The President Concedes

"Obviously, the Republicans had a good night," Obama said. Now what can he get done with the GOP?

Republican Party Time

Like so many before him, Mitch McConnell promised an end to dysfunction as the next Senate majority leader.

Dems' Fighting Words

Even before all the ballots are cast, Harry Reid's top aide has unleashed his fury against the White House. But the outgoing majority leader is sticking around for Obama's final two years.

Obama: The Wrong Man for the Moment

The cool, detached president didn't have the right political skills in an election where voters prized extremes over nuance. He and his party paid the price.

Democratic Statehouses Turn Red

Yes, Republicans won the Senate, but it may be their gubernatorial victories that hurt President Obama's party the most.

Newsy Ballot-Measure Results: An Election 2014 Highlight Reel

A survey of direct democracy on subjects from abortion to bear-hunting-with-donuts to wage increases for workers at the bottom.

The Other Big Election 2014 Losers: Marijuana Prohibitionists

The fortunes of political parties wax and wane, but the movement to legalize cannabis won key victories Tuesday that portend a generational shift in drug policy.

The Republican Wave Sweeps the Midterm Elections

As in 2010, the GOP overshot its targets in this year's midterm elections, taking the Senate and winning House and statehouse races across the board. Now what will they do?

America Votes: An Image Gallery

Photos from the polls and the stump as the midterm winds down

Election 2014: Live Coverage

News and analysis from around the nation as voters decide who will control the U.S. Senate, House, and statehouses.

A Missed Opportunity to Teach Kids About Midterm Elections

Schools across the country are being used as polling stations, but the students who attend them may not understand why these elections matter.

Vote Early and Often!

"Don't vote—it just encourages them," the old saw used to go. Au contraire. Even-lower turnout is about the only thing that could make our terrible election system worse.

How Facebook Could Skew an Election

It all has to do with those chipper “I’m a Voter!” buttons.

A Respite From Election-Day Tribalism

Amid a nationwide orgy of partisanship, a short, eclectic reading list to help red, blue, and purple Americans keep things in perspective.

The Midterm Elections: A User's Guide

Republicans are expected to take control of the Senate and gain seats in the House.

Mitch McConnell, on the Brink

The Kentucky Republican is poised to take control of a new Senate majority Tuesday, but he remains remote and inscrutable.

The Republicans on the Cusp

The GOP is poised to win control of the Senate. But will the results be known on Wednesday morning?

Latino Voters' Wrenching Choice

Abandoned by Democrats and shunned by Republicans, many Hispanics don't see why they should vote this year. In Colorado, they could decide the election.

President Obama Has Earned Our Disapproval

On the eve of the midterm elections, 42 percent of Americans endorse his performance—and that's alarmingly high given his administration's ethical and legal lapses.

Trashing the Party? Rand Paul Laments the GOP's 'Broken' Brand

The Republican senator appeared on three Sunday talk shows to explain—and double down on—his recent anti-party positions.

Postcard From New Hampshire: A State Senator's Election Homestretch

Riding around Manchester with Lou D'Allesandro as he rounds up votes and frets over Senator Jeanne Shaheen's chances against Scott Brown

When Conspiracy Theories Don't Fit the Media Narrative

Why haven't Joni Ernst's flirtation with Agenda 21 or Tom Cotton's ideas about ISIS gotten more attention?

North Dakota's Personhood Vote Could Affect More Than Abortion

If the initiative passes, it could have implications for everything from in-vitro fertilization to end-of-life care.

Not That Kind of Republican

Colorado's Cory Gardner may have found a way to turn a blue state red by co-opting Democrats' tactics—and their message.

Political News From Maine: Latest Shifts in the Race for Governor

An independent candidate deals with a "what-if?" question

Will a Republican Congress Be a Hot Mess?

The GOP has a good chance to win control on Tuesday. Whether they can control themselves is another question.

The Millennials Who Prefer Democrats Don't Plan on Voting

Once the key to President Obama's appeal, young voters have grown disenchanted, and those who are likely to vote want a Republican Congress.

16 Questions: The Arkansas Senate Race

In the fifth edition of The Atlantic's Midterm Cheat Sheet, Roby Brock discusses the contest between Mark Pryor and Tom Cotton.

How Republicans Got Their Groove Back on Security

After the debacle of the Iraq War, Democrats were suddenly the party Americans trusted to protect them. This midterm election suggests that's over.

Ed Gillespie Hails the Redskins

Trailing in Virginia, the Republican Senate nominee goes long with an ad defending Washington's polarizing nickname.

The Democrats' Ground Game May Be Coming Up Short in Iowa

Despite the party's touted voter-mobilization efforts, Republicans are catching up in a key midterm battleground.

16 Questions: The North Carolina Senate Race

In the fourth edition of The Atlantic's Midterm Cheat Sheet, Jessica Jones discusses the contest between Kay Hagan and Thom Tillis.

There's a Good Reason These Midterm Elections Seem So Boring

It's not that there's no drama. It's that there's not much chance of big changes in national policy, no matter what happens.

You Could Run a 'Perfect' Campaign and Lose Anyway

North Carolina's Kay Hagan hopes a clever operation can outweigh an awful national climate.

Bruce Braley and the Year Everything Went Wrong for Democrats

Republican Joni Ernst's unexpected breakout performance in the race for Senate in Iowa epitomizes this midterm election.

16 Questions: The Georgia Senate Race

In the third installment of The Atlantic's Midterm Cheat Sheet, Daniel Malloy discusses the contest between David Perdue and Michelle Nunn.

16 Questions: The Colorado Senate Race

In the second installment of The Atlantic's Midterm Cheat Sheet, Colorado political reporter Eli Stokols discusses the contest between Mark Udall and Cory Gardner.

How Independents Could Seize Control of the Senate

There's a small but real chance a bloc of unaffiliated senators could form after the midterms and help moderate the chamber.

The House GOP's New War on Incompetence

The Republicans want to overhaul scandal-plagued federal agencies in 2015, the majority leader says.

Should the Poor Be Allowed to Vote?

Voter-ID laws are part of a hoary American tradition holding that people who aren't economically independent can't make reasoned political choices.

Help Not Wanted In Iowa

The White House may just want to stay away from Bruce Braley's Senate bid until Election Day.

16 Questions: The Louisiana Senate Race

In the first installment of The Atlantic's Midterm Cheat Sheet, longtime Nola columnist James Varney discusses the contest between Mary Landrieu, Bill Cassidy, and Rob Maness.

George H.W. Bush Tells Michelle Nunn to Leave Him Alone Again

The Democratic Senate hopeful in Georgia is ignoring the former president's pleas not to use his image in her ads.

Our Passé President

Obama's campaign schedule is already light, and on Sunday some people actually left his event early.

The Supreme Court's Okay for Texas to Enforce a Restrictive Voter-ID Law

One Texas judge says the new law could keep 600,000 mostly black and Latino voters from the polls.

The One Attack That's Working for Democrats: Bashing the Wealthy

Taking a page from Obama's 2012 playbook, candidates from Illinois to Georgia have found a winning message in a dismal political environment.

A Tale of Two Republican Campaign Ads

The GOP goes Willie Horton-style in Nebraska, while a gay candidate proudly cites his husband in Massachusetts.

From 'One Tough Nerd' to Embattled Governor

Michigan Republican Rick Snyder finds himself in an unexpectedly tough reelection campaign thanks to a backlash against his economic policies.

Southern Evangelicals: Dwindling—and Taking the GOP Edge With Them

Why are Democrats keeping it close in five key Senate races? Look at changing demographics.

Charlie Crist's Fan: A Love Story

His opponents have laughed at it for years, but at Wednesday's gubernatorial debate, the Florida pol's favorite accessory stole the show.

Obama and the Democratic Governors

The Democrats' Senate contenders don't want anything to do with the president, but statehouse candidates are rolling out the welcome mat.

Don't Count the Democrats Out Yet

The Senate is slipping away, but Republicans haven't locked it up.

The Unseriousness of Republicans on Man-Made Climate Change

Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell aren't scientists, but that doesn't stop them from discrediting it.

6 Ways a Republican Congress Can Avoid the Mistakes of 1994 and 2010

We all know the drill: The GOP makes big gains on Capitol Hill, overreaches for two years, then loses the next presidential race.

The Essence of Kentucky's Puzzling Senate Debate

Will voters care more about Mitch McConnell's Obamacare stumble or Alison Lundergan Grimes's presidential vote from 2012?

Did Republicans Blow the Michigan Senate Race?

The contest was touted as an opportunity to gain a seat, but now the party seems to be giving up on its candidate.

Lil Jon's Goofy Rock the Vote Video Might Actually Work

Celebrity-studded ads are easy to mock, but there's evidence they can increase turnout—to a point.

Texas Republicans' Hard-Right Turn on Immigration

As the national GOP took a tough line on borders, George W. Bush and Rick Perry cozied up to Hispanic voters. But those days are over.

John Hickenlooper, Party of One

If Americans really want independent-spirited leaders who disdain politics as usual, why is Colorado's governor fighting for his political life?

The Rise of the Independents?

The Senate could have four members in 2015 who are neither Republicans nor Democrats, a historic and game-changing dynamic.

Why Would Obama Try to Make the Election About Himself?

It's all about that base.

Why a GOP Senate Majority Could Be Short-Lived

The political map for Republicans in 2016 will be every bit as treacherous as it has been for Democrats this year.

What Does Thom Tillis Want?

The Republican candidate for Senate from North Carolina has shown a remarkable knack for moving up in the ranks, but he seems less sure what to do once he gets there.

The Mystery Candidate Shaking Up Kansas Politics

Independent Greg Orman's pitch for bipartisanship has come out of nowhere to threaten Republican Pat Roberts's reelection—and the balance of power in the Senate. Is he for real?

How Did the Senate Get So Fickle?

Control of the upper chamber hasn't been this unsteady since the post-Civil War era.

The Weird Bipartisan Consensus on Over-the-Counter Birth Control

Suddenly, a spate of Republicans have come out in favor of over-the-counter contraception—putting Democrats in a tight spot politically.

'Security Moms' Are Back—and That's Bad News for Democrats

In a time of national anxiety, women voters are again turning to Republicans to protect the country.

The Making of a Conservative Superstar

Tom Cotton is the ultimate product of today's hard-edged, ideologically driven Republican Party. Is that what Arkansas voters want?

Can Foreign Policy Help Republicans Take the Senate?

GOP candidates and strategists are scrambling to deploy the president's handling of ISIS as a weapon against his Democratic allies.

The Midterm Electorate Is Anxious and Unsettled

A new preoccupation with domestic and international security displaced economic worries at the top of voters' minds in two swing-state focus groups.

Obama's Long Immigration Betrayal

To understand why activists are so angry at the president, you have to understand how close they've come—and how long they've waited.

Why Congress Still Won't Get Anything Done This Fall

From ISIS to inversions, immigration to infrastructure, a host of pressing needs face legislators. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll take any action.

Meet the Trackers: Inside the Strangest Job on the Campaign Trail

There's a whole caste of young staffers who follow candidates all day every day, hoping to capture the next "47 percent" or "Macaca" moment.

Governors' Races Are Turning the National Political Map Upside Down

Democrats are playing defense in deep-blue states like Hawaii, while Republicans are worried about holding on in strongholds like Georgia.

What Is Al Franken So Afraid Of?

The comedian-turned-senator is running an unusually low-key reelection campaign, trying to avoid scrutiny. Will Republicans get the last laugh?

Will Republicans Shut Down the Government Again?

House GOP leaders fear a conservative revolt when government funding comes up for a vote next month.

Democrats Are (Slowly) Learning to Love Obamacare

Vulnerable incumbents like Mark Pryor and Kay Hagan are backing into talking about the law.