Republicans flipped two Senate seats needed to gain control of the chamber, while power in the House remained up for grabs will several key races still undecided late into election night.
West Virginia Republican Jim Justice, a former governor, won the seat of retiring Democrat Joe Manchin. Meanwhile in Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno unseated Democrat Sherrod Brown.
Republicans may see even more gains, where high-profile candidates like Tim Sheehy in Montana and David McCormick in Pennsylvania appeared poised to knock off incumbent Democrats.
Donald Trump’s presence on the ballot likely bolstered Republican turnout, particularly in traditionally Republican-leaning regions.
Additionally, the battle for the House majority remains tightly contested, with Democrats needing to flip just four seats to regain control.
A significant number of competitive House races are in states like California and New York, where vulnerable Republican incumbents are up against well-funded Democratic challengers.
California, where mail-in ballots take time to count, could play a pivotal role, with several Republican-held seats in close contention.
Notably, in the state’s 13th district, Republican Rep. John Duarte is in a rematch against Democrat Adam Gray, who Duarte narrowly beat in 2022. Also of interest is California’s 27th district, where Republican Rep. Mike Garcia is fighting to retain his seat in a district redrawn to favor Democratic voters.
With control of Congress hinging on just a few critical races, both parties had poured significant resources into swing states and key House districts across the nation, aiming for the narrowest of majorities.