Republicans clinch control of the Senate

WASHINGTON — Republicans seized control of the Senate in Tuesday’s voting, picking up at least two Democratic seats and protecting their own embattled lawmakers to end four years of Democratic control.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who party leaders hoped could overcome the Republican tide in his solidly red state, was defeated in his bid for a fourth term by luxury car dealer Bernie Moreno. Brown’s loss came after Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia easily won the slot opened up by the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, who served most of his career in the Senate as a Democrat before becoming an independent this year.

The two losses reversed the 51-49 majority held by Democrats after Republican Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska held off an unexpectedly steep challenge from Dan Osborn, who ran as an independent. Republicans, whose campaigns appeared to be benefiting from former President Donald Trump’s strength in battleground states, could pad their new majority given very tight races in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada, and a Republican edge in Montana.

In the other congressional battle, control of the House remained up for grabs as Republicans and Democrats grappled for advantage in about two dozen competitive races in battleground states and on the two coasts that remained too close to call. Democrats picked up a pair of seats in New York but still needed to defend several incumbents and pick off a number of other Republicans to win control from the GOP, which holds a four-seat majority.

It could be days before enough results, especially in several critical races in California, are known to declare a winner.

Top Senate Republicans cheered their success, which will give them a leading role in shaping policy in the nation’s capital next year.

“Voters are trusting Senate Republicans with an extraordinary opportunity,” said Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican, who was reelected in his own race in Wyoming. “As a new Republican Senate majority, our focus will be to take on an agenda that reflects America’s priorities — lower prices, less spending, secure borders and American energy dominance.”

The new majority will be under new leadership for the first time in 18 years since Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is stepping down from the top post he has held since 2007. Republican senators are scheduled to choose their new leaders next week as they prepare to assume chairmanships of committees that have been run by Democrats since 2021.

The loss of the majority led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was a major disappointment for Democrats who had hoped to navigate a narrow path to remaining in power. But the task of defending seats in states Trump had repeatedly carried proved too difficult.

“We may be tempted to second-guess ourselves and question whether we worked hard enough or long enough,” Brown told his supporters after conceding defeat at a reception in Columbus, Ohio. “That is not our story.”

The fight for Senate control largely focused on Ohio and Montana, two Democratic-held states that Trump carried in 2016 and 2020 — and won handily again Tuesday night.

Brown, a progressive Democrat with strong labor union ties, emphasized abortion rights and federal aid he had helped secure for his state, but Moreno hit him on immigration and transgender rights. Brown also had to contend with Trump’s popularity in the state.

“We talked about wanting a red wave,” Moreno told his supporters as he claimed victory in Westlake, Ohio. “I think what we have tonight is a red, white and blue wave in this country.”

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., was considered even more endangered than Brown, running in a Western state that has grown increasingly Republican since he was first elected in 2006. His Republican opponent was Tim Sheehy, a decorated former Navy SEAL and businessman who has come under scrutiny for conflicting stories about how he received a bullet wound in his arm.

The Montana race had been seen as key to the majority, but in the end it was Brown’s loss that clinched Republican control while Tester’s race remained undecided.

Voting went into the night Tuesday in Montana, and no results were expected before later Wednesday. Tester’s watch party in Great Falls broke up without the results being known.

“This is going to be a very, very close election,” he told about 70 attendees there, insisting that if Montanans remained in line to vote, he could still “win this damn thing.”

Democrats did hold on to a seat in Maryland, where Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive, defeated former Gov. Larry Hogan, becoming the first Black woman to represent the state in the Senate. In Delaware, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is also Black and a Democrat, won an open seat, giving the Senate two Black female members for the first time.

In Indiana, Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican and former leader of a conservative House faction, was easily elected to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican who ran for governor and won. Banks was considered a rising star in the House but decided to try to join the Senate after he lost an internal GOP election for a leadership post.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who is seeking to become the Republican Senate leader, was also reelected, overcoming a Democratic challenge. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who polls had showed was in a close race with Rep. Colin Allred, a Democrat, also prevailed.

In Vermont, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the 83-year-old independent and former presidential candidate aligned with Democrats, was elected to a fourth term.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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