Senate balance of power: Republicans win majority

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WASHINGTON - Republicans won a majority of the U.S. Senate amid Donald Trump's presidential win, retaking the upper chamber for the first time in four years.

The party will hold at least 52 seats, enough for an outright majority. Republicans toppled Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, the first incumbent senator to fall, with GOP luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno.

They chased Democrats in the "blue wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where Vice President Kamala Harris strained to carry the party forward.

Democratic efforts to oust firebrand Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida also failed.

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.

One of the most-watched Senate races, in Montana, was also called early Wednesday. Democrat Jon Tester, a popular three-term senator and "dirt farmer" in the fight of his political career lost to Trump-backed Tim Sheehy, a wealthy former NAVY Seal, who made derogatory comments about Native Americans, a key constituency in the Western state.

All told, Senate Republicans have a chance to earn more seats, according to the Associated Press.

It’s not yet clear who will serve as the next Senate majority leader. Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is the longest serving Senate leader in history, announced earlier this year that he would step down.

Senate Republicans had the advantage this cycle, with few incumbents to protect, allowing them to challenge Democrats with handpicked, often wealthy recruits. Democrats were almost certain to see their narrow majority slip to at least a 50-50 split with Republicans with the retirement of independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

The dome of the US Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, DC on November 13, 2023. (Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The last time the GOP had a majority in the Senate was January 2021, before Democrats took control of the Senate by a 50-50 split. In the event of a split vote, the vice president can cast the tiebreaker, which gave Democrats a one-vote majority in Harris. Democrats expanded their majority to 51-49 in the 2022 midterm elections. '

Meanwhile, control over the House of Representatives remained up for grabs on Wednesday morning, with over 100 races yet to be called.

Here’s a look at some of this year’s key Senate races that determined the balance of power in the upper chamber:

Pennsylvania: Bob Casey v. David McCormick

The crucial Senate race in Pennsylvania between Bob Casey and David McCormack has not yet been called as of Wednesday morning.

Democratic Sen. Casey, the incumbent, once called himself a "pro-life Democrat," but changed his stance on abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Casey has a strong relationship with Biden, but he’s bucked the administration on some issues and supported some of Trump’s trade policies in the past. He’s been in the Senate since 2007.

McCormick is a former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, and served as deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs under former President George W. Bush.

Wisconsin: Tammy Baldwin v. Eric Hovde

Wisconsin’s Senate race between Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the incumbent, and Republican Eric Hovde, remained too early to call on Wednesday morning, according to the AP.

The race was seen as the toughest political environment of Baldwin’s three races.

Baldwin is an attorney who’s been in politics since 1986. She served in the U.S. House before being elected to the Senate in 2012.

Hovde is a multimillionaire and CEO of Hovde Properties, a real estate company founded by his grandfather in 1933.

Ohio: Sherrod Brown v. Bernie Moreno

Republican businessman Bernie Moreno won Ohio's open Senate seat on Tuesday in a tight race against three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Moreno, who was backed by Trump, is a wealthy Colombian-born businessman and car dealership owner from Cleveland.

Brown was the lone statewide elected official left in Ohio, an increasingly red state. His campaign had sought to attract independent and Republican crossover voters in the record-setting $400 million-plus contest.

Maryland: Larry Hogan v. Angela Alsobrooks

Angela Alsobrooks, a former prosecutor and County Executive, defeated former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in a highly-competitive Maryland Senate race.

Alsobrooks prioritized abortion rights during her campaign and painted Hogan’s actions in office as evidence he fell short in standing up for a woman’s right to choose.

Hogan is a two-term governor who enjoyed wide popularity when he held statewide office. He publicly opposed Trump and said he’s never voted for him, despite Trump endorsing Hogan in the Senate race.

Montana: Jon Tester v. Tim Sheehy

Republican Tim Sheehy, a millionaire businessman and former Navy SEAL, defeated Sen. Jon Tester, the Democratic incumbent Senator from Montana, according to the Associated Press. Sheehy's win bolsters the GOP's new Senate majority.

Sheehy closely aligned his campaign with Donald Trump and leading conservatives while painting Tester as a corrupt Washington insider. The Republican also promised to address the southern border crisis and curb government regulation.

Sheehy had led in the polls, but he also faced scrutiny over claiming that he was shot in the arm during a firefight in Afghanistan. A ranger at Glacier National Park came forward and said Sheehy accidentally shot himself in 2015, when he was traveling with his family and his gun fell out of a vehicle and fired in a parking lot on Logan Pass.

Florida: Rick Scott v. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

Republican Sen. Rick Scott, the incumbent, defeated former congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in the Florida Senate race.

Scott, a former governor and close ally of Trump, will serve a second term in the Senate. He said he intends to run for Senate Republican leader when Mitch McConnell steps down from the post.

Mucarsel-Powell was the first South American-born immigrant elected to Congress, according to the House website. She served one term before losing to Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez in 2020.

Texas: Ted Cruz v. Colin Allred

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, the incumbent, defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred in the Texas Senate race. It was one of the only races where a Republican senator was in a competitive race.

Allred, a former NFL player who broke with his party over President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, had still been considered the underdog against Cruz: It’s been 30 years since Democrats won a statewide race in the Lone Star State.

Arizona: Ruben Gallego v. Kari Lake

U.S. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and former television anchor Kari Lake, a Republican, were in a close race still on Wednesday morning to replace outgoing Independent Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema, who’s not seeking reelection.

Gallego, a retired Marine and longtime congressman who represents the greater Phoenix area, was considered the frontrunner.

Lake became a darling of the populist right after leaving her career as a local television news anchor and running for governor in 2022. She lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs.

West Virginia: Jim Justice v. Glenn Elliott

West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race between Gov. Jim Justice and Wheeling Democratic Mayor Glenn Elliott ended in Democrats losing the seat that was held by Sen. Joe Manchin for 14 years.

Manchin, 76, was the only Democrat holding statewide office in West Virginia before he left the party in May and registered as an independent.

Justice, 73, won the Senate race and flipped the seat, saying in a victory speech that the political climate in Washington, D.C., is "completely dysfunctional" and "if you were to come to Jim Justice and say, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I would say, ‘I want to shake up the world.’ That’s exactly what I want to do."

Justice has served as West Virginia’s governor since 2017. Justice and his family own dozens of companies and are worth upwards of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. He held double-digit leads in all polls leading up to Election Day.

Elliott, 52, is a lawyer who has served as Wheeling mayor since 2016.