US Election: GOP Extends Senate Majority, Leads House Races

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Facts

  • As of Friday morning, the Republican Party leads the Democratic Party 53-45 in the Senate with two seats left to be called, and leads 211-199 in the House of Representatives with 25 seats to be called (including Independent candidates).[1]
  • In the Senate, Republicans have so far flipped four seats (West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Montana). There were 34 Senate seats up for election this year, with races in Nevada and Arizona yet to be declared.[2]
  • Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has announced that he will step down as the GOP's leader in the Senate. Current expected candidates for the role include Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, and South Dakota Sen. John Thune.[3][4]
  • In the House of Representatives, Republicans have so far flipped six seats compared to the Democratic Party's four. Republicans need at least eight seats in order to regain a majority in the chamber, compared to 18 for the Democratic Party.[5][6]
  • This follows Republican former Pres. Donald Trump's victory over Democratic candidate Vice Pres. Kamala Harris to be elected the 47th President of the United States. The last time Republicans held the presidency and both chambers of Congress was 2017-2019.[7]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]FOX News (a), [3]The Hill, [4]NBC (a), [5]NBC (b), [6]FOX News (b) and [7]History.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by Nationalreview and New York Post. The Republican Senate takeover represents a clear mandate for conservative policies and will enable implementation of key priorities including immigration reform, tax cuts, and energy production. This victory positions the GOP to support a Trump presidency, and has provided Democrats with a sharp wakeup call that their ultra woke political agenda means nothing to the average American, who wants to comfortably pay the bills.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. Democrats faced an exceptionally challenging map engineered by gerrymandering Republicans, and still managed to keep several races competitive despite structural disadvantages. While still fighting for those that need to be defended from a Republican America, such as immigrants and the trans community, it's time for the party to go back to the drawing board and work out a more compelling way to communicate their unity-focused message to the American public.

Predictions