Donald Trump – and he will do so with his party controlling at least one house of Congress, according to projections.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the Republican Party is expected to gain a majority in the US Senate and is fighting to maintain it in the House of Representatives.
Control of both houses would give Republicans broad powers in Congress for the first time in eight years, along with the president-elect. However, as the counting of votes is still ongoing, it is too early for the Chamber to proceed with the consultation.
Election Results: Who Else Did Americans Vote For?
In the Americans voted not only for a president and vice president, but also for senators, House members, and state governors.
All 435 seats in the House and 34 in the Senate were up for grabs, with the results set to determine how successfully the next president – expected to be a former Republican president – would be able to govern.
Who will control the Senate?
With polls closing across much of the country on Wednesday afternoon (AEDT), Republicans were projected by AP to have reached a majority (51 seats) in the Senate.
He sought the re-election of Republican Deb Fischer to represent Nebraska, bringing the party’s tally to 51 seats compared to the Democrats’ 42.
According to the AP’s latest projections, Republicans have a 52-44 majority over Democrats, with four seats to call.
Republicans flipped three seats, including in West Virginia, where Jim Justice won an open Senate seat, taking over from Joe Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent. Republican Tim Sheehy unseated Democratic Senator Jon Tester in Montana, while in Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno was expected to defeat third-term incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown.
Republicans have a chance to further expand their Senate majority, as their candidates led Democratic incumbents in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
What about the House of Representatives?
Control of the House, which Republicans currently hold with a narrow 220-212 majority, remains unclear and may not be known for days.
As of 2.30pm Thursday AEDT, the AP had predicted 206 seats for Republicans and 190 for Democrats, with 39 to be called. A party must win 218 to control the House.
According to the AP, the fight for control of the House has become a state-by-state slog, much of which has taken place away from the presidential race.
Republicans took some seats from Democrats in North Carolina, where they had redrawn district lines, while Democrats flipped a competitive seat in New York along with a redistricted seat in Alabama.
To gain control of the House, Democrats would have to cede four seats to Republicans, while retaining all of their own.
What does this mean for Donald Trump?
Trump began his presidency in 2017, following his 2016 election victory over Hillary Clinton, with a Republican-controlled House and Senate.
Democrats gained control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections and won the Senate in 2020. Republicans regained the House in 2022.
If Trump’s party were to prevail in the House – and thus gain control of both chambers – that would pave the way for much of Trump’s legislative agenda, helping him fulfill his promise to cut taxes and limit immigration – at least until the next midterm elections in 2026.
If Democrats can gain control of the House, that would provide veto power over the White House.
The results expected in the Senate alone ensure that Republicans will be able to help Trump nominate conservative judges and other government staff.
Both races also provided some historic moments, including Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride becoming .
Voters also elected two Black women to the Senate: Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland. Only three black women have served in the Senate, and never have two served at the same time.
– With additional reporting by the Associated Press.
