in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee, that’s 32 electoral votes. That, plus Texas and California, is a win. If Richardson loses Texas but wins the Midwest instead, that’s also a win. All eyes are on the Old South tonight.

That leaves the New West, but why don’t we wait to talk about it until the 10PM polls close?

Fine by me. Oh, we have a couple calls to make!Minnesota Senator Wulfric Dragon has won re-election, a hold for the Republican Party. On the other hand, Congresswoman Amber Moonfall has won the Senate race in South Carolina, gaining the seat for the Democrats.

Democrats: 51 Seats
Republicans: 39 Seats

That’s the fourth pickup that the Democrats needed! If they simply hold onto Oklahoma and Alaska, Serrano will be Majority Leader once again.

That won’t be easy. There’s not a single seat left uncalled that the GOP didn’t heavily contest. We’re gonna win the Senate, may as well accept it now!

Whatever you say...