Zohran Mamdani on Democrats’ Historic Midterm Wins

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1:07If last night was a political earthquake, the aftershocks are still coming. You are looking at the U.S. Capitol, where Democrats will soon take over with huge majorities that could grow even bigger. I'm Anderson Cooper. Welcome to Election Night in America. continue. Call it whatever you like, a tsunami, a bluenami, a shellacking, a landslide. Democrats right now are ecstatic as they count their historic wins. In the House, Democrats are projected to win at least 242 seats, with dozens of other races still to be called. In the Senate, they are projected to win at least 54 seats. Votes are still being counted in two critical races.

1:44First up, Mississippi. Scott Colom ahead with 1 ,138 votes, but 96 % of the votes in. For now, that race too close to call. And then, of course, there is Alaska. Alaska, Mary Peltola only ahead by 637 votes, 74 % of the vote in. And that is going to be probably weeks before we know that. Jake? All right. Thanks so much. And joining us now, as I mentioned in the previous block, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani. Mayor Mamdani, thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate it. You've been a kingmaker in New York politics. All three House candidates that you backed are going to become members of Congress in January.

2:26Two of them were Democratic socialists, but they're going to be joined by a lot of moderates who were also elected last night. Whose message were voters endorsing, do you think, last night when Democrats got this huge sweep? You know, I think last night what we saw was a reflection of the fact that working-class Americans are tired of being told that their needs are unrealistic by politicians who've been bought by the wealthiest people across the country. And what we saw in state after state, no matter how a candidate might describe themselves, is a platform and an agenda that speak to the crises in working-class Americans' lives.

3:02If we're looking at Texas, we see James Tallarico running on a message of universal pre-K. If we're looking at South Carolina, we see Annie Andrews stumping about the need to end endless wars. If we're looking at Michigan, not only do we have Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, but we also have Jocelyn Benson running on a moratorium for data centers. And then if we're looking at Georgia, we see Keisha Lance Bottoms running on a message about the need to streamline affordable housing construction. These are the kinds of platform points that unite Democrats from last night's victories. And they're the ones that also characterize a lot of what we've been focused on delivering right here in New York City.

3:37When you were first elected, a lot of Republicans were giddy. They thought you could make you something of a boogeyman they could use to hurt Democrats across the country. How do you think that went? Well, I didn't see much of myself in a lot of the ads across the country. And I think what that speaks to is the fact that our record over 10 months has been one of delivering one point two billion dollars towards universal child care. It's been paving over 220 ,000 potholes. It's been winning the largest labor settlement in New York City's history,$130 million for 260 ,000 workers. And I think what Republicans have found is that their agenda of betraying working class Americans is one that is growing tired with many across the country.

4:18And what we're seeing now is a mandate to drive down costs, a mandate to deliver change working class Americans can feel in their wallet, and a mandate to fulfill the trust that those same Americans have put into Democrats. What agenda items would you like to see the Democratic House and Senate take on when they take office? What do you think their priorities should be? I don't want to give you a pop quiz, but would you say, you know, make the Pentagon budget smaller, pass a federal minimum wage or make an increase of federal minimum wage? Like, what would you like them to do? Well, I think, as we say in New York City, por qué no los dos?

4:56it is important for us to pursue every single aspect of an agenda that speaks to an American fatigue with the status quo, a status quo where people have been told, I'm sorry, we can't meet your needs. And by the way, let me introduce the world's first trillionaire, Elon Musk. And those same American voters came forward to say that it doesn't matter that Elon spent$440 million in these elections. It doesn't matter that crypto and AI and online betting companies spent$517 million dollars. American voters were still going to show up and vote for the future they want to see. So to me, it has to be change that is urgent.

5:32It has to be change that speaks to the crisis in working class Americans' lives. And it has to be change that can be measured in the day-to-day lives of those same Americans, something that isn't just an ideal or a value, but something that is also what they're struggling to afford every single day, be it rent, be it childcare, be it groceries. It is interesting how closely you've been able to at least publicly get along with President Trump, given the givens. Do you think that, well, there's a lot. I don't have enough time to go through all the reasons why it's surprising. But do you think that soon to be, you know, we presume Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, your fellow New Yorker, do you think he should to follow your lead and figure out ways to get along with him that it's a lot easier than people might think?

6:22Or do you think he was elected to be much more aggressive and assertive when it comes to getting along with the president? Well, I trust that he will find the way for it to be most productive. What I can say is that when it comes to my relationship with the president, the two of us are very open and very honest about the fact that we have an immense number of policy disagreements, as you said, given the givens. And yet what we've focused on in the meetings and conversations we've had is finding those few areas of commonality. For the two of us, it's been the welfare of New York City. Through those conversations, we've been able to free a New Yorker from ICE detention.

6:55We've been able to secure a visa for a grieving mother so that she can bury her son without having to watch from thousands of miles away. And we've been able to take steps to build what would be the largest housing development New York City had seen since the early 1970s. And I think that in many ways, it's indicative of what our responsibility is as politicians. work with anyone and everyone so long as the focus is for the benefit of the people we represent. Do you think part of that is not being the tip of the spear when it comes to rhetorical attacks on President Trump? It's not that you have changed your opinion, but now that you represent these millions of New Yorkers, you're able to do what you're able to do by refraining, perhaps, in many ways from doing that sort of thing?

7:36I think you still have to be honest. And, I believe that ICE should be abolished. I believe that they should end their immigration enforcement activities in New York City. And I've shared it with the president directly. I've also shared it with the public directly. And I think some of that honesty also comes from, if we look at last night, and we think you were asking me earlier, what is it a reflection of? I think it's also a reflection of the fact that when you have Vice President Vance going forward and saying, you know, just give me two more years until I can fulfill the promises that I made to to all of you as the American people, we see from Americans that they don't have two more years because rent is due on the first of every month.

8:15They don't have two more years because they have to pay for their kids' childcare this week, and they don't have two more years because they have to pay for groceries today. And so to me, you got to be honest, and you also got to be committed to actually delivering something for the people you represent. Democrats are giddy today with the election results, but I have heard some Jewish Democrats broadly happy about the results last night, but also concerned about some of the Democrats who were elected, concerns that some of them not only hostile to the existence of the Jewish state, but Israel, but some of them have said and done things that imply they're maybe not particularly concerned with anti-Semitism in America.

8:53You represent the biggest population of Jewish Jews outside of Israel. Have you heard that today? What would you say to anybody expressing such concerns? Well, I would say to anyone expressing those concerns is the point of winning power is to deliver for everyone. And that includes those who are euphoric at the results and those who are concerned by the results. I can tell you that one of the things I'm so proud of, as you said, is I represent the most Jewish city in the United States of America. And I know that there are some Jewish New Yorkers, for example, that may have a different set of opinions on Israel and Palestine as I do.

9:26And that doesn't mean that I work any less hard to deliver for them across the board. And I think that's the same truth for anyone who was elected last night. It's not to ask for agreement on every issue. It's to understand our responsibility is to them as constituents and as people who help to make this city, this country exactly what it is, which is the greatest place on earth. New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani, thank you so much. And just one note, the Sixers have beat the Knicks twice already this season. Thanks so much. Anderson? All right. All right. We got the pita tear coming anyway. way. I'm joined now by Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

10:00Senator, thanks for being with us. Obviously, a very big night for progressives, particularly Abdul El-Sayed on the Senate side, at least seven Democratic socialists on the House side. Are the results, in your view, an endorsement of Democrats and their policies? Are they more of a repudiation of President Trump and his allies? How do you see it? I think the American people are sick and tired of a president who is an authoritarian, who doesn't believe in the Constitution or the rule of law, somebody who lies all of the time. You know, whether you're conservative, progressive, you don't like that.

10:35You don't like somebody who's a narcissist, who thinks the world revolves around him, and somebody who is running an extremely corrupt administration. Their family is now$2 billion richer than before he resumed his role as president. So I think a lot of that has to do with the reaction about Trump and his administration. But there is something else. And the mayor, you know, touched on this. We have in America today the richest country on Earth. Anderson, 60 percent of our people living paycheck to paycheck. We're the only major country on Earth not to guarantee health care to all people. People can't afford their rent.

11:22We got 800 ,000 people who are homeless. People can't afford their groceries, can't afford the basic necessities of life. Elderly people are not making it on Social Security. Older workers are afraid about what will happen when they retire because they have nothing in the bank. And they're looking around them. And meanwhile, where they're struggling, people on top have never, ever had it so good. more income and wealth inequality today than any time in the history of America. Mr. Musk himself owns more wealth than the bottom 53 % of American households. So people are looking around and saying, what is going on?

12:01Why is Washington worried about the rich and the powerful, and they don't even understand what's going on in my life? So I think a lot about what last night was about was that. They want a government that represents working families and not just the one percent. And clearly what is going to happen right now as Democrats do their planning is we have got to make sure that, in fact, we have policies that are addressed that address the long neglected needs of working families. Among many other things, we need to move toward Medicare for all and guarantee health care to every man, woman and child. We need to demand that the billionaire class start paying its fair share of taxes so that we can fund the needs of our children, the elderly and working families.

12:53There's been a sea change just in two years on opinions about President Trump. A lot of people voted for him two years ago, voted for Democrats last night. You said overnight, quote, no more excuses for not delivering for working families. How realistic is a progressive agenda, even if you get buy in from all wings of the Democratic caucus when the president keeps pledging to use his veto power? What do you think is possible in the next two years to get done? Look, what I think our job, Anderson, is to represent where working families are. The last poll that I saw, well over 60 percent of the American people want Medicare for all.

13:32They know the current system is broken and incredibly expensive. If that's what the American people want, let's do it. Let's not end up paying twice as much per capita for health care as the people of other countries. Now, if Trump wants to veto it, that is his constitutional right. I'm not so sure, by the way, that he will, because Medicare for all is extremely popular. when it comes to taxing billionaires so that we can fund the needs of low income and working families. You know what? Our job is to do what the American people want and need. Trump can do what he wants. But Trump is a funny guy.

14:14You know, I don't think he's all that ideological. I think he's a politician. And I'm not so sure that he will react all that negatively to a progressive agenda, believe it or not. Vice President Vance today posted online, the reason we lost is the war. The president today said he agreed with that in large part. Obviously, the war did not start itself. What do you think, I mean, what can Democrats do about the war and what it's doing on the cost of gasoline and diesel? What the Democrats can do is stop the war. And we stopped that war not just by passing resolutions, but by defunding the war. That's what you do.

14:57This war is illegal. It's unconstitutional. It's resulted in the deaths of 19 American service members. Thousands of innocent men, women and children in Iran and neighboring countries are dead. It's cost us hundreds of billions of dollars. And as you mentioned, price of gasoline and other basic necessities has skyrocketed. we're going to stop that war. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, appreciate it. Thank you, Senator. Still to come, we are standing by for more votes out of critical Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska, races that could increase the Democrats' already big majority.

15:32Plus, we will check in with Texas voters who participated in our CNN town hall with James Tallarico. Who did they vote for last night? And how did they feel tonight? We'll ask. Stick with CNN. We'll be right back.

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16:43One state in these United States where last night's blue wave did not flip a Senate seat or a governor's mansion is the sunshine state of Florida. Voters in Florida gave both of those races to Republicans, reelecting Senator Ashley Moody and electing Byron Donalds as governor. In fact, the first black governor of that state ever. Joining us now to discuss the state's current Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. Governor DeSantis, thanks so much for joining us. So you called last night's sweeping losses across the country, quote, close to an extinction level event for Republicans. What do you think went so wrong for the GOP?

17:27Well, one, Jake, just you mentioned Florida. And I just want to say we were not immune to this wave. I mean, we had to contend with it. We saw it building. I brought candidates in at the beginning of the fall. I told them the line of scrimmage is 10 points in their direction from where it was two years ago. You better prepare. Trump won your district by 12. You're in a two point race. You're not in a 12 point race. And so we saw that coming. And we did lose about 10 points. But, you know, you look at Texas. They were 20 points off Trump's margin. The governor of Texas lost by 7 percent. Trump had won by 13.

18:04So that was a 20 point swing. If we had a 20 point swing in Florida, you would have seen all those offices go down. So I think part of what we did was just we built up a lot of trust with our voters over the years. We have a reliable Republican voting base who, quite frankly, was not as enthused about voting this year as they were two years ago or four years ago. We had an important property tax amendment on the ballot and we're able to turn out enough voters to be able to get these guys across the finish line. But listen, this was across the country, voters coming out, obviously on the Democrat side, independents and even some crossover Republicans to express their displeasure about what's going on in Washington at both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.

18:47knew. But you also had Republican voters who stayed home because I think they were disappointed in the productivity of these members of Congress who were really didn't have much to run on. I mean, I'm watching these TV commercials and they're running transgender ads. And I'm thinking to myself, we did all that stuff years ago in Florida. You're running that. What are you actually going to accomplish for us? And so I just think that our candidates were on their heels. And one of the things that I saw in Florida that the Democrats were doing against our candidates, to some effect, because they were able to hold some of the seats people thought may flip.

19:23We didn't lose any Congress seats, but people thought Republicans would pick up a few. You know, they were really hitting the issue of corruption and hitting it very hard. I'm watching an ad on the World Series, and I see him talking about one of our people voting against releasing the Epstein files. And I'm like, well, why would you not vote for that? We ran on that in 2024, talking about the stock trading, talking about some of the other things where people are making money in the swamp now. That was a big part of this election. Yeah. Vice President J.D. Vance said this morning, quote, the reason we lost is the war, unquote.

20:00Do you agree that that's one of the reasons your party lost? One of the reasons for sure, but specifically the fact that it's dragged on, it's kind of an open ended conflict. You know, we had been as Republicans very concerned. I served in Iraq. I mean, you and I have talked about this. It was kind of an open ended conflict. It was very unpopular. We were trying to do social engineering. And so kind of the Republican mantra since Trump came on the scene was, you know, we don't want to get in these open ended conflicts. And that's what this has become a little bit different than Iraq, for sure.

20:36But I think this one was important because that had a direct effect on people's pocketbooks. Every time they went to the gas pump, they saw the gas higher. And I've criticized some of our Republican congressmen and Senate candidates running around the country trying to blame the high gas prices on Biden. gas was$3 a gallon a year and a half ago, and now it's four, and it's four because of the Iraq War. So when you gaslight people, they don't trust you on anything else. So that was definitely one issue, but it's also the broader inflation. You know, when our candidates say, oh, inflation is only 3.7 percent, it was higher, you know, four years ago.

21:17Yes, the rate is lower, but this is a cumulative effect that you're having on prices. So you don't get the old prices back. That's 3.7 % on top of everything else consumers have had to endure. So when they go to the grocery store, they're reminded of that and their wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. So yes, Iran was part of it, but specifically how that related to the cost of living for everyday Americans. Do you think that the Republican party needs to move away from Trumpism, the MAGA movement into a new era for the GOP?

21:55Well, I think President Trump is a unique figure in American political history because he had a unique brand. He has a persona that has attracted a lot of support across really the political spectrum. I mean, there are people who consider themselves Trump Republicans who aren't on the same page as other Trump Republicans. They see in him, you know, different things. I think the reality is, is there's nobody in our party, you know, that has that outsized persona and brand. And so how do you then go going forward? I think it's got to be ideas based. I think it's got to be, you know, based on what are we trying to accomplish?

22:33What do we stand for? That's what we've done in Florida. You know, we set out a bunch of things to do. We were very aggressive at accomplishing them. We delivered results for people. So I think we're going to move into an ideas based future because I don't think there's anybody that would be able to take up all the oxygen in the room the way the president can. Are you considering running for president in twenty twenty eight to be part of that ideas debate?

23:01So oftentimes here, oh, he's obviously planning this and I haven't planned anything. I have a job to do. The midterms was an important marker because you need to see what the political environment is going to do. I got some more things I got to do and I'll be a free man come January 5th. Not that I'm counting down to that. And then we'll look to see the landscape. I mean, I think there's two things that last night would be something people should consider. One is the viability of the Republican brand nationally in 2028. The reality is last night, if we ran George Washington, if he had an R by his name, he would have lost.

23:37And so what's going to change the political trajectory between now and 2028? If we're not competitive in a state like Texas, you know, we obviously aren't going to be competitive nationally. The other thing, I think, is, you know, somebody that wants to run. Why are you running? Do you have something you want to accomplish? I'm more about doing it. Anything I do to accomplish things, not to be somebody. The reality is the Democrats won such a big majority in the House and Senate that a Republican president, if they could even get elected in 28, would almost assuredly have a Democrat House and Senate on some level.

24:12That has huge impact on your ability to staff an administration, to get judges on courts of appeals and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court. So the dust is settling. You know, I'm going to look at that. And like I said, I haven't planned anything because I just think that this is a very uncertain time. But last night was should be a wake up call for our party. We really got blasted into oblivion. And Florida is kind of the last one standing because Texas had been our other big anchor, Florida and Texas, certainly for the last 20, 25 years. And now we are really the last one. That's not enough to win a national election.

24:49Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Anderson. Jake, thanks. In one of the biggest and most memorable wins for Democrats on a night full of them, James Tallarico won in Deep Red, Texas. In his victory speech, Tellurico acknowledged the newly blue state still had red roots. I am humbled by your trust and I will work every day to be worthy of it. And to the Texans who didn't vote for me, I will be your senator, too. I will always.

25:22I will always serve you. I will always fight for you. This win is not about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It's much bigger than that. Now, you may remember just weeks before Election Day, CNN held a town hall with then candidate James Tallarico. So now I want to go back to Texas to talk with some of the voters who attended that town hall. CNN's Ed Lavender is live in Dallas, Texas. Ed.

25:50Hey, Anderson, we are in Dallas at Lockhart Smokehouse Barbecue, one of the iconic places in Dallas. Listen, we are with several of the guests that we had at that town hall several weeks ago with James Tallarico. And we thought this would be a good place. We've got good food. We're going to enjoy ourselves here this evening. So let me just get right to it. Some of you were undecided when we first met you. Others were undecided. Jasmine, you were undecided going into the town hall and you voted for? Absolutely. I voted for Tallarico. I shared it. You made me share, but I was not sharing it. I told you I'd get paid to be nosy.

26:26You do good job. And Tina, you were a Republican. Yes. Undecided. You told me you don't want to share who you voted for. I'm not going to share who I voted for. But what was that process getting? So that process was really all year long that I looked at the candidates and did a side-by-side. Not just Tolerico versus Potsdam, but every single candidate, and I tore them apart personally, right? And so one of the reasons I wouldn't share before is that I didn't want to sway other people's votes and I was doing my own research. So a lot of that had to do with, a lot of my Paxton research had to do with the things that he was accused of.

27:08And you know, some of the Tallarico research was the things that, you know, these soundbites that were horrible and I hated them and I don't like them. So I just dug in to see what was the truth. Got it. And Paul, how about you? I went into the town hall pretty locked on Tallarico, and between the town hall and election day, he only further increased my desire to vote for him, so I'm proud to have voted for Senate-elected Tallarico. Rodrigo? No, I'll say it here. I'm MAGA. I've been MAGA, and I voted, read down the ballot. I did want to talk to Tallarico, and I was glad it was Tallarico and that Jasmine Crockett.

27:46And I voted for Paxton because I wanted Cornyn out, So if you want to hear about how that turned out, but I really, really want to point it out. So we got that, but now we got Tellurico. And Rabbi Holly, we'll get to you here. So I voted for Tellurico, and I really like a lot of what he stands for and his values. I thought yesterday when he talked about love and the kinds of things that we need in our world, and that he's, I hope this will turn out, that he works across the aisle and that brings a lot of peace to our government right now because we really need that healing, and I think he can do it.

28:28Yeah, I got hopes too. I think he's going to do okay. Being able to see a candidate like James Tallarico in person, and just to be clear, we invited Ken Paxton to be a part of that. They never responded to us. How much of a difference did you see a candidate like that, being able to ask someone like that questions. How much of a difference did that make for you guys? I think it's invigorating because like I was telling you when I talked to you a little earlier, it wasn't so much an indecisiveness or undecidedness as far as wanting Paxton to actually have an opportunity. For me, it was like, is my voice going to be heard?

29:01You know, we do all the things that they tell us to do. They tell us to research the candidates. They tell us to make sure we know what we're researching. Talk to them at their door knocking. Go see their campaign folks. But at the end of the day, I've been voting since President Obama's second term is when I could legally vote. And you just have this moment where it's like, are they going to help us or not? Things are unaffordable for everyone. That's a bipartisan issue. That's a humanity issue. What do you say going forward? We can't change that Ken Paxton wasn't there. But what do you say going forward?

29:35Or any advice to candidates about whether or not they should attend stuff like this? I like two weeks before I was in the room with Tallarico, I was in a room with Ken Paxton. So I was I did go to one of his events. However, he was interviewed and he did not take questions or stop for pictures or to talk to us. And so that made a huge impression on me. And that was even before I went to go and be in the room with Tallarico. So to be able to stand face-to-face, eye-to-eye, ask my question, and feel heard, it made a huge impact. We have a lot more to get to. We're going to do that in the next hour, Anderson, where it was a stunning election night, to say the least, here in Texas.

30:18We are going to talk about in the next hour what it means for the state. Does Texas stay blue? Does it go purple? What happens in the future? And just so you guys are completely jealous, this is just the main, this isn't even the main course. We might be in a meat coma by the time you come back next hour. It just might be us here sitting here. I'm not even in hours. I'm salivating here, Ed. Thanks. I appreciate that. It looks good. Back here with the panel. How fast do Democrats need to move? I mean, to try to show that they can do something. Well, I think they have to move quickly. They have to identify what the priorities and agenda is.

31:02You know, there was a suggestion earlier here that they should try and do something in the lame duck. That's going to be maybe challenging to do. But for someone like Tallarico, he's going to need to communicate with his constituents what he is doing. All of them have made commitments to stay close to home, to be rooted there. And they need to communicate their priorities very, very clearly, very, very quickly and not look like they're getting swallowed up into the morass of Washington. And it's going to help, I think, the leadership in Washington that there are so many members who are coming from places like Texas, right?

31:43James Tallarico is not going to be alone in having constituents who are from a red state who are looking for some of the same things that he's looking for, right? As opposed to having to face down the idea that a couple members on the far left of the caucus, for example, could hold the entire thing hostage. And I do think, you know, it is worth just taking a second for the depths of the losses that Republicans suffered here. I mean, Ted Cruz, OK, has a lengthy post on X that really seems to underscore his 2028 presidential ambitions. He writes in there, I am. And he says, I never thought I would write this.

32:21I am the only Republican statewide elected official in the state of Texas. I think this point about listening to the people from Texas and other states, it's correct. I wonder how the House Democratic leadership is going to be able to do it, because it's been years since they've had to listen to any Democrat from middle America or from rural America or that has significant rural constituencies. It is the correct point. It was when they passed the Affordable Care Act. They cannot. They had to do that to get that over the finish line. You have to remember that these are people that are still, that are now in your party and they have a significant seat at the table.

32:57It's just been a long time since they've had to do it. I think people are misunderstanding Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer. These are very smart people. They're very able people. politics is tough. To get to the top of the puppy pile in our party, you got to know stuff. You got to know how things work. And they want to keep this map. We have this big, beautiful geographic expanse. We want to hold on to it. In two years, all these red state Democrats are going to be facing the firestorm. And so all of the attention of the leadership is going to be on helping those Democrats do well, because we want to keep that map, because we want to have the presidency and the House and the Senate.

33:38So there's also, oh, the DSA, the Socialists, just like three of these people. But Van, it's going to be, there's going to be a massive split in the party. The presidential Congress is going to take precedence for the House in the midterm. I'm going to tell you, Hakeem Jeffries is going to be able to handle getting this caucus focused on working class issues. Three or four squad plus like wing nuts. But it's not going to be them. It's going to be if AOC runs for president. Let her run. I'm going to tell you, our congressional delegation is going to be focused on the recognition. Coming up, can Democrats make their Senate majority even bigger?

34:11We are standing by for updates out of Mississippi and Alaska. And we're going to speak with South Carolina's newest Democratic Senator-elect, Dr. Annie Andrews. Stay with CNN. If you're a doctor.

34:23Life is all about making decisions. Sometimes you make questionable ones, like buying a new TV that's too big for the wall because the electronics store employee was a little too good at their job. Then, sometimes you make great ones, like protecting your home and auto with Progressive. You get customized coverage options so you can be sure you have the right coverage. Get your quote today at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers, not available in all states.

34:55We have a balance of power update for you now. We can make a projection. Two Democratic pickups, Democrat Kate Conley will win New York's 17th congressional district. She's defeating incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Lawler. That is a pickup for Democrats. And in California, in House District 48, Democrat Marnie von Wilpert will defeat Jim Desmond. That is also a pickup. This, of course, very important when it comes to California because of the state's redistricting that took place. Let's go down to Caitlin Collins, who has a key interview. Yeah, Jake, obviously we're watching all these key races.

35:40South Carolina was one of the most stunning last night at CNN here last night when we called the Palmetto State. Only three hours after the polls closed there, it was a pretty clear sign that Democrats were on their way to a Senate majority. I'm joined now by the Democrat who won that race, Dr. Now Now, Senator-elect Annie Andrews, and thank you for being here. I think a lot of people are asking themselves today how a Democrat just want to state that the president won by 18 points two years ago. What would you say to them? Yeah, well, thank you for having me, Caitlin. I mean, I would say we put in the work.

36:15I went everywhere and I talked to everyone. And I stayed really focused on the issues that I was hearing about from voters. And those issues were affordability, the high gas prices, grocery prices, and also our broken health care system, closing rural hospitals, high prescription drug prices, high health insurance premiums. And we stayed really focused on that message. And people are tired of a broken political system in Washington, D.C. And they voted for change last night. And I'm really excited about the coalition we put together. And I'm excited to go to work and deliver results for the people in South Carolina.

36:48I read something really interesting in Semaphore where Burgess Everett reported that your campaign actually got polling back in early October that showed you ahead of Darlene Graham in this race. But your campaign didn't release it out of fear, I guess, or concern of getting too much national attention from Republicans. Can you walk us through that decision? Yeah, I mean, I'll just say we have a really smart team that helped me across the finish line. They've been with me for a long time. And we knew that we were running a race that we needed to run to win. We were on track to win. And we didn't want anything to disrupt the path that we were on.

37:27And we knew if we kept showing up everywhere, talking to local media, talking about the issues, like I said, in addition to those issues, the data center issue that became really hot at the end of the race, we knew we could bring this across the finish line. And we didn't want this to become a national race because it's not about national politics. It's about the people of South Carolina who need a fighter in the U.S. Senate. You know, one interesting part of this race was was the Ralph Norman aspect of this. He was really upset and basically said he thought that the president tried to pick the candidate for voters in South Carolina in Darlene Graham, the late Lindsey Graham's sister.

38:02You know, his own family members were warming to you. Some of them voted for you, I believe. How much of a factor do you believe that played in last night's outcome? Yeah, I think the Ralph Norman and his family, I think that story is a symbol, like a symbol of how fractured the Republican Party is here because of the way this primary played out. But I also think it's just a rejection by some Republicans in South Carolina about the idea that Washington would pick our next senator. And, you know, as a lot of these Republicans warmed to me in my campaign, as they saw me out there hustling, as they understood that I was running to be an independent voice.

38:39We were able to bring a lot of them into the coalition. Of course, that's how we got over 50 percent of the vote last night. Today, I talked to Senator Tim Scott about how we chart a path together forward to solve the problems we're facing in South Carolina. We acknowledge that we don't agree on a lot of policy, but we agree that we love South Carolina and we want to do the hard work to solve the problems in South Carolina. So I'm looking forward to getting up there and just getting things done for the people of my state. Senator Tim Scott at one point during this race echoed some of the really ugly parts of it, including the president calling you by the nickname, the slur, Tranny Annie.

39:13I think a lot of people were surprised to hear Senator Tim Scott also echo that. At one point, Darlene Graham called you, and I'm quoting her, batshit crazy. When you heard the tone of the campaign and you saw the results of what happened last night, do you believe that was a repudiation of that? In some way, yes. You know, I understand politics is a dirty business and name calling is sometimes part of it, but it's not really about my hurt feelings or the way that they operated in the campaign. It's about Senator Tim Scott and I finding a way to work productively together. And I really do have a lot of hope that we can do that.

39:50And I do think South Carolina voters, you know, it's a Southern state, they rejected this like dirty politics that was being had here and they wanted something different. And so they took a chance on a mom of three and a pediatrician. I'm really proud to be the first ever elected female senator from South Carolina. I'm really proud to be our nation's first ever pediatrician senator. And I just can't wait to be a voice for South Carolina's kids and families. Did Tim Scott apologize to you for that comment during your call today? Today we had a brief call, but we're going to get together next week and have a much more lengthy call about how we're going to work together.

40:25Just as you look at this last night overall in terms of the South, I mean, South Carolina sending a Democrat to Washington, North Carolina sending a Democrat to Washington. I'm from Alabama. We're also looking at Mississippi tonight. They might be sending a Democrat to Washington. What does that say about voters in the South in this moment, in your view? They want leaders who are talking about the problems and have plans to solve the problems. I don't think this is really about party politics. I think it's about which candidates were showing up and talking about their plans to lower gas prices and diesel prices and fix our broken health care system, lower the cost of groceries and rejecting this career politician self-enrichment cycle that we have fallen into.

41:08Oftentimes it resonated a lot with voters when I would talk about my plans to support, you know, a ban on partisan gerrymandering and passing term limits and banning members of Congress from trading stock. People want Washington to work for them and they're seeing that it's not. And I think we're electing a whole new, you know, a whole new era of leadership across the country. And I'm excited to be a part of that and take my experience from working in children's hospitals my entire career to Washington, D.C. with me. And just, you know, roll up my sleeves and do the work because that's what the people here in South Carolina need.

41:39Senator-elect Annie Andrews, thank you for taking the time to join us tonight. Thanks for having me, Caitlin. And up next here, this election was won for the history books, as she just mentioned there. We're going to talk about that with the legendary filmmaker that is Ken Burns right after this.

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42:57Welcome back. Last night's election was one for the history books. America's electing its first black female governor in Georgia, its first black governor in Florida, with double historic wins with Democrats in Texas, Democrats flipping both the Senate and the governor's seats blue. Wanted to discuss all this with the most legendary chroniclers of history. documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. Ken, it's great to always speak to you in kind of moment, pivotal moments in our history. We've spoken in recent years about the strength and for that matter, the vulnerabilities of American democracy. I'm wondering what your reaction is to the election results.

43:32Well, you know, I think there've been lots of pundits. I've been listening all day about what it means and whatever. I think the founders spoke. We're in our 250th year. I think the people wanted to get back to what the values were that created the country. There are lots of symptoms, the corruption, the high prices, the costly war, the tariffs, all of that stuff, the broken sort of political process. But the disease was the rising authoritarianism, which the founders were trying to reverse engineer for. And I think what we found is that people across party lines were picking, you know, not retribution, but restoration, not hubris, but humility and not self-dealing, but service.

44:19You could hear that in Annie Andrews comments to Caitlin a second ago, and not vulgarity, but virtue. These are all the values of the founders. And you could hear in Tallarico, you could hear in Ossoff, you could hear in so many speeches last night. They were echoing one of the points I tried to make in The New York Times yesterday morning was that there's only us. And you and I've talked about it and know them. And I think this was sort of the re sort of awakening of a sense of us that didn't have to do with party, as Senator-elect Andrews was saying, but had to do with service to the community.

44:58It It was a really spectacular thing. You wrote in this op-ed, you talked about the fourth great crisis you think that the current administration had plunged America into. And I just want to read something you said. You said that we face our country's fourth great crisis because of misinformation, which the current administration encourages. Age-old fears, conspiracies have created a sense of us versus them that is fundamentally at odds with a healthy democratic society. elections are elections are in doubt the highest court seems compromised history has been distorted books have been banned and dictators have been coddled while our closest allies have been ridiculed and dismissed people are rightly concerned whether institutions are at a breaking point do you still feel that crisis exists not not in the same degree i felt uh today this morning i didn't feel that as much as i felt it uh uh yesterday morning and i think it had to do with how resounding, how historic this vote was.

45:59I mean, when you have Kansas electing a senator, a Democratic senator, and they hadn't done that since 1932, you begin to realize that there's always been, Anderson, about 32 percent of the population that doesn't believe in the Declaration of Independence. They didn't believe it back in the revolution. They obviously didn't believe it as they participated and served as agents or were part of the slave oligarchy. They didn't believe it after the Civil War and the attempt at Reconstruction, Gilded Age, Progressive Age, all of these things. So they're always going to be there. The only problem is that for the last 10 years, they've sort of directed the national narrative.

46:35And now we've seemed to, with this election, at least given these people an opportunity to dedicate themselves with all sincerity to repair and restoration. And it's going to be hard, but it's pretty direct. You can pass a far-ranging ethics bill. You can get back USAID, Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I'd be happy about that. Fun scientific research, which we know has just gone down the tubes. Protect our parks and the Department of Interior, not coddle dictators. Support and defend Ukraine. This is not heavy lifting. And I think with both houses in the Democrats' hand and a lot of Republicans very sympathetic to breaking the spell of the last 10 years, I think we might have, we might be able to get things done.

47:27And even Trump has indicated that he's willing to make deals. So if he is, then he should begin to make deals that can help that restoration process. Kim Burns, it's always good to talk to you. Appreciate it, Ken. Thank you. The latest from Alaska, Mississippi, where Democrats are hoping to run up the scores. The final votes are counted. Plus, up next, we'll discuss the historic night for Democrats with potential presidential contender, Pete Buttigieg. Stick with CNN. Be right back.

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