Republicans managed to secure control of the Senate after wresting several crucial seats from Democrats and reaching the 51 votes needed for a majority, according to Associated Press projections. The victory in the Upper House, which previous polls had already predicted, is accompanied by a Donald Trump who caresses the White House and who, with control of the Senate, would experience a much more peaceful second term.
West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice’s quick victory cemented the path to the Upper House, which is crucial for certifying election results and nominating the Senate. As expected, Justice succeeded Joe Manchin, an independent who joined the Democrats. The second seat, that of Ohio, was occupied by Republican Benie Moreno.
In addition to the seats lost in West Virginia and Ohio, Republicans also aspire to wrest Democratic seats in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, states where the count is currently progressing.
In contrast, Democrats’ million-dollar effort to unseat Ted Cruz in Texas failed. In Florida, where polls also favored Democrats, Senator Rick Scott managed to hold on. The change of color in the Upper House was a reality that the polls already predicted. The Democrats started at a disadvantage as they defended 23 seats, while the Republicans only had 11.
Amid the defeat, one of the many things Senate Democrats are pointing out is that Bernie Sanders secured his fourth term in the Senate for the state of Vermont.
In the House of Representatives, the outlook is also not encouraging for Democrats, where the Associated Press projects only 163 seats out of the 218 needed for a majority. The Republicans, who have held the majority in the lower house for four years, continue to maintain it with 187 seats assured. There are 85 left to distribute.
With the loss of the Senate and the White House on the verge of falling to Trump’s control, the House of Representatives becomes the last bastion to contain the advance of the conservative policies of the Republican Party. Likewise, if the Republicans manage to regain the majority in the lower house, the Democrats will find themselves in one of the worst scenarios they had imagined in previous weeks.
Facing the possible future of a Congress with conservative majorities in both chambers, Democrat Sarah McBride made history by becoming the first trans person to win a seat in the House of Representatives. The 34-year-old deputy has already succeeded, in 2020, in being the first trans person to obtain a seat in the Delaware State Senate.
In addition to presidential and legislative measures, several states have passed related initiatives such as protecting the right to abortion. In Florida, citizens defeated the measure, which fell short of the minimum 60 percent support needed to pass. In Arizona, where a proposal to include a constitutional amendment that would protect the right to abortion was also up for a vote, the measure already has 62% support, with 50% of the votes counted, according to state projections. ‘AP.
