Just days after former President Donald Trump was projected to have won the presidency, Trump's transition team operation has begun, with transition co-chairs confirming that he will be selecting personnel to serve under his leadership in the coming days.
President Joe Biden addressed the nation Thursday morning, urging unity and committing to a "peaceful transfer of power."
President-elect Donald Trump is the projected winner in Nevada, ABC News reports.
Trump lost in Nevada in both 2016 and 2020.
Democrats have flipped two Republican-held districts in closely watched House races in New York.
ABC News reports that Democratic candidate Laura Gillen is the projected winner in New York’s 4th Congressional District. As of 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, with 94% of the expected vote reporting, Gillen leads with 51% of the vote, while her Republican opponent, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, follows with 49%.
D’Esposito conceded earlier on Thursday. He had previously won against Gillen in 2022 by 4 points, when he flipped the Long Island-based district held previously by retiring Dem. Rep. Kathleen Rice. In 2020, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the same district by over 14 percentage points.
Separately, ABC News reports that Democratic candidate Josh Riley is the projected winner in New York’s 19th Congressional District. As of 10:45 p.m. Thursday, with 95% of the expected vote reporting, Riley leads with 51% of the vote, while GOP incumbent Rep. Marcus Molinaro follows with 49% of the vote.
In 2022, Molinaro defeated Riley by less than 3 percentage points, and Biden won the district in 2020 by around 5 percentage points. Over $40 million was spent by the candidates or groups supporting them in this race, according to an analysis by OpenSecrets.
Cumulatively throughout 2024, Democrats have now flipped 3 of the 4 swing seats they lost in 2022 in New York – the third being New York’s 3rd Congressional district, which Rep. Tom Suozzi won in a special election in February and held onto in the general election.
ABC News reports that incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is projected to hold onto the fourth, New York’s 17th District.
-ABC News' Emily Chang, Oren Oppenheim and Brittany Shepherd
The race for the House seat in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District will go to ranked-choice voting tabulation, the secretary of state's office announced Thursday. There will also be a potential recount, at the request of one of the candidates.
Incumbent Democrat Rep. Jared Golden was leading with 50.9% of the vote as of around 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, while his Republican opponent, Rep. Austin Theriault, followed with 49% of the vote. Less than 7,000 votes separated the two.
Maine uses ranked-choice voting in its federal races, so voters indicate their first, second and third choices, and so on. A candidate wins outright if they get over 50% of the vote initially.
If the race goes to ranked choice voting tabulation, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the votes from people who voted for that candidate are applied to their second choice. This continues until only two candidates are left; the leading candidate then wins.
Separately, Theriault's campaign announced Thursday plans to request a recount. According to the secretary of state's office, the recount would also use RCV tabulation.
-ABC News' Emily Chang and Oren Oppenheim
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York is the leading candidate to serve as the ambassador to the United Nations under President-elect Donald Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
While no decision has been made, Stefanik, who has emerged as one of Trump’s most fierce defenders in Congress, is likely to be vetted for the role, the sources said.
Stefanik in recent months has called for a "complete reassessment" of U.S. funding for the U.N. She had previously been on the early list of candidates Trump’s team had considered for vice president.
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, John Santucci and Will Steakin
In a statement Wednesday night, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Vice President Kamala Harris' "historic candidacy inspired millions and her vision for a better future for all Americans will endure."
"Her advocacy on many issues -- from lower costs, more affordable housing, and a fairer tax system - will continue to have strong impacts on America and on our party," he said.
Schumer also reaffirmed Senate Democrats' commitment to "working with our Republican colleagues to deliver for the American people."
"As I’ve said time and again, in both the majority and the minority, the only way to get things done in the Senate is through bipartisan legislation while maintaining our principles -- and the next two years will be no different," Schumer said.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
