Republicans Win Control of the Senate: What That Means

Republicans have won control of the Senate, a potential boost to Donald Trump's presidency or a hindrance to Kamala Harris if she wins.

Throughout the election cycle, the odds were in Republicans' favor, as all of the most competitive state races were represented by vulnerable Democratic senators. The resignation of Democratic and independent Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia gave Republicans a clear boost in a ruby red state.

Republicans would only need to win one more race to regain control of the chamber, which is currently controlled by Democrats 51-49. They did that on Tuesday – and perhaps more seats will be flipped before the night is over.

Ultimately, Harris or Trump's legislative ambitions on everything from taxes to health care and energy will depend on the makeup of the two chambers of Congress. The House race is still too close at this point, with dozens of contests remaining.

Tuesday's election results already indicate that the Senate will soon have a new Republican majority leader for the first time in a decade.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., who has led his fellow Republicans since 2007, plans to step down from leadership at the end of the year. Sens. John Thune, R-D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., are running to replace him. The leadership election is scheduled to take place next week.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is expected to become minority leader.

The Senate is solely responsible for confirming a president's Cabinet officials and judges, from the federal district courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, where four of the nine justices will soon be in their 70s. A Republican-controlled Senate would make it harder for Harris to approve her preferred nominees and would make it easier for Trump to approve his preferred nominees.

Republicans were on the offensive in the 2024 election cycle, defending 11 seats compared to 23 for Democrats. They successfully defended all 11 seats, including two at-risk seats in Texas and Florida.

Three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio lost to GOP candidate Bernie Moreno by 4 percentage points with more than 95% of the vote as of midnight. Moreno owns a network of car dealerships and previously ran in the 2022 Republican Senate primary in Ohio.

But it was the defeat of independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn that clinched the deal for Republicans. The Associated Press decided at 12:06 a.m. Wednesday that incumbent Sen. Debbie Fischer, R-Neb., would win the race, as Fischer beat Osborn by 2 percentage points.

And there are more opportunities for Republicans to pick up additional seats.

All eyes were on Montana, where Republican businessman and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy is leading Montana's incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in early results. Trump won that state by 16 percentage points in 2020 and has leaned increasingly Republican in recent years. This race has not yet been called.

Incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, with 77% of the vote, trailed Eric Hovde, a businessman who owns a real estate development company and Sunwest Bank, by two percentage points just after midnight. Hovde also ran in the state's Republican Senate primary in 2012.

And U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst, trails former Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, another former House member and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, by 5 percentage points, with 47th shortly after % of votes were counted midnight.

Republicans were defending two GOP-held seats that Democrats had targeted at the last minute when polls suggested Tester was unlikely to win in Montana. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, defeated Democratic Rep. Collin Allred in the Lone Star State, while Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, defeated Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in the Sunshine State.

Democrats prevailed in at least one race tonight: Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland defeated former Gov. Larry Hogan in the state that was expected to lean Democratic but was made competitive by a Republican candidate was, a moderate candidate with widespread name recognition.

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