Republicans will shake up the Senate, CNN predicts, leading to a shift in the balance of power in Washington

CNN
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Republicans will win the majority in the US Senate, CNN predicts, leading to a shift in the balance of power in Washington.

A GOP majority will enable the Senate to advance a possible Donald Trump presidency or prevent a possible Kamala Harris administration if the Democratic vice president wins the White House.

With several races still to be called, Republicans now have 51 seats in the chamber and will assume control under a yet-to-be-determined Republican leader when the new Congress convenes in January.

Taking power in the Senate was the first major victory of the evening for Republicans, as the battle between Trump and Harris is still undecided and the fate of the House of Representatives, where the GOP is trying to defend its narrow majority, is also uncertain.

The new Republican Senate will be able to support Trump’s agenda if he wins a second term and continue the ex-president’s significant overhaul of the judiciary with even more conservatives if he lands in the Oval Office. If Harris prevails, she would have difficulty confirming members of her Cabinet and judicial nominees, and the Republican Senate could thwart her domestic policy plans.

Republicans’ march to control began early on election night, with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice expected to take the Senate seat vacated by the retiring Democrat–independent Senator Joe Manchin. Democrats stopped running for the seat after Manchin announced he would not run for re-election.

In Ohio, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who served three terms in the House, will lose re-election, according to CNN, in a state that went from a constant political bellwether to a deep red stronghold during his time in office. The new Republican senator will be businessman Bernie Moreno, a vehement Trump supporter.

Cruz and Scott are running for re-election

The Democrats’ few opportunities to recoup their losses quickly dwindled as the night wore on.

In Florida, Republican Sen. Rick Scott easily fended off a challenge from former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who built her campaign in part on a backlash over the repeal of federal abortion rights and Florida’s six-week abortion ban. Democrats had hoped that putting an abortion measure on the state’s ballot could boost Democratic turnout, but that measure failed Tuesday night.

The party’s best chance of winning a seat was in Texas, where national party groups invested millions of dollars to try to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. However, according to CNN forecasts, the two-term senator will defeat Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, in another disappointment for Democrats chasing illusions of gaining traction in the long-held Republican state.

And in Nebraska, CNN predicts Republican Sen. Deb Fischer will defeat a stronger-than-expected challenge from independent Dan Osborn, who along with his allies outperformed Republican forces in the state. Her loss would not necessarily have flipped the seat to the Democrats, as Osborn had not said which party he would caucus with in Washington. But with Democrats trying to stave off a GOP majority, an Osborn win would have taken a seat away from Republicans.

Outstanding races

Democrats had always taken a prohibitive approach to defending their narrow control of the Senate this year, with incumbents facing re-election either in states Trump had previously elected twice or narrowly lost in 2020 have.

There are several important standout competitive races that have not yet been announced.

In Montana, three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester faced an uphill battle Tuesday to fend off a challenge from Republican businessman Tim Sheehy, a retired Navy SEAL, in his red state.

Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, running for a third term, is in a tight race with Republican Eric Hovde in a state also crucial to the presidential election.

In another blue wall state crucial to Democratic electoral success, two national security specialists are competing in Michigan. Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin is trying to retain the seat vacated by outgoing Sen. Debbie Stabenow. She faces former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who left Congress in 2015.

In Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is trying to fend off a challenge from Republican Dave McCormick, who forewent Trump’s endorsement in the 2022 Senate primary but secured it this year and the Republican nomination.

The final numbers in the Senate will also have to wait for the result from Nevada, where Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is running in his first term against Republican Sam Brown, an Army veteran who also lost a primary for the state’s other Senate seat two years ago has. And in Arizona, where Democratic-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is retiring, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego faces Trump disciple Kari Lake, the 2022 gubernatorial candidate who still refuses to acknowledge her defeat in that race.

There wasn’t much to cheer about for Democrats on Tuesday’s Senate map, but Democrat Angela Alsobrooks was expected to beat the former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who was popular in the solidly blue state. Hogan was often critical of Trump, a stance that posed a challenge for him among deeply conservative Republicans in Maryland’s western districts and areas near the Eastern Shore. Alsobrooks will be only the fourth Black woman elected to the Senate, after Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester was the third to win Delaware’s open Senate seat earlier in the night.