Republicans seized control of the U.S. Senate late Tuesday after flipping Democratic held seats, holding onto GOP incumbents and wresting away the majority for the first time in four years,
AP reports.
The unexpected battleground of Nebraska pushed Republicans over the top. Incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer brushed back a surprisingly strong challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn.
Democrats watched their efforts to salvage their slim majority slip out of reach.
Early in the night, Republicans flipped one seat in West Virginia, with the election of Jim Justice, the state’s governor, who replaced retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, and then another in Ohio when Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown lost to wealthy newcomer Bernie Moreno.
Democratic efforts to oust firebrand Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida collapsed.
And there are more Senate races still to come. The focus now turns to the Democratic “blue-wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where Democrats are fighting to protect seats and avoid a Republican sweep of the Senate.
It’s a political coda for outgoing Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who has made a career charting the path to power and recruiting wealthy Republicans in races that topped $2 billion with outside spending.
With control of Congress at stake, the contests for the House and Senate will determine which party holds the majority and the power to boost or block a president’s agenda, or if the White House confronts a divided Capitol Hill.
The House races are in a state-by-state slog. For Republicans, it’s a chance to gain full control of Congress as they try to sweep into power. For Democrats, a House majority will give them an important check on the GOP’s power and force compromise in Washington.
In the end, just a handful of seats, or as little as one, could tip the balance in that chamber.
