The 10 big storylines of the midterm elections

Tuesday was a huge night for American politics with the results of 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats trickling in throughout the evening.

Additionally, 39 states were also electing governors and many states have local elections.

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What was tipped to be a red wave turned out to be a bit of a red puddle -

1. Fetterman beats Oz

The social media battle between John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz has become a hot topic this year.

Fetterman, the Democratic candidate for the open Pennsylvania Senate seat, often mocks Dr. Oz, the Republican candidate, for residing in New Jersey.

Dr. Oz often points out Fetterman's stroke side effects, claiming it makes him unfit for office.

The two have been head-to-head in polls - but Fetterman ultimately won out.

2. Trump-backed candidates falter

For months, former president Donald Trump has sent out press releases and made speeches endorsing Republican candidates across the country in both Senate, House, and governor races.

Given the former president will likely announce his campaign for president in 2024, all eyes were on the candidates he's backed to see how his influence has changed since 2020.

It was a very mixed night, although some notable Trump endorsements, like Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance, secured seats.

3. The Republican wave was not a wave

Republicans thought they have a good shot of taking back the House - and possibly the Senate.

GOP politicians like Ted Cruz and right-wing commentators like Ben Shapiro and Joe Rogan predicted a "red wave". On top of this, people online felt the Election Night blood moon was an indication of a Republican win.

However, Republicans did not dominate in the way many expected.

Early polling on Tuesday seemed to indicate the GOP was pulling ahead of Democrats but throughout the night Democrats retained control over several tossup seats.

By the end of the night on Tuesday, it wasn't obvious which party would control the Senate. Republicans were favored to take over House but not by much.

4. The Georgia Senate Race drags on

Another Senate race being closely monitored is between Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Republican candidate Herschel Walker.

Despite controversies surrounding Walker, a former football player, he seems to be polling narrowly behind Warnock.

Warnock was one of the three new Democrats added to the Senate in 2021 bringing Democrats' total up to 48. Should he lose his seat, it would put Democrats at a disadvantage.

It appears to be heading toward a runoff.

5. Misinformation and voter fraud

Americans are still recovering from conspiracy theories and lies spread by Trump and his associates about the validity of the 2020 election.

Doubt has been cast over electronic voting machines and mail-in ballots, just as it had after Trump lost. On top of this, misinformation surrounding election day and voting has spread across social media.

All of this has led to concern from people about how Americans will react to election results.

6. Kathy Hochul wins New York governor race

Like other states, New York is electing its governor on Tuesday.

While the state is typically blue-leaning, Republican candidate Lee Zeldin made unexpected progress over incumbent Kathy Hochul.

Despite his efforts, Hochul came out on top as the projected winner of the New York gubernatorial.

7. Pressure on Biden eases

It's not only the future of Trump's campaign on the line, President Joe Biden was also facing pressure depending on midterm outcomes.

But as results poured in, it was clear Democrats exceeded expectations thus reflecting positively on Biden.

8. The first Gen-Z person was elected to Congress

Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a 25-year-old Democrat, won his election on Tuesday in Florida’s 10th Congressional District, beating Republican Calvin Wimbish.

Frost represents the first of Generation Z to obtain a spot in Congress.

Born in 1997, Frost is part of the eldest group of Gen Z, just meeting the minimum age requirement for the House of Representatives.

In New Hampshire, Karoline Leavitt, also a member of Gen Z is running for a Republican seat in the state's First Congressional District.

9. Abrams and Beto lose ... again

Democratic candidates Stacey Abrams and Beto O'Rouke lost their gubernatorial elections in Georgia and Texas, respectively.

Both Abrams and O'Rouke have run for elected positions previously.

O'Rouke, who has run for Texas Senate, President of the US, and now governor, lost to Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.

Abrams ran for Georgia governor in 2018 and again in 2022 but lost to Republican Brian Kemp both times.

10. DeSantis proves powerful

As expected, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proved his stronghold over supporters by securing an overwhelming majority in his home state.

Shortly after Florida polls closed, DeSantis was projected as the winner.

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