Election 2026 live results: Karen Bass concedes LA mayoral race to Nithya Raman

ABC News reports that Nithya Raman is the winner in the Los Angeles mayoral race, based on the concession of incumbent Karen Bass.

"While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken. I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us," Bass wrote in a statement.

With Karen Bass' concession, this is the first time an LA mayor has lost reelection in more than 20 years.

Raman entered the race back in February in a last-minute bid, making the announcement just hours before the filing deadline closed. Her entry caused a major shakeup in the race, partially because she had endorsed Bass just two weeks before; the move soured their political allyship.

Raman is a Los Angeles city councilmember overseeing District 4 as the first Asian American woman and first South Asian in the role. She has also served as chairwoman of the Housing and Homelessness Committee. 

Raman is poised to become the 44th mayor of the nation’s second largest city. She immigrated to the U.S. from India when she was 6, grew up to study urban planning and has degrees from Harvard and MIT.

She also will make history: Raman is the first South Asian and Asian American mayor of Los Angeles.

-ABC News' Clarissa Gonzalez and Juhi Doshi

GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's campaign lawyers sent a letter Thursday to county Election Commissioners and Circuit Clerks in Mississippi asking them to separate, secure and preserve any affidavit ballots cast in the midterms.

The incumbent is trailing Democrat Scott Colom by around 1,000 votes, according to the current vote count.

Both sides indicating they are ready for potential litigation over the results. Mississippi does not have any rules or procedures for election recounts.

Affidavit ballots are provisional ballots in Mississippi that allow voters to cast a ballot even if they do not show up to the polls with voter ID or do not show up as a registered voter at their polling place. Both campaigns have indicated they feel the affidavit ballots could make a difference in the election results.

Hyde-Smith's lawyers said the affidavit ballots could be evidence in any potential contest of the election.

Gerard Henderson, Colom's campaign manager, called the letters a "desperate stunt," in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

"We’re confident that when every lawful ballot is counted, Scott Colom will be Mississippi’s next U.S. senator," he said.

Mississippi's secretary of state has not immediately commented about the letters.

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim

The Associated Press projected on Thursday that Democratic candidate Sam Forstag will win the election in Montana’s 1st Congressional District, becoming the first Democratic U.S. House member elected from Montana in more than 30 years.

Forstag is a former smokejumper and union leader who faced off against Republican Aaron Flint, a radio host and veteran who netted President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

In Nevada, Teresa Benitez-Thompson is projected by the AP to will win the election in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, which is one that Trump won by 14 points.

Benitez-Thompson defeated Republican David Flippo. No Democrat has ever represented this district before.

Two GOP held seats in Virginia also flipped to Democrats.

Democratic candidate Shannon Taylor is projected to win the seat held by GOP Rep. Rob Wittman in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, according to the AP.

Democratic candidate and former Rep. Elaine Luria is projected to flip Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District held by Rep. Jen Kiggans, and will return to her old seat, the AP said.

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Juhi Doshi

Democratic Sen.-elect James Talarico received more votes in the early vote than his Republican opponent Ken Paxton received in total, according to the Texas secretary of state's election results.

That means that even if a single vote was not cast for Talarico on Election Day, he still would have won, based on the data that is available.

According to the Texas secretary of state's election results, Talarico received 4,397,474 early votes cast; Paxton received 4,249,373 votes total.

ABC News projected Talarico won the Texas Senate race over Paxton with Talarico receiving 55% of the total votes compared to Paxton's 43% of the total votes.

-ABC News' Diana Paulsen