More than 100 Republicans who denied results of the 2020 US elections won their midterm races Tuesday, capturing seats in Congress and key statewide offices that will oversee future polls, media projections said.
But there were setbacks for vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud such as Doug Mastriano, a far-right conspiracy theorist who failed in his bid to become Pennsylvania governor.
Despite no evidence, Trump's claim that the last presidential election was stolen has spread like wildfire through the Republican Party and its base, prompting fears over the future health of American democracy.
According to a Washington Post analysis, nearly 300 Republicans on the ballot for midterms had questioned the validity of the last presidential election -- a figure also highlighted by Democratic President Joe Biden.
By late Tuesday more than 140 of those had won their races, including House and Senate seats, as well as state-level contests.
Read also: Five takeaways from the US midterms.
Those who capture state offices such as governor and secretary of state will be in positions of power to change election rules to the advantage of their favored candidates.
Among the election deniers winning Tuesday were Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Katie Britt, who ran for Alabama's open US Senate seat.
But Mastriano -- who participated in January 6, 2021 protests against Biden's victory that turned into an insurrection, and endorsed the idea that state legislatures have the legal authority to override the popular vote -- lost to Democrat Josh Shapiro.
Don Bolduc, who had embraced election conspiracy theories, also lost his bid for a Senate seat in New Hampshire.
Vote-counting is ongoing in Arizona, the southwestern state that has become ground zero for election denialism, and which has several key races.
Former local news anchor Kari Lake has spread election disinformation in her bid for governor.
Arizona's Republican candidates for a US Senate seat and secretary of state have also said they would not have certified Biden's win in the state.
Trump, who endorsed more than 200 Republicans in their nominating contests for Tuesday's election, made belief in his "Big Lie" a prerequisite for his support.
