Daybreak Drive-IN: Trump takes White House… Republicans sweep statewide races… Hoosiers and Irish in playoff position

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Votes both political and sporting top Indiana’s first and fastest news podcast today. The Daybreak Drive-IN posts on the All Indiana Podcast Network every weekday morning before 5:00.

• Republicans are celebrating victories up and down the ballot from Election Day 2024. Overnight, Donald Trump claimed victory in the Presidential race as most battleground states fell his way. Though still slightly short of the full 270 Electoral Votes necessary at the time he spoke, Trump told supporters that president “45” will be “47”, too.
• Similar story at the state level in Indiana, where Senator Mike Braun will become Governor Mike Braun. Many analysts predicted a relatively tight race with Jennifer McCormick, but the call came early as Braun took 55% of the vote. Todd Rokita had an even wider victory to stay Indiana Attorney General, and Representative Jim Banks changes chambers in Congress to become a U.S. Senator.
• It may be a clean sweep at the Federal level for Republicans: they’ve won a majority in the Senate and are positioned to do the same in the House, but several Representative races are not yet called as of this writing, leaving the result technically still unsettled as of the early morning hours.
• Bomb threats in parts of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin forced some polling places to evacuate, extend hours, and delay the counting of some ballots. The FBI says all threats were hoaxes that appeared to originate from Russian email domains.
• Abortion was on the ballot in several states and has yielded mixed results. Ballot measures restoring or protecting abortion access and women who get them have succeeded in at least five states and failed in three with counting still happening in two more. Legalized marijuana has failed in the three states where it was on the ballot.
• In a very different kind of poll, both IU and Notre Dame are on track to make the College Football Playoff. This year the postseason competition expands to 12 teams, and the first mid-season ranking is in: the Hoosiers debut at #8 and Notre Dame #10.
• We should see a bit more sunshine today and slightly calmer wind, too. The Stormtrack 8 team expects a high of 68°