Democrats across the country saw significant victories on Election Night and came out on top as the big winners in a number of races that Republicans hoped to use as a springboard into the 2024 elections.
Republicans also saw some wins, but fell far short of where they hoped to finish the 2023 off-year election cycle and missed out on what could have been significant momentum heading into next year.
Democrat Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won one of the most notable victories of the night, defeating his Republican opponent, state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, in a race that many thought was achievable for the GOP considering the deep-red state’s conservative roots.
Kentucky incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is joined by his wife, Britainy Beshear (R), Kentucky Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman (C-L) and his family as he delivers his victory speech to a crowd at an election night event at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall on November 7, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Stephen Cohen/Getty Images)
Beshear largely avoided highlighting his support for President Biden and focused heavily on local issues as he traveled the state while Cameron leaned into his endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who remains popular with Kentucky voters.
However, Trump’s popularity among Kentuckians fell short of Beshear’s, who maintained his status as one of the most popular governors in the country in the months leading up to the election. With his victory, Beshear is one of only three remaining Democrat governors leading a red state.
In Mississippi, incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves fended off a formidable challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley, a former mayor and Mississippi Public Service Commission member who is also the second cousin to famed rock-n-roll legend Elvis Presley.
MISSISSIPPI GOV. TATE REEVES SECURES SECOND TERM AFTER DEMOCRAT OPPONENT CONCEDES
A surge in unexpected amounts of national Democrat money into the race helped boost Presley’s candidacy, including from the Democratic Governors Association, which gave nearly $6 million to his campaign. The amount was a sharp increase from the just over $2 million the group gave the Democrat nominee who lost to Reeves in 2019.
Mississippi incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and his family speak to supporters during an election night watch party at The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center on November 07, 2023 in Flowood, Mississippi. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Presley conceded the race to Reeves before the latter was declared the winner by any national outlets.
Democrats in Virginia also had something to celebrate Tuesday as they won control of the House of Delegates from Republicans and beat back GOP Gov. j efforts to flip the state Senate red from the narrow Democrat majority that currently controls the chamber.
YOUNGKIN FALLS SHORT IN HIS MISSION TO WIN TOTAL GOP CONTROL OF VIRGINIA STATE LEGISLATURE
Virginia’s legislative elections grabbed outsized national attention, with both Democrats and Republicans spending millions on races, which were viewed in political circles as a key barometer ahead of the 2024 elections for president, control of Congress.
In September, Biden reportedly directed the Democratic National Committee to dump $1.2 million into Virginia’s legislative races, a sure sign at the time that the president was looking to counter Youngkin’s influence on voters in the state, and a strategy that appears to have had some affect.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is seen during an early vote rally with Yesli Vega, Republican candidate for Virginias 7th Congressional district, at the Brandy Station, Va., fire station on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In Ohio, supporters of Issue 1, a ballot referendum that would enshrine the constitutional “right” to an abortion into the state constitution, saw an overwhelming victory as voters overwhelmingly voted “yes” on the measure.
The “yes” votes defeated the “no” votes by more than double digits.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.