Republicans retake control of US Senate after Democrats lose majority
Republicans have regained control of the US Senate, accomplishing what was previously described as the party's most realistic target in this year's elections.
The Republican Party regained power when it became evident that the Democrats had lost their slim one-seat lead in the 100-member Senate.
Republicans secured three additional Senate seats, with Trump-supported entrepreneur Bernie Moreno beating three-term Democratic senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio. Additionally, Trump supporter Jim Justice took the seat previously occupied by Joe Manchin in West Virginia. In the early hours of Wednesday, Republican Tim Sheehy clinched a highly scrutinized Senate seat in Montana, overcoming the three-term incumbent Jon Tester.
Republican incumbents successfully defended their seats against Democratic opponents in Texas, where Ted Cruz triumphed over Colin Allred, and in Florida, where Rick Scott emerged victorious against Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
In Nebraska, union organizer Dan Osborn started an unexpectedly effective independent campaign aimed at removing the Republican incumbent, Deb Fischer. However, Fischer managed to retain her position in the end.
Trump praised the remarkable number of wins in the Senate during a speech to his supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Just after 6:30 am ET, several tight Senate contests remained undecided, providing Republicans with an opportunity to increase their majority by a few additional seats.
In Nevada, Democratic candidate Jacky Rosen was slightly ahead of her Republican opponent Sam Brown in the initial results. However, there are still many votes that need to be counted, and it may take several days to get the final numbers, according to the Associated Press.
The current results place the Republican party in a strong position regarding the approval of senior officials chosen by the incoming administration, as well as for any possible new justices on the US Supreme Court when vacancies arise.
It is anticipated that two long-serving conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, may step down in the next few years. Additionally, there has been ongoing speculation about the health and future plans of Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal justices on the court.
The shift of Senate control back to the Republicans will add more excitement to the contest to replace Mitch McConnell, the current GOP leader, who has stated his intention to step down after the election.
Top candidates to take his place include South Dakota's John Thune, Texas senator John Cornyn, and Florida's Rick Scott. The person who comes out on top will be in line to become the influential Senate majority leader.
According to the Associated Press, Cornyn announced his campaign for leadership right after Republicans secured their majority in the Senate. He emphasized his experience collaborating with fellow Republicans and his role as the party's vote-counter during Trump's first term in office.
"As I've mentioned, this election isn’t focused on us, but instead on what's best for both the conference and the country," the Texas Republican stated. "I'm eager to collaborate with President Trump and our new conservative majority to restore America’s greatness by ensuring the Senate functions effectively once more."
Thune, who was originally considered the obvious choice to succeed McConnell before the internal contest became more intense, also spoke out.
"Tonight, as the Republicans regain the majority in the US Senate, we can start to move forward and close this costly and irresponsible chapter in American history,” said the senator from South Dakota in a statement.
The leadership vote is scheduled for the end of November and will be conducted through a private ballot.
The Republicans' victory was expected by many. The Democrats were up against a challenging electoral landscape, as some of their current officeholders were either stepping down or running for re-election in states that strongly leaned Republican. This made it quite likely that they would lose control of the Senate, even if Kamala Harris managed to win the presidency.
The announcement of Joe Manchin, the West Virginia senator who had recently shifted from being a centrist Democrat to an independent, stepping down was a strong indication that the Republicans were gaining momentum. As anticipated, the seat he left behind was secured by the state’s Republican governor, Jim Justice, who defeated his Democratic challenger, Glenn Elliott, the mayor of Wheeling.
Explore additional coverage of the 2024 US election available from the Guardian.
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