Trump moves closer to White House, Republicans secure Senate majority

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Nov 2024 09:24

In the House, Democrats are aiming to reclaim seats in states like New York and California, while Republicans are looking to solidify their gains from recent elections.

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Guests watch a television broadcast of U.S. elections in Hong Kong, Wednesday, November 6, 2024. (AP)

Republican candidate Donald Trump achieved a pivotal win in Georgia on Wednesday, reclaiming the former Republican stronghold that had flipped Democratic in the last election, the Associated Press reported.

Coupled with his victory in North Carolina, Trump’s Georgia win has sharply reduced Kamala Harris’ potential paths to the presidency while expanding his own chances to reach the crucial 270 electoral votes.

With both Georgia and North Carolina now secured by Trump, Harris is left relying heavily on the “blue wall” states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—to sustain a realistic path to the White House. Retaining these states has become essential for her to remain in contention for the presidency.

Four years ago, Trump lost Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden by a margin of 11,779 votes, a figure that gained significance after Trump’s appeals to state election officials to "find 11,780 votes" to surpass Biden's tally.

His efforts to challenge the 2020 outcome in Georgia ultimately led to a criminal indictment, to which Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Trump now at 248 votes

Trump’s win returns the state’s 16 electoral votes to the Republican column. Despite Biden’s narrow victory there in 2020, Georgia has otherwise leaned Republican in presidential elections since 1996.

Although Georgia currently has two Democratic US senators, Trump’s victory indicates the state’s continued Republican leanings. Six candidates were listed on Georgia ballots, but votes for Claudia De la Cruz and Cornel West were not counted. AP declared Trump the victor in Georgia at 12:58 a.m. EST.

Additionally, Trump secured the electoral vote from Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses the capital city of Lincoln and surrounding rural areas. This district has consistently leaned Republican, last backing a Democrat in a presidential race prior to 1992 when the state began apportioning its Electoral College votes by congressional district. AP called Nebraska’s 1st District for Trump at 1:01 am EST.

Moreover, voters in Maine’s more conservative 2nd Congressional District awarded an electoral vote to Trump. Maine is one of only two states that allocate electoral votes by district, with two going to the statewide winner and one each to the winner in each congressional district. Notably, the 2nd District also supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020. AP called the district for Trump at 1:51 am EST.

Republicans secure Senate majority for first time in 4 years

In a related context, Republicans claimed control late Tuesday night of the US Senate by securing previously Democratic-held seats and retaining their own incumbents, marking their first majority in four years, the Associated Press reported.

A critical win in Nebraska helped Republicans solidify their lead, with GOP Senator Deb Fischer fending off a strong challenge from independent Dan Osborn.

Meanwhile, Democrats saw their attempts to defend their slim Senate majority falter as vote counts across the country tilted in favor of Republicans.

Earlier in the evening, Republican Jim Justice won West Virginia's open seat, replacing retiring Senator Joe Manchin, and Democratic efforts to unseat prominent Republicans Ted Cruz in Texas and Rick Scott in Florida were unsuccessful.

Cruz’s victory came after Democrats’ hopes of retaining the Senate were further shattered when incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio lost to Republican Bernie Moreno, a newcomer with significant financial backing.

Ohio race spending reached $400 million

The high-stakes Ohio race, which saw Brown lose to Trump-endorsed Moreno, was one of the cycle’s most expensive, with spending reaching approximately $400 million. Brown’s defeat brings the Democrats to the brink of losing their Senate majority. A three-term senator, Brown is notably the first incumbent of this cycle to lose re-election.

Control of Congress remains in the balance, with the outcomes in both chambers set to impact the legislative support or opposition to the White House agenda, potentially resulting in a divided Capitol Hill.

Focus now shifts to the key Democratic strongholds of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where Democrats are working to defend Senate seats. In a closely divided Senate, even a single seat could determine the balance of power, with the party controlling the White House holding the majority via the Vice President’s tie-breaking vote.

This election also saw historical milestones in representation, with Delaware Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester and Maryland Democrat Angela Alsobrooks becoming the first Black women elected to the Senate from their respective states, making them the first two Black women to serve concurrently.

Additionally, New Jersey’s Andy Kim, after defeating Republican Curtis Bashaw, became the first Korean American in the Senate.

Amid this pivotal election cycle—the first since the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021—voter sentiments reflect concerns over the economy, immigration, and the state of democracy.

The AP VoteCast survey, which polled over 110,000 voters, highlighted a nation deeply concerned about its direction, with Americans casting ballots in a critical choice between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In the House, Democrats are aiming to reclaim seats in states like New York and California, while Republicans are looking to solidify their gains from recent elections. With competitive races across the country, the narrow battleground remains highly contested.

As results continue to roll in, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed optimism about reclaiming the House, while current Speaker Mike Johnson projected confidence in the Republicans’ hold.

Meanwhile, the outcome of the closely-watched Montana Senate race could be among the last to be determined, with Democratic Senator Jon Tester in a fierce competition against Trump-endorsed Tim Sheehy.

A potential flip in control of both the House and Senate to opposite parties would be historically significant, marking a rare occurrence where each chamber changes to opposing party control in the same election cycle.