It’s Election Day 2026, as Americans wrap up weeks of going to the polls, and the folks in charge of counting the votes get to work.
#TeamAFP will be poring through the returns and reporting the latest on the results in Waynesboro and Staunton, which have local races for seats on their city councils and school boards, in addition to the contested congressional races in the Sixth District, our home district, and our neighboring Fifth District.
As the night plays out, we’ll also be keeping tabs on the other nine U.S. House races and the U.S. Senate race in Virginia, and the results across the country, with control of both houses of Congress up for grabs.
Recent reporting on the 2026 elections
- Early voting analysis shows Virginia Democrats in lead in 9 of 11 congressional races
- Sales tax referendum explainer: What would our schools do with the money?
- Waynesboro: Sam Hostetter is back to help us correct the mistake from 2022
- Waynesboro: Jim Wood, who survived ‘Pete Buttplug’ by laying low, is running out of time
Live coverage
Update: 7 p.m. Polls have closed in Virginia
The game is over. Now we just have to see who wins, and by how much.
I would expect numbers to start coming in from the local race in Waynesboro around 7:45 p.m.
I’m expecting the first numbers from the Fifth District and Sixth District congressional races to also start coming in at that time.
We likely have a sense around 8:15 p.m. how things are going to go in the Sixth, which is Ben Cline‘s to lose; the race in the Fifth could take a little longer to play out, but we should know by 9 p.m. where things are going to be there.
The U.S. Senate race may take into the 9 p.m. hour for the NoVa votes to start coming in for us to see that it will be a Mark Warner rout.
I’m expecting to be up half the night on the national races.
– Chris Graham
Update: 7:22 p.m. Mark Warner declared the winner by AP News
Exit polls must have gone big for Mark Warner. AP News has joined dozens of other outlets in declaring an early win for Warner to the Senate. He was heavily favored to win his re-election bid.
– Crystal Graham
Update, 8:01 p.m. Early voting numbers in for Waynesboro
In Waynesboro, early voting numbers favor Democrats. Stay tuned for final numbers.
Sixth District
Beth Macy 2355
Ben Cline 1832
Ward D City Council
Sam Hostetter 683
Jim Wood 528
Ward D School Board
Adam Seipel 705
Cathe Myers 460
Ward C School Board
Debra Freeman 522
Kelvin Washington 340
– Crystal Graham
Update: 8:07 p.m. Freeman wins re-election to Waynesboro School Board
In Waynesboro, Debra Freeman has won re-election to the School Board with 61.3 percent of the vote. Her opponent, Kelvin Washington, dropped out of the race last month.
- Freeman 1202
- Washington 720
- Write-in 38
*Updated at 8:31 p.m. to reflect mail in absentee ballots.
– Crystal Graham
Update: 8:17 p.m. Hostetter defeats Wood in Waynesboro to reclaim City Council seat
Ward D results are in!
In Ward D, Sam Hostetter reclaimed the City Council seat with 53.9 percent of the vote, winning by 207 votes.
- Sam Hostetter 1358
- Jim Wood 1151
- Write-in 11
*Updated at 8:26 p.m. to reflect mail in absentee ballots.
– Crystal Graham
Update: 8:21 p.m. Seipel wins seat on School Board in Waynesboro, Ward D
Adam Seipel won the race, defeating Cathe Myers, with 59.7 of the total vote.
- Adam Seipel 1461
- Cathe Myers 968
- Write-in 20
– Crystal Graham
Update: 8:52 p.m. Cline ahead in Sixth District
In the Sixth District, Republican Ben Cline seems to be on track to an easy re-election to the House, but no winner has been declared. He currently has 56.7 percent of the vote with approximately 70 percent of votes in. Democrat Beth Macy’s numbers looked good for early voting.
– Crystal Graham
Update: 9:02 p.m. Too close to call in the Fifth District
Democrat Tom Perriello has a narrow lead in the Fifth District, but there are still a lot of votes to be counted. Perriello is doing very well in early voting numbers.
- Tom Perriello 114,636, or 50.54 percent
- John McGuire 108,709, or 47.93 percent
- Cooke Costa Harvey, 3,470, or 1.53 percent
83,928 early votes left
197 of 304 precincts reporting
– Crystal Graham
Update: 9:21 p.m. Ben Cline retains seat in Sixth District
Republican Ben Cline has defeated Democrat Beth Macy in the Sixth District, according to vpap.org.
– Crystal Graham
Update: 9:25 p.m. Ben Cline takes victory lap
“The voters of Virginia’s 6th District have made their voices heard, and I am honored by their continued confidence and the opportunity to continue representing the Shenandoah Valley, Roanoke Valley, and Alleghany Highlands in Congress. We agree on the things to keep our communities strong: protecting families, lowering taxes, defending our freedoms and constitutional liberties, and ensuring that our values are championed in Washington.
“Democrats may have tried to silence the voices of rural Virginia through their failed, illegal gerrymander, but tonight the people made it clear that their voices cannot be ignored. I will never stop fighting for our conservative values, particularly at a time in this nation’s history when radical leftists have made it clear that they will never stop trying to destroy what has made this country strong for two and a half centuries. We are at a point where we must decide if we are a free and capitalist country, or if we will slide rapidly toward communism. The 6th District of Virginia is a bastion of freedom tonight, and I could not be more proud of their continued fight for the values that make the Roanoke Valley, Shenandoah Valley, and Alleghany Highlands a great place to call home.
“To the voters, thank you for your trust, your support, and the opportunity to continue serving as your representative in Congress. Many thanks to the volunteers who made phone calls, knocked on doors, and staffed polling locations. This campaign was a true team effort, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who stepped up and made a difference.”
– Chris Graham
Update: 10:04 p.m. All three constitutional amendments pass
- Question 1, protecting abortion rights: yes winning with 61.5 percent.
- Question 2, enshrining marriage equality: yes winning with 56.6 percent.
- Question 3, restoring voting rights to ex-felons: yes winning with 55.5 percent.
– Chris Graham
Update: 10:25 p.m. Beth Macy concedes in the Sixth
Beth Macy issued the following statement:
“I am so proud of the movement we built, proud of the campaign we ran, and proud that we focused on the issues that mattered to folks from Roanoke through the Highlands and the Shenandoah Valley to Winchester. Together, we motivated thousands of Virginians to make their voices heard, hold our government accountable and send a clear message.
“I know this is not the outcome we hoped for, but it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your candidate. I carry your stories and experiences with me every day. Thank you for your support, and I wish Congressman Cline success in guiding the 6th District through the challenges facing our community. He will be in the House minority now, and will need our thoughts and prayers more than ever if he is to deliver for the people of this district.”
– Chris Graham
Update: 11:00 p.m. Still watching two Virginia races
In the First District, the Democrat, Shannon Taylor, has a 1.9-point, 7,800-vote lead on Republican incumbent Rob Wittman, with
In the Fifth, the Republican incumbent, John McGuire, has a .75-point, 2,600-vote lead on the Democrat, Tom Perriello, with six precincts (of 304) and 18,000 early votes to be counted.
– Chris Graham
Update: 11:10 p.m. It’s 8-3 in Virginia, with Tom Perriello on the clock
Shannon Taylor statement on her apparent win in the First District:
“Nearly a year ago, we launched this campaign because our community, our Commonwealth, and our country have been hurt by corruption in Washington.”
“Corporate special interests have captured our government by buying off self-interested career politicians who serve themselves and their donors instead of us. Our leaders have failed us with cuts to Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, illegal tariffs that drive up prices, and a war of choice in Iran that is costing us far too much.
“Tonight, we sent a message: people are sick and tired of the corruption and they are ready for change. Together we won this campaign and together we will ban stock trading by members of Congress, end corporate political contributions, and curb the influence of special interests who have for too long rigged the rules in their favor. We will pass term limits – because no elected office belongs to a politician, it belongs to the people.
“And when we pass these measures, we will force our leaders to focus on lowering costs, stop getting us into senseless wars, fix our broken healthcare system, and create an economy that works for us, not the wealthy and powerful.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every voter, volunteer, and staff member who helped power this victory. My promise is to fight for every person in Virginia’s 1st District whether they voted for me or not. Tomorrow, we get to work.”
Democrat Elaine Luria on her victory in the Second District over Republican incumbent Jen Kiggans:
“Tonight, the voters of Virginia’s Second Congressional District made their voices heard loudly and clearly: The status quo in Washington is not working and voters have shown that Hampton Roads is ready for change.
“We’re ready for leaders who actually show up and listen to the people of our community. We’re ready for leaders who put the people of Hampton Roads first and who aren’t afraid to stand up to Donald Trump when he is hurting Virginia. And we’re ready for leaders who want to solve problems not start wars.
“Whether you voted for me or not, I promise to do my best to represent every member of our community, advocate for our service members and veterans, and fight every day in Congress for the country we love and for a brighter future for our children.
“I want to thank every voter who showed up to cast a ballot, every volunteer who made calls and knocked doors, and every supporter who put their time, energy, and heart into this campaign.
“Tomorrow, we start righting the ship.”
– Chris Graham
Update: 11:33 p.m. John McGuire on the brink
Damn.
Tom Perriello is down by around 4,000 votes with only four Lynchburg precincts and 5,500 early votes still to be counted.
The math ain’t mathin’ there.
Dems will pick up two seats in the House in Virginia.
– Chris Graham
Update: 12:04 a.m. Tom Perriello fighting reality
The votes are counted in the Fifth District race, and it’s apparent that the Republican incumbent, John McGuire, will be re-elected – he’s up nearly 6,000 votes, a margin of 1.5 points.
But …
Tom Perriello, for the moment, isn’t conceding.
Statement from Perriello:
“The race for the 5th District is too close to call and every vote must be counted. We’re blown away by the enthusiasm we saw at the polls today, by surging support in rural areas and among African-American voters, and by the high number of same-day voter registrations. I am grateful to every voter and to every volunteer who helped get us this far. We must ensure all of the thousands of votes left to count, including those of our brave men and women in uniform serving overseas, are counted and every voice is heard.”
Update: 12:27 a.m. Bloodbath
The polls, turns out, were wrong. They dramatically underestimated Democratic strength and anti-Trump fury.
The flips in the U.S. Senate, to this point:
- North Carolina: Roy Cooper (D) def. Michael Whatley (R) by 19.6 points.
- Texas: James Talarico (D) def. Ken Paxton (R) by 11.6 points.
- Maine: Troy Jackson (D) def. Susan Collins (R) by 5.3 points.
- Kansas: Adam Hamilton (D) def. Roger Marshall (R) by 5.3 points.
- South Carolina: Annie Andrews (D) def. Darline Graham (R) by 4.3 points.
- Iowa: Josh Turek (D) def. Ashley Hinson (R) by 4.2 points.
- Ohio: Sherrod Brown (D) def. Jon Husted (R) by 2.5 points.
Key Dem pickups in governor’s races:
- Iowa: Rob Sand (D) def. Zach Lahn (R) by 12.1 points.
- Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) def. Rick Jackson by 8.5 points.
- Texas: Gina Hinojosa (D) def. Greg Abbott (R) by 7.2 points.
- Amy Acton (D) def. Vivek Ramaswamy (R) by 5.5 points.
Democrats will hold at least 54 seats in the Senate, and 245 in the House.
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