Election 2026 live results: Hakeem Jeffries officially launches bid to be 1st Black speaker of the House

Rep. Tom Emmer, the current House majority whip, is facing a challenge from Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, the outgoing chairman of the Republican Study Committee, to become minority whip, according to letters both lawmakers sent to colleagues Wednesday that were obtained by ABC News.

"There is no sugarcoating the failure we just experiences," Emmer of Minnesota wrote. "We lost, and I take that loss personally, both as a competitor and a member of this team."

Emmer said Republicans "must continue to fight" and touted his ability as whip for bringing members together across the conference.

Pfluger said he is running to be minority whip, "because I believe that I am capable and can be trusted to implement the changes this team needs."

"From day one in Congress, I have devoted myself towards helping others and that is exactly what I will continue to do in this role," he wrote.

Pfluger said Republicans must prioritize a strategy to win back the majority in 2028.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

In a letter to his colleagues on Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries formally announced his bid to be the next speaker of the House.

“I write to humbly request your support in connection with my candidacy to serve as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Jeffries wrote in the letter, obtained by ABC News.

House Democrats will hold leadership elections on Nov. 18, with members voting behind closed doors. Jeffries only needs a simple majority of the caucus to secure the nomination. To be formally elected House speaker, Jeffries needs 218 floor votes to receive the gavel in January.

Jeffries, who is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House, outlined what Democrats will focus on under his leadership if elected as the 57th speaker.

“In the new Congress, we will aggressively fight for an affordable America. Life is way too expensive, and millions of hardworking taxpayers are drowning in this failed economy. As part of our effort to turn things around, every single member of our majority will play a meaningful role. My goal is to empower you to act decisively in three key areas: (1) Affordability (2) Accountability and (3) American Values,” Jeffries wrote.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

While razor-thin election margins in American politics typically spark anticipation of recounts, there is no such process in place in Mississippi, where the Senate race is currently within a margin of a few dozen votes as of Wednesday morning.

As the Democratic challenger Scott Colom and incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith remain neck-and-neck with 96% of the expected vote in, Mississippi's Secretary of State Office confirmed to ABC News that the state has no formal recount process.

According to the secretary of state's office, candidates cannot request a recount, and a recount cannot be automatically triggered in Mississippi.

The office did share, however, that a candidate can perform "a ballot box exam" and examine ballot materials after the election is certified. If they see issues, they can file a legal challenge, the office said.

Read more.

-ABC News' Mason Leib and Oren Oppenheim

Heading into Tuesday, Republicans held 26 of the nation's 50 governors' offices, against 24 Democrats.

But after this year's midterm elections, Democrats flipped seats in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas. These are all states Trump won in 2024.

As a result, in 2027, Democrats will hold at least 28 governorships, compared with 20 for Republicans. ABC News has not projected winners is the races in Kansas and Alaska.

Before the 2010 election, Democrats held 26 governorships, Republicans 23, and there was 1 independent.

After the 2010 election, Republicans held 29, Democrats 20, and there was 1 independent.

Republicans have held a majority of governorships after every election since then, until Tuesday's midterm elections.

-ABC News' Juhi Doshi