An aide to re-elected U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly stepped to Connolly’s side on the podium while Connolly was delivering his victory speech to whisper in his ear. Connolly then stopped and told the large crowd assembled at the Sheraton Premiere in Tysons tonight that CBS had just declared Tim Kaine the winner of the U.S. Senate race in Virginia.

The announcement, made exactly at 10:30 p.m. EST, was met with a rousing cheer, one of many delivered by the Democratic crowd as they watched on a giant TV screen as victories for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Indiana and Missouri were being declared.