New Delhi: The Republicans gained control of the US Senate after wins in West Virginia and Ohio, securing at least one chamber of Congress for Donald Trump’s party in the coming term. They also made early advances as they vied to retain control of the House of Representatives.
Tuesday’s results mean Republicans will be positioned to assist Trump in appointing conservative judges and key government officials if he wins the presidential election, or to obstruct much of Democrat Kamala Harris’s agenda should she prevail. According to latest reports, Trump has won 247 electoral cotes so far, while Kamala Harris has won 210. The former president flipped the state of Georgia, which in 2020 had voted for Joe Biden. Trump has also won North Carolina, another swing state.
Big wins for Republicans
In West Virginia, Republican Jim Justice was projected to win an open Senate seat previously held by Joe Manchin, who recently switched to independent status. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno was anticipated to defeat incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. These two wins guarantee Republicans at least a 51-49 Senate majority, with the potential for further gains as additional results are finalised.
In the House, Republicans captured multiple seats, potentially expanding their 220-212 majority, although the final outcome may remain uncertain for several days. They secured a Democratic-held district in Scranton, Pennsylvania, President Biden’s hometown, and gained seats in North Carolina by redrawing district boundaries to their advantage.
Democrats, meanwhile, took a Republican-held seat in upstate New York and won a district in Alabama redrawn under a US Supreme Court directive to create a Black majority district. To claim control of the 435-seat chamber, Democrats need to flip at least six seats. In Delaware, history was made as Democrat Sarah McBride was elected the first openly transgender member of Congress.
Republicans can increase Senate majority
Republicans have the opportunity to increase their Senate majority if they succeed in Montana, where Democrat Jon Tester faces a challenging re-election, and in several tight Midwestern states. However, they are unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to pass most legislation.
In Texas, incumbent Republican Senator Ted Cruz was projected to secure re-election, defeating Democrat Colin Allred. In Nebraska, Republican Senator Deb Fischer was fending off a strong challenge from independent candidate Dan Osborn, who has not indicated if he would align with Democrats in the Senate if victorious.
With both parties likely to hold at least 200 seats, whichever side wins will likely have only a slim majority, making governance challenging.
