Although the race to the White House dominated Election Day reporting, the outcome of several congressional elections could help determine the future success of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
Republicans won a majority in the U.S. Senate and now have control over the chamber for the first time in four years. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for reelection, and Democrats hoped they could flip the current Republican majority. As of Wednesday afternoon, 201 Republicans and 186 Democrats have been elected to the House, while 48 races still need to be called, according to the Associated Press.
Key Senate race results and why they matter
Democrats held a slim majority in the Senate going into Election Day, but three seats were flipped by Republican candidates, in Montana, Ohio and West Virginia, giving Republicans a 52-42 advantage with six races left to be called. As the vice president-elect, Sen. JD Vance will now become the Senate’s tie-breaking vote.
In Montana, three-term incumbent Sen. Jon Tester lost his seat to Navy SEAL veteran Tim Sheehy. Sheehy's victory emphasizes the Republican dominance in Montana, where the party now controls every state-level political office.
Republican businessman Bernie Moreno beat Sen. Sherrod Brown for Ohio's seat, becoming the first Latino to represent Ohio in the Senate. It was the most expensive Senate race in the country, with both candidates spending more than $324 million on ads as of August, tracking firm AdImpact reported.
In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice won the seat previously held by Independent Sen. Joe Manchin, who did not seek reelection. Justice made headlines after the Republican National Convention for bringing his English bulldog, Babydog, onstage with him.
Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin won reelection to a third term representing Wisconsin.
Other notable races that have not been called yet include:
Arizona: Rep. Ruben Gallego (D) vs. former TV anchor Kari Lake (R)
Michigan: Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) vs. former Rep. Mike Rogers (R)
Nevada: Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) vs. Army veteran Sam Brown (R)
Key House race results and why they matter
As of Wednesday afternoon, which party will control the House has yet to be undecided. Republicans have won 201 seats to Democrats’ 186, with 48 races still needing to be called.
All of the seats in the House were up for reelection, with three seats vacant — Wisconsin’s 8th district, New Jersey’s Ninth District and Texas’s 18th District.
Notably, Republican Tom Barrett flipped Michigan’s Seventh Congressional District, defeating Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr.
Republican-held “toss-ups” that have not been called yet:
Arizona’s First and Sixth Districts
California’s 13th, 22nd, 27th and 45th Districts
New York’s Fourth District
Oregon’s Fifth District
Alaska’s at-large District
Maine’s Second District
Pennsylvania’s Ninth District
Washington’s Third District
Key Gubernatorial results
There were 11 gubernatorial races on the 2024 ballot, four of which were considered competitive. In New Hampshire, Republican Kelly Ayotte beat Joyce Craig; Democrat Josh Stein beat Mark Robinson in North Carolina. Democrat Bob Ferguson won Washington, and Republican Mike Braun won Indiana.