Democrat Kyrsten Sinema won her Arizona's vacant Senate seat after her Republican opponent conceded. The win comes as President Donald Trump called for an end to the vote recount in Florida.
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The US state of Arizona's nail-biting Senate race came to a close on Monday, when Republican candidate Martha McSally conceded to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
In a video on Twitter, McSally said that she'd called Sinema "and congratulated her on becoming Arizona's first female senator after a hard-fought battle."
Sinema, who will also become the first openly bisexual senator in US history, thanked her supporters in a statement posted on Twitter, pledging to "be an independent voice for all Arizonans."
She will succeed Republican Senator Jeff Flake who opted not to run for re-election.
Although the Democrats won the seat, the result does not affect Republican control of the Senate which currently stands at 51-47 with two seats still to be decided in Florida and Mississippi.
German business ambivalent about US midterm results
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Trump calls for end to recount
Trump urged election officials in Florida to end a vote recount and declare Republican candidates the winners.
Outgoing governor Rick Scott and Republican Ron DeSantis led the races for a US Senate seat and the state's governor's office early in the vote count, but their leads narrowed as more ballots were tallied. Florida state law mandates recounts in elections where the margin of victory is within 0.5 percentage points.
Florida officials are scrambling to review more than 8 million ballots by Thursday, with districts expected to submit their official results on Sunday.
Trump cast doubt on the recount in Florida, alleging voter fraud without providing evidence.
A runoff vote for a Senate seat in Mississippi is scheduled for November 27, with Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith favored to win.
rs/rc (AP, AFP, Reuters)
US midterm elections 2018: Winners and losers
The US midterm elections resulted in a few surprise victories — and losses. There were many firsts, but also missed opportunities for favored candidates. DW breaks down the biggest winners and losers of the night.
Image: Reuters/A. Kelly
First-time winners: Native American women enter Congress
Deb Haaland, a Democrat from New Mexico, became one of the first Native American women to be elected to the US Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. The 57-year-old member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe in New Mexico was one of three female Native American candidates running for Congress — a record number.
Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
Another first for a Native American woman
Sharice Davids, also a Democrat and also Native American, beat her Republican opponent in Kansas to be elected to the House. She identifies as lesbian and is therefore also the first LGBT member of Congress from her state. A former mixed martial arts fighter, she is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, a Native American tribe in Wisconsin.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/C.E. Braley
The youngest-ever congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29-year old from the Bronx, New York, became the youngest person to ever be elected to the US Congress. A Democrat, she is associated with the more progressive wing of the party and was endorsed by former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Image: Reuters/A. Kelly
The first openly gay governor
Jared Polis, 43, is the first openly gay person to be elected governor in the United States after winning his race in the state of Colorado. The self-made millionaire and tech entrepreneur was admitted to Princeton when he was 16-years-old. A Democrat, he represented Colorado in the House for five terms before being elected governor.
Image: Reuters/E. Semon
First Muslim-American congresswomen
Rashida Tlaib is one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to the US House of Representatives. The 42-year-old is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Born and raised in Detroit, she already broke records by becoming the first female Muslim to be elected as State Representative in Michigan in 2008.
Image: Reuters/R. Cook
The first Somali-American congresswoman
Ilhan Omar, 36, is also one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Omar fled Somalia with her family when she was 8-years-old. She lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the US in 1997. A Democrat, she will represent Minnesota in the House.
Image: Reuters/E. Miller
A lost opportunity for a Democratic darling
Beto O'Rourke, a little-known congressman and former punk-rock musician, rose to popularity in his home-state of Texas and across the US. He ran a surprisingly close race for a Senate seat against incumbent Ted Cruz, who is a former Republican presidential candidate. Despite losing this election, O'Rourke is seen by many as a future leader in the Democratic party.
Image: Getty Images/C. Somodevilla
A missed chance for former Marine pilot
Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot, stood a good chance of ousting three-time Republican congressman Andy Barr in Kentucky. Despite being a top candidate for the Democrats, McGrath did not manage to win in the southern state where Trump won the presidential vote by 16 points in 2016.
Image: Reuters/J. Sommers
When Obama's endorsement isn't enough
Andrew Gillum had been endorsed by former President Barack Obama, but failed to become Florida's first African-American governor. Gillum, who is mayor of Tallahassee, suffered a close defeat to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Image: Reuters/C. Hackley
Vermont doesn't elect transgender governor
Despite Vermont being a traditionally progressive state, Christine Hallquist failed to oust Republican Phil Scott from the governor's spot. If she had won, Hallquist would have become the first openly transgender governor in the US.