Republicans on track to seize control of the Senate – Mother Jones

Illustration of Mother Jones; Matt Rourke/AP, Jeff Dean/AP, Morrie Gash/AP

Republican Party is on track to gain control of the Senate, a significant victory that will allow the Republican Party to exercise powers over judicial appointments and executive appointees.

If Trump retakes the White House, GOP control of the Senate would clear the way for him to make significant changes to the judiciary, including possibly appointing several Supreme Court justices. The GOP Senate is also likely to easily approve his Cabinet picks and other appointments, allowing Trump to place loyal allies throughout the government.

If Vice President Kamala Harris wins, the Republican Senate will block her judicial picks, possibly her Cabinet picks, as well as her legislative priorities.

The Senate map this cycle has favored Republicans. While Democrats were generally on the defensive, only three Republicans were in tight re-election races, and all three were in red states where the Republican incumbent is most likely to win. Meanwhile, with the resignation of West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, Republicans were destined to gain support in the GOP-voting state. His decision not to seek re-election all but guaranteed at least a tie in the Senate, and the GOP still had several prospects of gaining new seats.

Several vulnerable Democrats were running for re-election in swing states and red states, giving Republicans plenty of opportunities to pick up seats and win majorities. In Ohio, incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown, a progressive and longtime union ally, lost the race to Bernie Moreno, who made millions running a car dealership empire with story exploitation of workers. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin was running against Eric Hovde, another millionaire whom she attacked for spending most of his time in California.

And while the overall situation was difficult for Democrats, it became clear in the final months of the race that Republican Sen. Deb Fischer of reliably red Nebraska found herself in a surprisingly difficult position. tight race vs. independent Dan Osborne.