And the scenario couldn’t be better for Donald Trump. Until the afternoon of Wednesday (6), the counts showed that Republicans regained the majority in the Senate and were on track to maintain the majority in the House of Representatives.
The Republicans took control of the Senate by winning at least three Democratic seats and protecting their own legislators.
Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, whom party leaders hoped could overcome the Republican wave in his solidly red state, was defeated in his bid for a fourth term by luxury car dealer Bernie Moreno.
Republican Tim Sheehy was declared the winner over three-term incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester in the race for the state of Montana.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice easily won the open seat left by the retirement of Senator Joe Manchin III, who spent most of his Senate career as a Democrat before becoming independent this year.
Top Senate Republicans celebrated the party’s success, which will give them a leadership role in policy-making in the nation’s capital next year and the ability to confirm judges and executive nominees presented by the Trump administration.
The new majority in the Senate will also be under new leadership for the first time in 18 years, as Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, is stepping down from the highest position he has held since 2007. Republican senators are expected to choose their leaders next week as they prepare to take over committee chairmanships that have been run by Democrats since 2021.
House Majority Still Uncertain
In the other congressional battle, control of the House remains contested as of Wednesday afternoon (6), as Republicans and Democrats were still fighting for about two dozen seats in undecided states.
Democrats gained two seats in New York but still needed to defend several seats and defeat several other Republicans to regain control of the house. Republicans currently hold a majority of just four seats.
It may take days before enough results, especially in several critical contests in California, are known to declare a winner.
Source: The New York Times