SAN ANTONIO — The 2020 General Election caps off a challenging year for the United States, as Americans navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for social justice amid the high stakes of a presidential election year. The balance of power is in play on both the federal and state levels.
KENS 5 is providing the latest local, state and national election results in real-time. Texas has voted for the Republican presidential candidate every year since 1980, but Democratic challenger Joe Biden hopes to change that in his race against President Donald Trump.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn faces Democrat M.J. Hegar in a battle to retain his Senate seat. U.S. House seats also are being contested, with the showdown in District 23 expected to be the closest, as Republican Tony Gonzales and Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones look to succeed retiring Rep. Will Hurd.
In Bexar County, the sheriff's race has incumbent Javier Salazar facing challenger Gerry Rickhoff.
LIVE UPDATES:
This story is continuously being updated. The most recent updates will appear first, with past updates appearing at the bottom.
*The percentage of votes tallied does not include mail-in or provisional ballots.
Wednesday 6:30 p.m. —
President Trump's campaign is suing Georgia, which joins Pennsylvania and Michigan as the states facing legal action regarding the election. Georgia is one of the only states that has not yet been called by the Associated Press.
Wednesday 5 p.m. —
The Associated Press projects that Joe Biden will win Michigan and its 16 electoral votes, putting him just six votes away from defeating Donald Trump. Michigan represents another Midwest state that Biden was able to flip after it voted for Trump in 2016.
Biden currently has 264 electoral votes to Trump's 214 in the AP projection, which would mean he would only need to win one of Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, or North Carolina to take the White House.
Wednesday 3:45p.m. —
The Trump campaign files lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan, laying the groundwork for contesting the outcome in vital battleground states. The president has also requested a recount in Wisconsin, projected by the AP to be won by Biden, and Trump tweeted false claims of victory in states where votes are still being counted, including Georgia, and North Carolina.
Wednesday 3:30 p.m. —
In his first in-person comments since late on Election Night, Biden expressed confidence that the race's momentum has swung his campaign's way, saying, "I am here to report that, when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners."
Wednesday 1:30 p.m. —
The Associated Press is projecting that Joe Biden will win Wisconsin, flipping a state that voted for Trump in the 2016 election and clarifying the former vice president's potential path to victory in the Electoral College.
Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Alaska remain up for grabs. Biden has 248 electoral votes to the incumbent's 214.
Wednesday 12:00 p.m. —
Although the State Senate race has not been officially called by the Associated Press, Texas State Senator Pete Flores released the following statement on last night’s election results:
“Yesterday’s election results were not what we had hoped for, but this campaign has come to an end. I send my heartfelt thanks to the people of the District. I appreciate the opportunity to serve as their State Senator for the 86th Session. I want to thank the Lt. Governor and my colleagues in the Texas Senate for their support as we accomplished a great many things for the people of Texas and this District. And most of all, I thank my family for their support and understanding throughout this time in public office. Together we made history, winning this seat in 2018. We again achieved historic and unprecedented results but fell short of reelection. Electorally, we made gains in every county, and for that I thank each and every one of you. I am encouraged by the fact that we held Mr. Gutierrez to under 50%. The results also show that we flipped Brewster, Frio, Reeves, and Val Verde counties from Blue to Red, and made double-digit gains in Maverick and Zavala. South and west Texas continue to trend Republican. This district is diverse and unique. While I have lived much of my life here, I learned each day from the people, and they have made me a better man. I will complete my term in January, but my service to the people of south and west Texas will continue."
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. —
Texas Senator Jose Menendez released this statement accepting victory in the race for State Senate District 26:
“Thank you for re-electing me to serve as your State Senator. Cehlia and I are grateful for your continued support and will be honored to continue working for all of you. Every person’s vote is equal and vital to a strong democracy. I am always humbled to earn yours. As we continue to await the Presidential election results, please have patience. Everyone’s vote is critical, must be respected and counted. Thank you again for your support.”
Wednesday 8 a.m. —
SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez released a statement regarding the passing of the historic $1.3 billion bond ballot proposition.
“We’re grateful to our community and to our taxpayers. Our academics have been improving so much. We’re one of the fastest improving school districts in the state. And now, we’re able to match our facilities and our classroom spaces with those academic gains,” Martinez said. “Every school will be impacted – whether it’s upgrading every single classroom to be a 21st-century classroom, replacing our outdated AC systems, or upgrading our security systems.”
Wednesday 6:30 a.m —
Gina Ortiz Jones issued a statement thanking her supporters after the AP projected her opponent, Tony Gonzales, to win U.S. House District 23.
“I want to thank each and every grassroots supporter, volunteer, and member of my staff who poured their heart into our campaign. I am so proud of the race we ran, and it is our shared commitment to fighting for working families in South and West Texas that continues to give me hope.”
“While we came up short, I will always remain dedicated to serving our country and my community in any way I can. I hope TX-23 is represented with all of her constituents in mind, and in a way in which she deserves."
Wednesday 5:10 a.m. —
The fate of the United States presidency hangs in the balance this morning, as President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden battled for three familiar battleground states — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — that could prove crucial in determining who wins the White House.
Wednesday 3:40 a.m. —
Nationally -- though Democrats seem likely to retain House control -- the results have been developing into a disappointment for the party, which had hoped to make modest gains.
Wednesday 3:15 a.m. —
Unofficial results from Bexar County and Texas vote totals show Republican Steve Allison as the winner in the race for Texas House District 121 over Democratic challenger Celina Montoya.
Wednesday 2:40 a.m. —
The Associated Press has projected Tony Gonzales as the winner of the U.S. House District 23 race against Gina Ortiz Jones to replace Will Hurd.
Wednesday 1:45 a.m. —
Bexar County is reporting vote totals from 100% of precincts. Here are the unofficial results for several county races:
Wednesday 1:10 a.m. —
The Associated Press has called Texas Congressional District 21 for Republican incumbent Chip Roy, who holds a 52% to 46% lead over Democratic challenger Wendy Davis with 87% of precincts reporting.
Roy will serve a second consecutive term in the U.S. House representing the district.
Wednesday 12:45 a.m. —
Kens 5 is projecting that two Democrats will win Bexar County constable races. Kathryn Brown is projected to win in precinct 4, while Leticia R. Vazquez is expected to win precinct 2.
Wednesday 12:05 a.m. —
Texas has officially been called for Donald Trump, according to the Associated Press.
Other races have been called in Texas and the San Antonio area. Republican Senator John Cornyn is projected to beat MJ Hegar and keep his seat according to the AP. However, a number of Democrats won their elections for House seats. Vicente Gonzalez, Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar, Filemon B. Vela, and Lloyd Doggett all won, with the races for District 21 and District 23 still yet to be called.
Tues. 11:48 p.m. —
Donald Trump has tweeted:
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Tues. 11:43 p.m. —
Democratic nominee Joe Biden said "We feel good about where we are," as Election Day comes to an end.
During a briefing Tuesday night, Biden said that he's optimistic about the outcome and told supporters that they have to be patient as they wait for all of the votes to be counted.
"Keep the faith guys, we're gonna win this!" he concluded, before walking off stage.
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Tues. 11:37 p.m. —
The Associated Press has projected Donald Trump (D) as the winner of Florida (29 electoral votes).
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Tues. 11:04 p.m. —
Joe Biden picked up the first battleground state of the night, New Hampshire, a small prize that President Donald Trump tried to steal from Democrats. But races were too early to call in the most fiercely contested and critical states on the map, including Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
With AP calling the race in 34 states and D.C., Biden leads Trump 209-118 in the Electoral College.
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Tues. 10:48 p.m. —
Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen provided another Election Day update stating that there will be a runoff for the Alamo Community College District sometime in December.
Callanen also took some time to thank the school districts for closing their schools and allowing campuses to be used as polling sites.
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Tues. 10:31 p.m. —
The Associated Press has projected Filemon B. Vela (D) as the winner in the race for the U.S. House: TX District 34. Vela won 56% of votes, while Rey Gonzalez (R) garnered 42% of votes, while Anthony Cristo (L) and Chris B. Royal (I) garnered 2% and 1% of the votes.
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Tues. 10:08 p.m. —
During a 10 p.m. press conference, Bexar County Election Administrator Jacque Callanen announced that an estimated 27,000 ballots (in-person) from today are in and have been tallied.
Callanen explained that the department still has a way to go in getting all of the votes tallied, but that overall it was a good day.
Once the votes have been tallied, the department will go in and data-mine to learn more about the voting habits of Bexar County residents.
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Tues. 9:42 p.m. —
Texas Senate District 26
The Associated Press has projected Jose Menendez as the winner of the race for the Texas Senate District 26. Menendez (D) garnered 81% of votes over Julian Villareal (G).
Texas House District 119
The Associated Press has projected Elizabeth 'Liz' Campos (D) as the winner of the race for the Texas House: District 119. Campos defeated George B. Garza (R), Arthur M. Thomas IV (L), and Antonio Padron (G).
Texas House District 120
The Associated Press has projected Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D) as the winner in the race for the Texas House: District 120. Gervin-Hawkins garnered 67% of votes, while Ronald Payne (R) earned 30% and Shawn Huckabay (L) earned 3%.
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Tues. 9:40 p.m. —
U.S. President
Biden holds lead over Trump with more than 25 states called by AP.
Most recently, Trump won Missouri and Biden won Colorado.
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Tues. 9:15 p.m. —
U.S. House District 28
The Associated Press has projected Henry Cuellar (D) as the winner in the race for U.S. House: TX District 28. Cuellar garnered 57% of the votes to defeat Sandra Whitten (R) 40% and Bekah Congdon (L) 2%.
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Tues. 9:02 p.m. —
U.S. Senate
MJ Hegar released a statement, following the results of the Texas U.S. Senate Election:
“I’m not a career politician, running for U.S. Senate was never my plan. I’m just one of the millions of Texans who saw the world we’re giving our children and thought ‘hell no.’ Together, we stood up and got to work, building a powerful grassroots campaign from the ground up, shattering voter turnout records, and most importantly sending a message to a previously safe Senator that he answers to us. I am confident that the work we did will move our state forward for years to come."
Earlier in the night, a spokesperson for MJ Hegar confirmed with KENS 5's sister station WFAA that Hegar called Sen. John Cornyn to concede the U.S. Senate Race.
The AP has since called the race, declaring Cornyn as the winner.
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Tues. 8:46 p.m. —
State Rep. races
The Associated Press is projecting winners in the following Texas House races:
- State Rep. 116: Trey Martinez Fischer (D)
- State Rep. 117: Philip Cortez (D)
- State Rep. 122: Lyle Larson (R)
- State Rep. 125: Ray Lopez (D)
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Tues. 8:46 p.m. —
U.S. Senate
A spokesperson for MJ Hegar confirmed with KENS 5's sister station WFAA that Hegar called Sen. John Cornyn to concede the U.S. Senate Race.
Gov. Greg Abbott has already congratulated Cornyn, saying, "I know [Cornyn] will continue to be a powerful voice for Texans in the United States Senate."
Cornyn's press office confirmed the call.
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Tues. 8:35 p.m. —
U.S. President
Joe Biden has already earned more votes in Texas than Hillary Clinton did in 2016, when Clinton garnered 3.88 million Texas votes. Biden has already surpassed that with 4.16 million votes and just 44% of precincts reporting.
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Tues. 8:25 p.m. —
Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callenen said that as of polls closing, 82,999 people voted on Election Day in the county.
She said that 64.1% of registered voters in the county turned in a ballot, up from 57.7% in 2016. She said that the county had mailed out about 120,000 mail-in ballots, and about 20,000 have yet to be counted.
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Tues. 8:15 p.m. —
U.S. House
Democrat incumbents Joaquin Castro and Lloyd Doggett are projected to retain their seats in the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.
Castro represents House District 20, while Doggett represents House District 35
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Tues. 8:00 p.m. —
City Propositions - San Antonio
KENS 5 is projecting that five local ballot measures will pass. Proposition A, Proposition B, the Advanced Transportation District proposition, and San Antonio ISD propositions A and B will all pass.
Proposition A, which garnered support from 73% of early voters, will renew a tax to fund Pre-K 4 SA. Proposition B covers new job training programs, and the VIA proposition will add funding for metropolitan transit in 2026.
SAISD proposition A is a bond for $1.21 billion to renovate and refurbish San Antonio schools, while proposition B is a $90 million bond to make technological improvements.
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Tues. 7:43 p.m. —
United States Senator- Texas
In the race for United States Senator- Texas, John Cornyn (R) maintains a narrow lead over Mary 'MJ' Hegar (D), 50% to 48%. Kerry Douglas McKennon (L), David B. Collings (G), and Ricardo Turllols-Bonilla (W) account for 2%, 1%, and 0%, respectively.
US House: TX District 21
In the race for US House: TX District 21, Chip Roy (R) maintains a lead over Windy R. Davis (D), 50% to 48%. Arthur DiBianca (L) and Tommy Wakely (G) account for 2% and 1%.
US House: TX District 23
In the race for US House: TX District 23, Tony Gonzales (R) maintains a lead over Gina Ortiz Jones (D), 49% to 48%. Beto Villela (L) accounts for 3% of the remaining votes.
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Tues. 7:37 p.m. —
Bexar County Sheriff
KENS 5 projects incumbent Javier Salazar to win re-election in the race for Bexar County Sheriff. Salazar will retain his position over Republican challenger Gerard Rickhoff.
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Tues. 7:14 p.m. — We're getting an early look at voting totals in Bexar County:
Bexar County Sheriff
In the race for Bexar County Sheriff, Javier Salazar (D) leads Gerard Rickhoff (R) 62% to 38%. At this time, Salzar is up 161,000 votes.
Bexar County Commissioner, Pct. 1
In the race for Bexar County Commissioner, Pct. 1, Rebeca 'Becky' Clay-Flores (D) leads Gabriel Lara (R), 66% to 34%.
Texas House: District 121
In the race for Texas House: District 121, Steve Allison (R) leads Celina Montoya (D), 53% to 47%.
Texas Senate: District 19
In the race for Texas Senate: District 19, Roland Gutierrez (D) has 57% of the votes, leading Peter P. 'Pete' Flores (R) and Jo-Anne Valdvia (L).
READ MORE: In Texas Senate D-19 race, Gutierrez looks to prevent incumbent Flores from serving first full term
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Tues. 7:02 p.m. — The AP has called a number of states on the East Coast:
According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump wins:
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
According to the Associated Press, Joe Biden wins:
- Rhode Island
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
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Tues. 7 p.m. — Polls in Bexar County have officially closed. However, if you are still in line, you will be allowed to vote.
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Tues. 6:54 p.m. — Leaders at Alamo Plaza had crews install fencing and barricades around the iconic monument.
WATCH:
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Tues. 6:42 p.m. — (AP) Associated Press has called Virginia for Biden.
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Tues. 6:31 p.m. — (AP) Associated Press has called West Virginia for Trump.
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Tues. 6:02 p.m. — (AP) Associated Press has called Vermont for Joe Biden. This marks the first state to be called for Joe Biden in the 2020 Election.
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Tues. 6:01 p.m. — (AP) Associated Press has called Kentucky for Donald Trump. This marks the first state to be called for Donald Trump in the 2020 Election.
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Tues. 5:46 p.m. — (AP) The pandemic and the fragile economy weighed heavily on voters in Tuesday's presidential election. As the coronavirus surges across the country, roughly 4 in 10 voters said the pandemic was the top concern facing the country. The economy followed close behind, the choice of about 3 in 10 voters.
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Tues. 5:28 p.m. — Texas hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in over 40 years. Could 2020 break the GOP's streak? Texas polls have indicated a relatively close contest in the typically red-leaning state that hasn't voted for a Democratic candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
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Tues. 5:06 p.m. — With a little less than two hours till polls close, 66,761 Bexar County residents have voted cast their votes, bringing the average to 6,676 per hour. Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said the lower than anticipated Election Day voting numbers go to show that "When we get down to it, Bexar County likes to vote early," Callenen explained. Another update is expected at 7:10 p.m.
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Tues. 4:48 p.m. — (AP) Millions of voters braved coronavirus concerns and occasional long lines Tuesday to choose between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Those who turned out in person joined 102 million fellow Americans who voted days or weeks earlier, a record number that represented 73% of the total vote in the 2016 presidential election.
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Tues. 4:41 p.m. — (AP) Election officials in a handful of states are warning voters to disregard "robocalls" urging them to stay home rather than go to the polls. It's unclear whether the calls were part of any partisan agenda. They have hit Republican-leaning states as well as Democratic ones.
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Tues. 4:10 p.m. — There are a lot of claims and rumors swirling around this Election Day and it may be hard for some to separate fact from fiction. Our VERIFY team is here to help, breaking down some of the viral photos and videos people have been sharing online so you know what's real, what's untrue, and what's unverified.
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Tues 3:51 p.m. — The Hidalgo County Elections Department announced that polls will close at 8 p.m. as a result of ten polling locations experiencing "laptop check-in issues" which prevented "the check-in of voters in a timely manner."
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Tues. 3:40 p.m. — As a reminder, polls in Bexar County will stay open through 7 p.m. By law, if you are in line by 7 p.m., you cannot be turned away must be allowed to vote. A full list of voting centers can be found here.
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Tues. 3:10 p.m. — Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen announced during a mid-afternoon press conference that 53,316 people have voted today. That figure breaks down to 6,650 people per hour, which has dropped since this morning. Another update is expected around 5 p.m.
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Tue. 3 p.m. — (AP) A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ordered the United States Postal Service to immediately begin sweeping processing facilities in more than two dozen states for any mail-in ballots that have not been processed.