Republicans appear poised to maintain control of the Senate as two states flipped red late Tuesday night, closing any path for Democrats to take control
Republicans appear poised to maintain control of the Senate as two states flipped red late Tuesday night, closing any path for Democrats to take control.
Democrats mounted a fierce fight to win back the control they lost in 2014 but they had an uphill fight from the start. They needed to claim just two seats to win, but they also had to hold on to at least six states where they faced tough challenges from Republicans.
Some of the closest watched races included Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
By 11 p.m., North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp was projected to lose her bid against Republican challenger Kevin Cramer, the second state to flip red. That win effectively closed the Democrats‘ chances to win the Senate after another loss in Indiana.
Democrats had succeeded in holding on to Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat in West Virginia. He handily defeated his challenger Patrick Morrisey, despite the deep support for Tump in that state. But Republicans put Indiana in their column as conservative challenger Mike Braun unseated Democrat incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly early on.
In Florida, the razor thin race is still too close to call. Sen. Bill Nelson is hoping to hold on to his long-held seat, but two-time Gov. Rick Scott still leads there by less than one percent. A loss in Florida would shut down Democrats‘ chances entirely.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) held on to an open seat in Tennessee for the Republicans, defeating Democratic contender former Gov. Phil Bredesen by a wide margin. The win makes her the first female U. S. senator from Tennessee.
In Texas, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz beat challenger Beto O’Rourke in a tight race to the end.
And in Missouri, Sen. Claire McCaskill is holding on to her lead over Republican Josh Hawley. The race is still too early to call.
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