Senate balance of power: Republicans win majority
WASHINGTON - Republicans have taken control of the U.S. Senate.
The party will hold at least 51 seats, enough for an outright majority. The tipping point seat was Nebraska, where Republican incumbent Senator Deb Fischer defeated independent challenger Dan Osborn.
It’s not yet clear who will serve as the next Senate majority leader. Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is the longest serving Senate leader in history, announced earlier this year that he would step down.
Senate Republicans had the advantage this cycle, with few incumbents to protect, allowing them to challenge Democrats with handpicked, often wealthy recruits. Democrats were almost certain to see their narrow majority slip to at least a 50-50 split with Republicans with the retirement of independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
The dome of the US Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, DC on November 13, 2023. (Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The last time the GOP had a majority in the Senate was January 2021, before Democrats took control of the Senate with a 50-50 split. In the event of a split vote, the vice president can cast the tiebreaker, which gave Democrats a one-vote majority in Vice President Kamala Harris. Democrats expanded their majority to 51-49 in the 2022 midterm elections.
Here’s a look at some of this year’s key Senate races that determined the balance of power in the upper chamber:
Pennsylvania: Bob Casey v. David McCormick
The Senate race in Pennsylvania between Bob Casey and David McCormack was seen as crucial to Democrats’ effort to defend their razor-thin Senate majority.
Democratic Sen. Casey, the incumbent, once called himself a "pro-life Democrat," but changed his stance on abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Casey has a strong relationship with Biden, but he’s bucked the administration on some issues and supported some of Trump’s trade policies in the past. He’s been in the Senate since 2007.
McCormick is a former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, and served as deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs under former President George W. Bush.
Wisconsin: Tammy Baldwin v. Eric Hovde
Wisconsin’s Senate race between Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the incumbent, and Republican Eric Hovde, was seen as the toughest political environment of any of Baldwin’s three races.
Baldwin is an attorney who’s been in politics since 1986. She served in the U.S. House before being elected to the Senate in 2012.
Hovde is a multimillionaire and CEO of Hovde Properties, a real estate company founded by his grandfather in 1933.
Ohio: Sherrod Brown v. Bernie Moreno
RELATED: Ohio's Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno: What to know
Brown is the lone statewide elected official left in Ohio, an increasingly red state. His campaign sought to attract independent and Republican crossover voters in the record-setting $400 million-plus contest.
Moreno, who is backed by Donald Trump, is a wealthy Colombian-born businessman and car dealership owner from Cleveland.
Maryland: Larry Hogan v. Angela Alsobrooks
The Maryland Senate race between former Gov. Larry Hogan and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks fills the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.
Hogan is a two-term governor who enjoyed wide popularity when he held statewide office. He publicly opposed former President Donald Trump and said he’s never voted for him, despite Trump endorsing Hogan in the Senate race.
Alsobrooks prioritized abortion rights during her campaign and painted Hogan’s actions in office as evidence he fell short on standing up for a woman’s right to choose.
Montana: Jon Tester v. Tim Sheehy
Sen. Jon Tester, the Democratic incumbent Senator from Montana, faced his toughest race yet against Republican Tim Sheehy, a millionaire businessman and former Navy SEAL.
Senate Republicans saw Montana as their best chance to unseat a Democrat, but Tester is a popular figure in the Big Sky state, where a whopping $238 million-plus was spent on ads.
Sheehy led in the polls, but he also faced scrutiny over claiming that he was shot in the arm during a firefight in Afghanistan. A ranger at Glacier National Park came forward and said Sheehy accidentally shot himself in 2015, when he was traveling with his family and his gun fell out of a vehicle and fired in a parking lot on Logan Pass.
Florida: Rick Scott v. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Republican Sen. Rick Scott, the incumbent, faced former congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in the Florida Senate race.
Scott, a former governor and close ally of Donald Trump, was seeking a second term in the Senate. He said he intends to run for Senate Republican leader when Mitch McConnell steps down from the post.
Mucarsel-Powell was the first South American born immigrant elected to Congress, according to the House website. She served one term before losing to Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez in 2020.
Texas: Ted Cruz v. Colin Allred
The Texas Senate contest between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, the incumbent, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, was one of the only races where a Republican senator is in a competitive race.
Allred, a former NFL player who broke with his party over President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, was still considered the underdog against Cruz: It’s been 30 years since Democrats won a statewide race in the Lone Star State.
Arizona: Ruben Gallego v. Kari Lake
U.S. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and former television anchor Kari Lake, a Republican, were in a race to replace outgoing Independent Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema, who’s not seeking reelection.
Gallego, a retired Marine and longtime congressman who represents the greater Phoenix area, was considered the frontrunner.
Lake became a darling of the populist right after leaving her career as a local television news anchor and running for governor in 2022. She lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
West Virginia: Jim Justice v. Glenn Elliott
West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race between Gov. Jim Justice and Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott was widely expected to end in Democrats losing the seat that’s been held by Sen. Joe Manchin for 14 years.
Manchin, 76, was the only Democrat holding statewide office in West Virginia before he left the party in May and registered as an independent.
RELATED: West Virginia's Senate race between Jim Justice and Glenn Elliott: What to know
Justice, 73, has served as West Virginia’s governor since 2017. Justice and his family own dozens of companies and are worth upwards of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. He held double digit leads in all polls leading up to Election Day.
Elliott, 52, is a lawyer who has served as Wheeling mayor since 2016.