Republicans gain majority in Senate

On Tuesday, November 5, Republicans won two seats in the US Senate previously held by Democrats, with the presidential election becoming a close fight for control of Congress. The Republicans thus obtained the majority in the Senate, with 51 seats on the Republican side against 49 for the Democrats. The gap could widen further overnight. Until then, Democrats had a very narrow majority in the Senate, 51 seats to 49.

Supported by Donald Trump, Jim Justice won the senatorial election in West Virginia, a mountainous and rural state, formerly known for its coal mines. The seat was held by Joe Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent, who did not run for re-election. The Republican victory was expected in this right-wing state.

Republican Bernie Moreno won the senatorial election in Ohio, there too, flipping a seat that had until now been Democratic, a gain of importance for Donald Trump's camp. After a particularly close vote, Bernie Moreno, a 57-year-old former car dealer, born in Colombia, narrowly beat Democrat Sherrod Brown, in office since 2007.

At the same time, Nebraska senator, Republican Deb Fischer, managed to retain her seat against independent candidate Dan Osborn.

First transgender person elected to Congress

Jim Justice was re-elected governor of West Virginia in 2020. The State Constitution limits the exercise to two consecutive terms, he targeted the upper house of Congress. During the November 5 vote, 34 of the 100 Senate seats were up for grabs. The Democrats had the difficult task of having to defend two-thirds of them.

Note that, for the first time in more than two hundred years of existence, the Senate will include two black women: Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, two Democrats. They will represent Maryland and Delaware, respectively, in this male-dominated chamber.

The 435 seats in the House of Representatives were also up for renewal on November 5.

The verdict of the polls will determine whether the winner in the presidential election will be able to implement his program in good agreement with Congress or whether he will have to expect blockages, or even impasses.

Democrat Sarah McBride, 34, became the first transgender person elected to Congress on Tuesday, where she will represent her state of Delaware in the House of Representatives. Until then, she sat in the local Senate of this small state in the northeast of the United States.