Republicans appeared poised to take back control of the U.S. Senate late Tuesday as they flipped at least two Democratic-held seats, while control of House of Representatives remained up in the air late Thursday.
The GOP won a previously Democratic seat in West Virginia and Republican candidate Bernie Moreno knocked off Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, giving Donald Trump’s party an edge. Republicans hoped to also knock off Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana.
A GOP win would win means Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) will lose his position as majority leader. Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell has said he will not run for the majority leader post again, setting up a potential battle for the post between other GOP senators.
All Republican Senate incumbents looked to be on track to win reelection including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-Florida).
In New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand romped to reelection. Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) easily beat a Republican Curt Bashaw to win the seat previously held by disgraced ex-Sen. Robert Menendez.
Despite the loss in the Senate, Democrats late Tuesday were still hoping to retake control of the House of Representatives from Republicans, in part by winning back several seats in the New York metro area that the GOP won in the 2022 midterms.
Control of the House was unlikely to be known until late-arriving mail-in ballots can be tallied in western states, particularly California.
Democrats needed to flip at least four Republican-held seats to win the House, a victory that would almost certainly catapult Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries into the national spotlight as Speaker of the House.
New York State and the New York City metro area emerged as a key battleground with Democrats hoping to topple as many as three Republican incumbents in suburban and upstate New York districts, all of whom won their seats in the 2022 midterm elections.
Among the GOP lawmakers at risk were Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represents a Long Island district that voted for President Biden by 12%, Rep. Brandon Williams in the Syracuse area and Rep. Marc Molinaro, whose sprawling upstate district is a perennial bellwether.
Republicans were hoping to hold onto those seats along with the Westchester County district held by Rep. Mike Lawler, who has crafted a national profile as a moderate Republican. He was trying to turn back a challenge from ex-Rep. Mondaire Jones, who held the seat before switching to another district in 2022.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. was leading in his effort to hold onto the leafy New Jersey suburban district he won two years ago and Rep. Nick LaLota looked poised to turn back a challenge from Democratic former CNN anchor John Avlon.
Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan (D-New York) led by a healthy margin after he won his Hudson Valley seat in a squeaker last time.
While the House was considered a toss up, polls had long suggested Republicans were on track to win control of the Senate because the closest races were in states that former President Trump won.
Democrats and independents aligned with them held 51 seats going into the election.
