WASHINGTON — Republicans gave up control of the U.S. Senate after winning seats in Ohio and West Virginia, according to projections by The Associated Press, although there were too many uncalled House races early Wednesday to predict which party will hold this chamber when the modern Congress begins in January.
Montana’s Senate seat, currently held by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, also appeared to be slipping in favor of Republicans, likely increasing their majority in the upper chamber for the next two years.
Hotly contested Senate races in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin had yet to be called, potentially strengthening the GOP majority even further.
Republican Senate leader John Thune of South Dakota, who is vying to become the chamber’s next majority leader against Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, released a written statement welcoming the voters’ decision.
“Tonight, as Republicans retake majority control of the U.S. Senate, we can begin turning the page on this expensive and reckless chapter in American history,” Thune wrote. “As we await further results, I am optimistic that President Trump will be successful, our majority will grow stronger, and we can continue our work together to create a safer country for every American.”
Cornyn said in his own written statement that he was “confident that our new conservative majority can restore our institution to the essential role it plays in our constitutional republic.”
“We will restore the important role of Senate committees and restore the regular appropriations process,” Cornyn wrote. “We will improve communication, increase transparency and leverage the conference’s wealth of talent to include everyone’s expertise and opinions. And we will give power back to the members; There will be no more backroom deals or forced votes on bills without enough time for consideration, debate and amendment.”
According to AP forecasts, the newly elected Republican senators include, among others Bernie Moreno in Ohio, which flipped the seat of that state; U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, the won his first Senate race in deep red Indiana; John Curtis, the secured victory in Utah; and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who, as predicted, flipped Joe Manchin III’s seat.
The modern Democratic senators include Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland, New Jersey, USA Rep. Andy KimDelaware, USA Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and California USA Rep. Adam Schiffall of whom defeated Republican challengers in solidly blue states.
How it could turn out
There were two possible scenarios for the 119th Congress, which was scheduled to begin Jan. 3, 2025, after the AP called for Senate control.
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Democrats switch the House of Representatives and Republicans have a majority in the Senate, maintaining a divided Congress in which the opposing party has control of each chamber.
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Republicans retain their majority in the House and Republicans also control the Senate to ensure unified GOP control of Congress.
Each option carries significant implications for Donald Trump’s legislative agenda should he receive the 270 Electoral College votes needed for the presidency, which seemed likely early Wednesday.
A divided Congress would require Trump to negotiate bipartisan agreements on mandatory legislation and make concessions with Democrats to get any major policy changes through Congress.
Unified Republican control of Congress would likely mean more movement on legislation, although most bills would still have to pass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster.
Senate confirmations are imminent
The Associated Press, the news organization that States Newsroom uses to search for racial appeals decades of experiencehad announced 27 Senate races for 3 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday.
Republican senators in Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas And Wyoming easily won re-election in these GOP strongholds.
Democratic senators out ConnecticutHawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New MexicoNew York, Rhode Island, Virginia And Washington were all re-elected, as was independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who usually votes with Democrats.
Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chairman Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., congratulated Alsobrooks on her victory and her history as the first Black woman in Maryland elected to the Senate.
“Angela is no stranger to breaking barriers – and in the Senate, Angela will bring the same drive and values she has practiced throughout her life to ensure the freedoms of every Marylander and every family in her state are protected can thrive,” Peters said in the written statement.
New Jersey’s Kim will be the first Korean-American representative in the Senate in the country’s history.
Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, congratulated the re-elected and modern senators, including Justice, who redlined the West Virginia seat.
“Jim served the people of West Virginia well as governor by reducing taxes and creating opportunity in every part of the state,” Daines said in a written statement. “I know he will continue to do the same in the Senate, and we look forward to having Big Jim and Baby Dog in DC.”
Control of the Senate is slightly more crucial to Trump than his party’s control of the House, since the upper chamber is tasked with vetting and confirming Cabinet secretaries, several key executive branch appointees, judicial nominees and Supreme Court justices .
Unlike the House of Representatives, where representatives are re-elected or retired every two years, senators are elected to six-year terms, meaning about a third of representatives are on the ballot in a given election year.
This year, 34 Senate seats were up for re-election, 23 of which were held by Democrats while 11 are controlled by Republicans.
The House of Representatives voting decisions are in disarray
The AP had called 364 of the 435 House races as of 3 a.m. Wednesday, but many of the undecided races were still too close to determine the winner.
Republican and Democratic incumbents overwhelmingly retained their districts, while several modern members were elected to free up seats. Some of these elected representatives were well on their way to making history.
Sarah McBride, for example, was poised to become the country’s first openly transgender person elected to Congress, according to the AP.
McBride secured her Democratic nomination in Delaware’s 1st Congressional District against GOP challenger John Whalen.
The Human Rights Campaign celebrated McBride’s victory.
The LGBTQ+ advocacy group’s president, Kelley Robinson, called McBride a “dedicated public servant, a bulldog for her constituents and someone who represents the interests of all she serves” in a written statement.
“This historic victory reflects not only the increasing acceptance of transgender people in our society, driven by the courage of visible leaders like Sarah, but also her persistent work to demonstrate that she is an effective legislator will deliver real results,” Robinson added.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., won his re-electionpotentially giving him the opportunity to remain leader of his party should the GOP retain its majority. Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who would become speaker if his party recaptured the House, also had comfortably won re-election in his New York district.
Control of the House requires a total of 218 seats, although that is the bare minimum in a chamber where members routinely miss votes, take long leaves of absence due to illness or injury and sometimes resign mid-session.
Republican leaders have struggled over the past two years to pass partisan bills with a razor-thin majority, currently split at 220-212, and Democratic leadership would likely do the same if they won the majority.
The nonpartisan organization Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics wrote in an analysis published Monday that “the fight for the House has been back-and-forth essentially throughout the cycle” and that its experts generally believed that “The presidential and House winner” is more likely than not to be the same thing.”
Of the few dozen House races that were seen as toss-ups between Democrats and Republicans, very few had been scheduled as of 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Democrats flipped New York’s 19th district when Democrat Josh Riley defeated Republican Rep. Marcus Molinaro.
In New Mexico’s hotly contested 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Gabriel Vasquez won against GOP challenger Yvette Herrell.
And Republican Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa secured re-election in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.
Last updated 3:13 a.m. November 6, 2024
