Republicans are gaining ground in Congress as early election results show them winning key Senate seats, BBC reports. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno defeated the long-time Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, marking a major win for the GOP.
Similarly, in West Virginia, current Governor Jim Justice is expected to take over the Senate seat that Democratic Senator Joe Manchin vacated when he left the party. With these wins, the Senate could shift to a 51-49 majority favoring Republicans, though results from other Senate races are still coming in.
The GOP currently controls the House of Representatives, and winning the Senate would give them more power to push their agenda. BBC highlights that if Republicans take both chambers and the White House, they would have broad authority to pass laws and support the president’s goals.
Moreno, a former car dealership owner from Colombia, ran a successful campaign in Ohio by labeling Brown as “too liberal for Ohio.” According to BBC, this race was the most expensive in U.S. Senate history. Though Brown acknowledged the loss, he encouraged supporters to keep fighting for workers’ rights.
In Texas, Republican Senator Ted Cruz won another term after defeating Democratic challenger and former NFL player Colin Allred. BBC reports that Democrats put up a strong fight in Texas, though they haven’t won a statewide election there in over three decades.
Florida Republican Rick Scott also held onto his seat, beating Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Speaking at his victory rally, Scott confidently predicted that Republicans would take the Senate majority and possibly make him Senate Majority Leader.
Democrats did hold on to some important seats, however. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester won in Delaware, a state President Joe Biden once represented as a senator, BBC notes. In Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks became the first Black woman to represent the state in the Senate, beating popular Republican Governor Larry Hogan.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Democrat Andy Kim, who will be the first Korean-American senator, won the seat left by Bob Menendez after Menendez resigned due to a bribery scandal.
The final outcome for the Senate is still unclear as races in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, and other states continue, according to BBC.
In the House, both parties are fighting to gain control, although final results could take days.
Most House races are in “safe districts” where one party is likely to win, but a few competitive “swing districts” across states like California, New York, and Maine could ultimately decide the balance of power in Washington, BBC explains.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwygr9wzxy2o