Republicans Claim US Senate Majority Outright
Republicans gained control of the US Senate early this morning, with GOP wins in a handful of key races cementing the new majority and flipping party control of the upper chamber.
With a Senate map heavily in their favor, Republicans flipped West Virginia and Ohio, giving them at least a 51-seat majority as a handful of races remained as toss ups. One race that became surprisingly competitive in the final stretch of the campaign was Nebraska, which brought the GOP over the finish line.
Democrats currently have a 51-49 majority in the Senate.
Republicans last won a majority in the Senate in 2018, before Democrats went on to secure a narrow majority in the two most recent elections.
The senate win tees up a high-stakes race for leadership of the chamber, after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced plans earlier this year to step down from leadership. Minority Whip John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, are considered the front-runners in the race to replace the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.
With a Senate map heavily in their favor, Republicans flipped West Virginia and Ohio, giving them at least a 51-seat majority as a handful of races remained as toss ups. One race that became surprisingly competitive in the final stretch of the campaign was Nebraska, which brought the GOP over the finish line.
Democrats currently have a 51-49 majority in the Senate.
Republicans last won a majority in the Senate in 2018, before Democrats went on to secure a narrow majority in the two most recent elections.
The senate win tees up a high-stakes race for leadership of the chamber, after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced plans earlier this year to step down from leadership. Minority Whip John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, are considered the front-runners in the race to replace the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.