(CN) — After three years of a Democratic majority in the Senate, the Republican Party regained control hours into election night.
Democrats headed into Election Day with a narrow majority control of the Senate, but with 34 seats up for election this year, Republicans fought to take the majority control back.
Democrats currently control the Senate 51-49, and Republicans needed to flip one or two seats on Tuesday to level the playing field, depending on who won the presidential election.
The GOP flipped two seats from the Democrats. The Senate now tips in favor of Republicans, who hold at least 51 seats. With Donald Trump’s win, Vice President-elect JD Vance will preside over the Senate.
Democrats had hoped to defend those seats, many of which were in conservative or swing states, but Republicans went on the offense and secured enough seats to swing the chamber in their favor.
A critical win came in Ohio, where Republican Bernie Mareno ousted Senator Sherrod Brown. Brown served as a senator for nearly two decades after he flipped a seat in the 2006 election, and before that had been a member of the House since 1993.
The victory marks a return to power for Republicans, who held majority control in the Senate from 2015 to 2021, until Democrats wrestled back control in the 2020 election. Before that, the last time Republicans held the majority was from 2003 to 2006, when the party held control of the presidency, Senate and House of Representatives during the George W. Bush presidency.
With the Senate back under Republican leadership, the party gains the ability to influence the legislative agenda, shape committee leadership and determine which bills reach the floor.
When in control of the Senate during the Trump presidency, Republicans pushed through his appointment of three Supreme Court justices — bringing a conservative supermajority to the nation’s highest court.
Democrats have a chance to win some Senate seats back in 2026 when 20 Republican-held seats will be up for reelection, but for now, they face an uphill battle to advance their policy goals.
As one of two chambers in Congress, the Senate majority party has the power to stall or accelerate legislation. It is also the body with exclusive authority to confirm presidential appointments, like federal judges, cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices. Both federal judges and Supreme Court Justices enjoy lifetime appointments, giving the Senate majority increased power in shaping the country’s laws for decades.
Before the 2024 General Election, there were more Republicans than Democrats in the Senate, with a 49-47 split. However, four independent senators who lean Democratic tipped the scale in the party’s favor — Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Senator Angus King of Maine and outgoing Senators Krysten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
Manchin’s retirement in West Virginia left an open opportunity for a Republican to swoop in. The independent senator’s seat went to a Republican in the overwhelmingly red state, with Governor Jim Justice besting Democrat Glenn Elliot.
The GOP picked up an easy win in Indiana, where Republican Representative Jim Banks was elected to fill a vacancy left by Senator Mike Braun in his successful bid for governor. In Florida, Senator Rick Scott held onto his seat.
Other key races remained too close to call late Tuesday. Among the races drawing attention include the competition in the increasingly red state of Montana, where incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester faces Republican Tim Sheehy in what is expected to be a tight battle.
In Wisconsin, the battleground state is host to a competitive race between incumbent Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, and Republican Eric Hovde.
The Republicans faced two close calls defending seats in Texas and Nebraska but secured the wins. Independent Dan Osborn’s challenge to Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer came unexpectedly close, but the incumbent clinched the race. Senator Ted Cruz fended off Democrat Colin Allred in Texas after early results indicated a tight race.
Senator Charles Schumer held the position of majority leader, and Senator Mitch McConnell was the Republican minority leader. In the absence of the president of the Senate, a duty reserved for the vice president, the president pro tempore fills in to preside over the Senate. Senator Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat, was the most recent president pro tempore.
Senators serve six-year terms and a third of the 100 seats are up for election in each cycle. The 2026 midterm election will see 20 Republican senators and 13 Democratic senators up for reelection.