USA Republicans take Senate - majority in other chamber unclear

In the USA, this election is not just about the presidency: control of both chambers of Congress - the Senate and the House of Representatives - is also at stake. While the presidential election is still being counted, the Republicans have already regained the majority in the Senate from the Democrats. However, it is still uncertain who will hold control of the House of Representatives in the future. The count could drag on for days or even weeks.

Nebraska was the key to the Senate

The Republicans achieved the decisive breakthrough in the Senate shortly after midnight (local time) with the victory of Senator Deb Fischer from Nebraska, who defended her seat against the independent challenger Dan Osborn. They scored another important victory in the race for a Senate seat in Ohio, where Bernie Moreno defeated Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Early on election night, the Republicans were also able to win a Senate seat for West Virginia, creating a solid foundation for recapturing the chamber.

Warren, Sanders and Cruz re-elected

In total, 34 of the 100 Senate seats were up for vote in this election, eleven of which were considered particularly contested. Prominent senators from both parties successfully defended their seats. For example, Democrat Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, independent Bernie Sanders from Vermont and Republican Ted Cruz from Texas were re-elected. There is also a historic innovation in the chamber: for the first time, two black women will be represented at the same time - Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland.

Democrats rely on the House of Representatives

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives were newly elected. The Democrats hope to win a majority in the chamber with a gain of just a few seats and break the current Republican dominance of 220 to 212 seats. However, the outcome of a number of races is still open.

It is quite possible that the House of Representatives will fall to the Democrats. Should this scenario occur, it would be the first time in a long time that the two chambers of Congress would be "swapped" at the same time but in opposite directions. The split in power is already leading to gridlock between the chambers, making effective legislation difficult.

Well-known MPs defend mandates

Some prominent representatives of both parties in the House of Representatives have already been re-elected, including Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well as Republican hardliners Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, was also able to defend his seat.

Congress decisive for presidential power

Regardless of whether Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris ultimately wins the presidency, the future president's - or president's - room for maneuver depends crucially on support in both chambers of Congress. Parliament not only controls the budget, but also has a significant influence on legislation and confirms high-ranking government posts such as ministers, ambassadors and judges.

SDA