by Ben Whedon
The Democrats decidedly won the Senate on Tuesday evening, sweeping competitive contests and pulling off a string of upsets in formerly solid Republican bastions as they marched toward realigning the power structure in Washington by taking full control of Congress.
As of press time, the Associated Press projects the party to claim at least 51 seats in the upper chamber, but has yet to make race calls in hundreds of House contests.
Democrats had carved out a solid lead in the race to control the Senate on Tuesday evening, notching wins in 17 contests to the GOP’s eight, as of press time.
Those wins included flips in North Carolina and South Carolina, while an incumbent held his ground in Georgia. The Democratic Party’s wins in those states seem to suggest major cracks in the formerly solid Republican South. Ohio also broke for the Democrats as Buckeye voters bucked their Republican streak.
Iowa Democratic Senate nominee Josh Turek defeated Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, in a tight contest on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race at 11:35 p.m., at which time Turek held 50.8% of the vote.
Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton became the latest Democrat to knock off a Republican Senator, defeating Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., in a shocking upset.
The Associated Press called the race at 11:24 p.m.
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, reclaimed a seat in the upper chamber on Tuesday, ousting Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who had sought a full term after he was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance.
The Associated Press called the race for Brown at 11:10 p.m.
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico defeated state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state’s Senate race on Tuesday evening.
The Associated Press called the race for Talarico at 11:03 p.m.
Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews pulled off an upset against Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday evening.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:39 p.m. at which time she led with 50.6% of the vote.
Gov. Henry McMaster, R-S.C., appointed Graham to complete the term of her late brother. She quickly opted to seek a full term and defeated Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a special primary.
GOP Rep. Andy Barr on Tuesday evening won election to Kentucky’s open Senate seat and will replace the retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
The Associated Press called the race at 9:16 p.m., at which time he led with 53.8% of the vote.
His win marked the fourth victory for a Republican in an upper chamber contest on Tuesday evening and followed those of Ashley Moody in Florida, Harriet Hageman in Wyoming, Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia, and Kevin Hern in Oklahoma.
Democrats have won 11 contests so far in the night, including Democrat Roy Cooper winning in North Carolina, picking up the first Senate seat for the party in their bid to win control of the chamber.
Wyoming GOP Sen. Harriet Hageman easily won reelection on Tuesday, notching a clear win in a night that has seen Democrats put up fierce fights in red states.
The Associated Press called the race at 9 p.m., before any results came in.
West Virginia GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito won reelection on Tuesday, marking the second Republican win in an upper chamber contest of the night.
The Associated Press called the race in her favor at 8:52 p.m., at which time she boasted 55.9%. The result was hardly a surprise as West Virginia has been a Republican bastion for decades.
But Capito’s win may give Republicans some breathing room as the GOP struggles nationwide. As of press time, the GOP has only claimed victory in two of the Senate races, compared to 10 called for the Democrats.
Florida GOP Sen. Ashley Moody won a full term in the Senate on Tuesday evening, defeating progressive candidate Angie Nixon.
The Associated Press called the race for Moody at 8:34 p.m., at which time she led with 50.8% of the vote.
The Florida Republican received her appointment to the seat after now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio left the post to work in the administration.
Moody’s win marked the first race call in favor of the Republicans in the battle for the upper chamber. Democrats had swept the earlier contests, notching clear wins in competitive seats like Georgia, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.
Earlier in the night, Cooper defeated Michael Whatley for the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, according to the Associated Press. Cooper is a former governor, and Whatley is a former Republican National Committee chairman.
In New Hampshire, Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former GOP Sen. Jon Sununu in their race for the open seat of retiring Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, according to the Associated Press. Pappas will be Congress’ first openly gay senator.
Democrats won Senate contests in Georgia, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia.
Of the competitive contests, however, only Georgia broke quickly for the Democrats.
The Associated Press called the race for incumbent Democrat Sen. John Ossoff at 7:55 p.m.
Ossoff defeated GOP Rep. Mike Collins, in the battleground state, though he maintained a healthy lead throughout most of the campaign cycle.
Virginia’s Senate contest marked the first concluded race in that chamber of the evening. The Associated Press called the race for Democrat Sen. Mark Warner before any votes were counted.
Likewise, the Associated Press called Senate races for the Democrats in Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Colorado before any results came in.
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Ben Whedon is a reporter for Just the News.
Photo “James Talarico” by James Talarico.Â
