U.S. 2016 Election Electoral Votes
Trump 51
Clinton 44
*REPUBLICANS MAINTAIN CONTROL OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: NBC
*YOUNG WINS SENATE RACE IN IND.; REPUBLICANS HOLD SEAT
*RUBIO WINS SENATE RACE IN FLA.; REPUBLICANS HOLD SEAT
*PORTMAN WINS SENATE RACE IN OHIO; REPUBLICANS HOLD SEAT
Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton kicked off easy and expected wins as states began closing polls with results from several crucial battlegrounds still outstanding.
Trump won in West Virginia, Indiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Kentucky, all reliably Republican states. Clinton was the victor in a group of Democratic-leaning states including Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland and Vermont, according to projections based on vote counts and exit polls by television networks and the Associated Press, Bloomberg.
GOP on Track to Keep the Senate
Republicans scored two key victories in the critical battle for control of the Senate, with Marco Rubio of Florida winning re-election and Representative Todd Young defeating Democrats’ star recruit, former SenatorEvan Bayh.
But Democrats gained a seat in Illinois as Representative Tammy Duckworthdefeated incumbent Mark Kirk, according to media projections.