As of Wednesday evening, several races involving current Senate and House Armed Services Committee members remain in limbo after the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) appears headed for a recount in his race against Republican state governor Rick Scott. As of deadline Wednesday, Scott’s lead remained within the state’s margin for triggering an automatic recount, although votes were still being counted, according to multiple reports.
“We are proceeding to a recount,” Nelson said in a statement. The recount has not been officially approved.
A Vietnam veteran and NASA astronaut, Nelson is the current ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) cybersecurity subcommittee, and also serves on the emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee. He has been vocally opposed to the Trump administration’s proposed Space Force.
Two House Armed Services Committee (HASC) members remained locked in a tight race to take retiring Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-Ariz.) Senate seat. The vote remains too close to call between Arizona Reps. Martha McSally (R) and Kyrsten Sinema (D), with hundreds of thousands of ballots still to tally, according to the Associated Press.
McSally is a retired Air Force veteran and was the first U.S. female pilot to fly in combat. She serves on the SASC tactical air and land forces and the oversight and investigations subcommittees. She is also a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, acting as chair of the subcommittee on border and maritime security, and serving on the emergency preparedness, response and communications subcommittee.
Outside of the armed services committees, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is heading for a runoff vote against Democratic candidate Mike Espy.
“I hope to earn your vote in our Nov. 27 runoff,” she tweeted Wednesday. Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the Rules and Administration, and Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committees.