Republicans Win Senate Control—Ending Democrats’ Narrow Majority
by Antonio Pequeño IV · ForbesTopline
Republicans have won control of the Senate, flipping Democrats’ narrow majority in the chamber after winning races in West Virginia and Ohio, The Associated Press projected late Tuesday.
Key Facts
Republicans will gain control of at least 51 seats in the Senate, after Democrats held a 51-49 majority.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice won his state’s Senate race Tuesday evening, defeating Democrat Glenn Elliott as he is slated to replace retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, who caucuses with Democrats.
Ohio’s Senate seat is also changing hands: The Associated Press called Ohio for Republican Bernie Moreno as he held a nearly five-point lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Meanwhile, GOP incumbents in Texas, Florida and Nebraska won their reelection bids, staving off longshot challenges by Democrats.
Republicans were favored to win control of the Senate, with The Economist predicting the GOP had a 71% chance of flipping the chamber.
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What To Watch For
Republicans can boost their majority in the Senate even further, as they hold leads in crucial states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as of 1:00 a.m. EST.
Key Background
West Virginia was the most likely of all Senate battleground states to be won by a Republican, as the likelihood of a GOP victory increased after Manchin announced last year he would not seek a third term. Justice, who has served as West Virginia’s governor for seven years, won the Republican primary for the state’s Senate seat with 62% of the vote. Moreno, a businessman, was predicted to have a tight race in Ohio with Brown, who led by just 0.5 points in Real Clear Politics’ late October polling average.
Further Reading
House And Senate Fundraising Battle: Democrats Narrowly Outraise GOP In Fight For Congress (Forbes)