by - Republicans are expected to regain the majority in the US Senate.
- This puts an end to four years of democratic control.
- It’s not unexpected. The Democrats were mainly on the defensive thanks to a punishing electoral map.
According to Fox News and the Associated Press, Republicans are expected to regain control of the U.S. Senate after winning seats in West Virginia and Ohio, ending four years of Democratic control.
The Democrats participated in the elections with a majority of 51 to 49. But Republicans effectively gained an additional seat when Senator Joe Manchin chose to retire to deep-red West Virginia, meaning the GOP only needed to win one more seat to regain the majority.
The Republican Party took that seat in Ohio, where Senator Sherrod Brown lost to Republican candidate Bernie Moreno. Republican incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer also defeated independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska.
Republicans also appeared likely to win a 52nd seat in Montana, where Sen. Jon Tester trailed Republican candidate Tim Sheehy.
It’s not entirely unexpected. Despite dramatically outpacing Republicans in many of this year’s tightest Senate races, Democrats faced a punishing schedule and found themselves mostly on the defensive.
In contrast, the past two cycles presented Democrats with several revival opportunities, and the party defied expectations by holding on to a majority in 2022.
Democrats remained locked in tight races in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin late on election night. Nevada and Arizona also saw competitive racing.
The Democrats’ best chances in the Senate were in Texas, where Republican Sen. Ted Cruz ultimately survived a tougher-than-expected challenge from Rep. Colin Allred.
The presidential election had yet to be decided late Tuesday, but the Republican Party’s hold on the Senate means that even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, she will face significant obstacles in implementing her agenda. including her promise to sign a bill protecting abortion rights. implementing its economic agenda, and appointing Democratic-leaning officials to judges and ambassadorships.
If former President Donald Trump wins, having the Republican Party control the Senate will ensure he can confirm Supreme Court and other judicial nominees.
It remains unclear who will control the House of Representatives next year, as several key races remain to be decided just after midnight ET.