Republicans managed to flip the Senate – but that’s not all. As close as the polling was prior to Election Day, still there were rumblings of a big red wave and a Republican trifecta. As votes continue to be counted, that outcome seems more and more likely. While the overall House is still too close to call, Donald Trump has been declared the new president elect, the GOP has secured a 52-seat majority with at least a few more likely in the bag, and the House is trending that way, as well.
Senate Democrats Had a Bad Night
As previously reported by Liberty Nation News, Republicans had an inbuilt advantage this year. There were 34 total Senate seats up for grabs, of which only 11 were occupied by GOP lawmakers. Democrats had 23 seats to defend, and several have been leaning red for a while now. Republican incumbents held those seats considered “safe” by pollsters, of course, and they managed to hold the ones that seemed in danger, as well. Florida’s Rick Scott held on, beating Democrat challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell 55.6% to 42.7% with 99% of the vote counted. Nebraska’s Deb Fischer was also in a competitive race, but she beat out her challenger, Dan Osborn, 53.8% to 46.2% with 98% of precincts reporting. In the Lone Star State, there had been some speculation that incumbent Senator Ted Cruz was in danger of being ousted by Democrat Colin Allred, but that never materialized. Cruz held his seat 53.2% to 44.5%. Never Trump Republican Mitt Romney didn’t run for re-election in Utah, and while his seat was up for grabs without an incumbent, the GOP’s nominee, John Curtis, won handily with 62.8%.
Even just holding on to the seats already held, safe or competitive, Republicans were poised to at least tie up the Senate, but they managed to flip a few seats from Democrats as well, giving them control of the upper chamber even without JD Vance as a tie-breaking VP. Joe Manchin's West Virginia seat went to Republican Jim Justice, which was hardly a surprise. Manchin was the only Democrat West Virginia had sent to the Swamp in years, and it had simply been assumed he would be followed by a Republican since he announced he wasn't running for re-election.
Republicans Get Their Red Wave
But shocking Senate shake-ups did occur, and it seems there are a few more pending. Democrat Sherrod Brown, who held his seat for Ohio since 2007, was ousted by Republican Bernie Moreno 50.2% to 46.4%. Jon Tester also lost his Senate seat to the Republican challenger in Montana. Tim Sheehy beat the incumbent Democrat 52,8% to 45.4% with 85% of the votes counted, and the AP called the race early this morning. Taking Manchin’s, Brown’s, and Tester’s seats put the GOP over the required simple majority line, but of the six races left to be called, Republicans are leading in three and still have a slim shot of taking at least one beyond that trio.
Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey, who has held one of Pennsylvania’s US Senate seats since 2007, seems on the verge of losing to Republican challenger Dave McCormick. With 97% of the votes counted, McCormick is up 49.2% to 48.2%. In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers is leading Democrat Elissa Slotkin 48.6% to 48.4% in a tight race without an incumbent. Currently held by Debbie Stabenow, who didn’t run for re-election, the seat will be yet another loss for Democrats should Rogers hold his lead. In Nevada, incumbent Jacky Rosen, another Democrat, trails her GOP opponent, Sam Brown, by just a tenth of a percent with 84% of votes reported. And finally, in Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin is barely holding her seat against Republican challenger Eric Hovde 49.3% to 48.6% – a lead that she’ll likely keep but could technically lose with 1% of the vote still out.
As it stands, Republicans hold the Senate 52-42, with six seats up for grabs. Incumbent Angus King, the independent who caucuses with Democrats, seems likely to keep his, and Democrat Ruben Gallego has 50.4% over Kari Lake’s 47.6% in Arizona with 60% of the vote counted. Should Republicans lose those two and Wisconsin but pick up Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada, the final count would be 55-45, a solid majority for the GOP. The House is still up for grabs – and with it, a solid trifecta. So far, Republicans have performed better than their colleagues across the aisle in every category. They’ve won the presidency and the Senate, are leading in the House 198 to 180 with 57 races left to be called, and they’re even leading in gubernatorial races, winning 27 states to the Democrats’ 23.
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