The mood is upbeat this evening at Trump election-night headquarters at the New York Hilton Midtown, VOA's Mary Alice Salinas reports. In the ballroom, near a stage lined with a row of U.S. flags, former “Apprentice” contestant Omarosa Manigault draws a crowd of TV cameras and onlookers. Campaign workers and supporters watch large TV monitors tuned to Fox News, which later note the candidate’s victories in Indiana and Kentucky.
Many of the men milling about wear red caps touting the campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.” One Trump supporter, asked by a reporter to describe his mood, responds, “Great! Optimistic!”
Democrat Tammy Duckworth wins a Senate seat in Illinois, unseating Republican Mark Kirk. Duckworth is a veteran of the war in Iraq where she lost both her legs when her helicopter was hit by a missile in 2004. Kirk had campaigned in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in 2012. Duckworth led Kirk by a substantial margin in pre-election polls.
Associated Press projects Republican Marco Rubio of Florida will be re-elected to the Senate. Rubio ran for the presidential nomination and waited until June to decide to run for re-election to the Senate.
Also re-elected: Oklahoma Republican James Lankford and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has been elected to fill the seat vacated by retiring Senator Barbara Mikulski.