Republicans have the House and Senate

By Rachel Stoltzfoos, DCNF

Republicans held their majority in the Senate Tuesday following a series of wins in key states culminating in Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s win in Pennsylvania.

Democrats picked up seats in a few states, but GOP victories in a slew of key races leave Republicans with a majority of seats in the Senate. It’s a big win for party leaders who struggled to handle their Republican nominee Donald Trump, and along with their wins in the House ensures Republicans will continue to control the Congress.

The balance of power was considered a toss-up by predictors going into election day. Republicans currently hold 54 Senate seats while Democrats hold 46 (including Independent Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King). The GOP typically performs worse in the midterms compared to the general, and they were at a particular disadvantage this year in terms of the seats up for grabs.

Republicans had to defend a number of red seats in blue or purple states, while none of the seats Democrats were defending are in states won by a Republican in 2012. Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania all rode the 2014 GOP wave into the Senate in blue states, making their task this year that much more difficult. The GOP did have an advantage, however, in that they were defending more incumbent senators, which tend to outperform challengers.

So, what will get done in the next few years?

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