2 weeks Ago By Andy Sullivan
Republicans have won control of the US Senate with victories in West Virginia and Ohio, ensuring Donald Trump's party will control at least one chamber of Congress in 2025. Login or signup to continue reading Republicans also posted early gains as they battled to retain control of the House of Representatives. But Tuesday's results ensured Republicans would be able to help Trump appoint conservative judges and other government personnel if he wins the presidential race, or block much of Democrat Kamala Harris's agenda if she prevails.
Republican Jim Justice was projected to win an open Senate seat in West Virginia shortly after polls closed, taking over the seat previously held by Joe Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno was projected to defeat incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. Those two victories ensured Republicans will hold at least a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with further gains possible as results in other competitive races come in.
Republicans also won several races that could allow them to expand their 220-212 majority in the House, though the outcome might not be known for days. They won a Democratic-held district in Pennsylvania that includes Scranton, Democratic President Joe Biden's hometown, and picked up seats from Democrats in North Carolina, where they had redrawn district lines to their advantage. Democrats won a Republican-held seat in upstate New York and a seat in Alabama that had been redrawn to comply with a U.
S. Supreme Court order to create a Black majority district. Democrats now need to flip at least six seats to take control of the 435-seat chamber.
Voters made history in Delaware, where they elected Democrat Sarah McBride as the first openly transgender member of Congress. As in the presidential election, the outcome will likely be determined by a small slice of voters. Fewer than 40 House races are seen as truly competitive.
Republicans stand a chance to widen their Senate majority further if they win in Montana, where Democrat Jon Tester faces a tough re-election battle, and prevail in several competitive Midwestern states. But they are unlikely to end up with the 60-vote majority needed to advance most legislation in the chamber. In Texas, incumbent Republican Ted Cruz was projected to win re-election, holding off Democrat Colin Allred.
In Nebraska, Republican Senator Deb Fischer was holding off a surprisingly strong challenge from an independent candidate, Dan Osborn, who has not said whether he would line up with Democrats in the Senate if he were to win. The Senate was set to include two Black women serving simultaneously for the first time, as several media outlets projected Democrat Angela Alsobrooks would win in Maryland, and Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester won in Delaware. The outcome was still up in the air in the House, despite Republicans' gains in North Carolina.
Analysts say Democrats could easily pick up enough seats to win control of the chamber, though there are no signs of a "wave" election, akin to 2018 or 2010, that would result in a decisive power shift. With at least 200 seats safe for each party, the winning side will likely end up with a narrow majority that could make governing difficult. That has been evident in the past two years as Republican infighting has led to failed votes and leadership turmoil and undercut the party's efforts to cut spending and tighten immigration.
Tight races in the heavily Democratic states of New York and California could determine House control, though the outcome might not be known for several days as California typically takes several days to count its ballots. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.
WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered.
WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on.
WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep.
Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday.
WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks.
DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!.
