Republicans ensured Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will lose his gavel as enough races were called Tuesday night to give them a majority in the upper chamber of Congress.
Republicans secured at least a 51-49 majority by flipping Ohio and West Virginia and securing Texas. With multiple other Democrat-held seats remaining to be called, Republicans are eyeing much more.
Montana — where Republican Tim Sheehy has led in polls over incumbent Sen. Jon Tester for weeks — is expected to go for Republicans.
Republican Bernie Moreno defeated three-term incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in Ohio. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) easily held off a challenge from Rep. Collin Allred (D-TX).
Remaining on the map for Republicans are prime pickup opportunities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
With a comfortable Senate majority, a future President Donald Trump would be able to secure judicial and executive nominations, and more easily. If the majority is smaller, moderates like Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) could thwart Trump’s agenda.
Control of the House remains up for grabs.
Schumer’s time leading the Senate will end after two terms — only four years.
When the dust settles, Republicans must select a leader of their own.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced this Spring he would step down as Republican leader this year — possibly assuaging a rising coup against his leadership, according to some reports.
That election is scheduled for November 13, with new members set to participate in the vote.
Two McConnell pupils, his current second-in-command Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and former second-in-command Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), as well as Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), a conservative favorite, have announced they will run for the seat. That election is scheduled for November 13.
It remains possible another candidate emerges, perhaps if no candidate looks up the race after the first ballot.
Senators’ votes are not public.
Scott challenged McConnell two years prior — the first challenge to McConnell’s leadership since he rose to Republican leadership 18 years ago. While McConnell won that race, losing double digit members to Scott showed his iron grip on the conference slipping.
McConnell, who butted heads with Trump, was often accused of undermining Trump’s legislative agenda, although he was effective while leading a majority of confirming Trump’s judicial nominations.
A group of conservative senators, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), have been advocating for reforms to give individual senators more input over the operation of the Senate, including more autonomy to bring bills and amendments to the floor.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
