Republicans took control of the US Senate on Tuesday night after snatching the seats that were in Democratic hands, keeping the Republican senators who already held a seat in the upper house.
The unexpected battleground in Nebraska pushed Republicans over the threshold. Republican Sen. Deb Fischer rejected a surprisingly strong challenge from freshman independent Dan Osborn.
Democrats saw their efforts to save their slim majority fade as results came in from a map that favored Republicans.
Earlier in the evening, Republicans gained a seat in West Virginia, electing Jim Justice, who easily replaced retiring Senator Joe Manchin.
Democratic efforts to dislodge the most combative Republicans, such as Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida, failed.
With control of Congress at stake, House and Senate races will determine which party maintains the majority and the power to advance or block a president’s agenda, or whether the White House faces a divided Capitol.
On the other hand, Sarah McBride, a House candidate and Democratic state legislator from Delaware who is close to the Biden family, won her race, becoming the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.
Congress plays a role in the American tradition of peacefully transferring presidential power. Four years ago, Trump sent his mob of supporters to “fight like hell” at the Capitol, and many Republicans in Congress voted to block the election of Joe Biden. Again, Congress will be called upon to certify the results of the presidential election in 2025.
Records show that if Democrats take the House and Republicans take the Senate, it would be the first time both chambers of Congress have switched sides to opposing political parties.
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