By Brinda Patel
Staff Writer
The Republican Party won control of the Senate in the 2024 election. In order for a political party to declare a majority, they must win at least 50 seats. As of Nov. 13, the Republican Party garnered 53 seats, gaining four seats, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party totaled 47 seats, losing four seats and the overall majority to the Republicans.
In the 2024 election, 34 seats were up for grabs, with there already being 28 Democrat and 38 Republicans in office. Two incumbent Independent candidates, Bernie Sanders and Angus King Jr., kept their seats in the Senate.
States including West Virginia, Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania flipped seats to red.
“Given the decisiveness or the Republicans’ victory in the White House and in the Senate, even with so many House races still uncalled, there is a lot of skepticism that Democrats will be able to hold onto any power in Washington next year,” said Megan Cassella, CNBC’s correspondent.
Along with the Senate, the presidency and a majority in the House of Representatives went to the Republicans as well. As of Nov.13, Senate Republicans have elected South Dakota senator, John Thune, as the next majority leader.
Each state in consideration for a seat in the Senate is listed below:
Indiana: Republican Jim Banks won the seat by a majority against Democrat Valerie McCray and Libertarian Andrew Horning. Banks’ campaign was focused on protecting veterans and the military, cutting taxes, religious freedom and the pro-life initiative.
West Virginia: Republican Jim Justice flipped the seat by a majority, defeating incumbent Democrat Joseph Manchin III. Justice’s campaign was focused on job creations, better business practices and creating opportunities for the state of West Virginia.
Vermont: Independent candidate Bernie Sanders won the seat by a majority against Republican Gerald Malloy, Independents Steve Berry and Mark Stewart Greenstein and Libertarian candidate Matt Hill. Sanders focused his campaign on Medicare, a new COVID-19 Relief Package and liberty for all.
Massachusetts: Democratic Candidate Elizabeth Warren won the seat by a majority against Republican John Deeston. Warren’s campaign included her plans to end lobbying, impose taxes on top conglomerates worth over $50 million, cut rents by 10%, address illegal scams and skyrocketing drug costs.
Connecticut: Incumbent Democratic candidate Chris Murphy won the seat by a majority against Republican Matthew Corey, Green Party candidate Justin Paglino and Independent Robert Finley Hyde. Murphy focused his campaign on public service, affordable health care, effective gun laws and foreign policy.
Delaware: Democratic candidate Lisa Blunt Rochester won the seat by a majority against Republican Eric Hansen and Independent Michael Katz. Rochester focused her campaign on better-paying jobs, healthcare for senior citizens and securing reproductive rights and economic growth.
Tennessee: Incumbent Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn won the seat by a majority against Democrat Gloria Johnson and Independent candidates Theron Chandler, Pamela Moses and Hastina Robinson. Some issues Blackburn focused her campaign on included cryptocurrency, support for Israel, cutting taxes, creating better jobs, supporting veterans, confronting the opioid epidemic and banning late-term abortions.
Mississippi: Republican candidate Roger Wicker won the seat by a majority against Democrat Ty Pinkins. Wicker’s campaign highlighted the importance of jobs and economic growth, national security, immigration policy, right for citizens to bear arms, net neutrality and telehealth Medicare.
Montana: Republican candidate Tim Sheehy flipped the seat in the Senate by a majority defeating Democratic incumbent Raymond “Jon” Tester. Sheehy focused his campaign on helping Montanans to get access to better healthcare, lowered costs and protection for both senior citizens and military veterans.
Rhode Island: Incumbent Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse won the seat by a majority against Republican Patricia Morgan. Climate change, environmental justice, protection for veterans, helping the middle class grow, better health care and education are key issues that Whitehouse focused his campaign on.
New Jersey: Democratic candidate Andy Kim won the against Republican Curtis Bashaw and Independent candidates Christina Khalil, Patricia Mooneyham, Kenneth Kaplan and Joanne Kuniansky. Kim focused his campaign on issues that highlighted women’s reproductive rights, protecting the LGBTQ+ community, better healthcare, environment protection, affordable housing, inflation reduction and supporting small businesses.
Florida: Incumbent Republican candidate Rick Scott won the seat by a majority against Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Independent candidates Ben Everidge and Tuan Nguyen, and Libertarian candidate Feena Bonoan. Scott’s campaign focused on preventing the legalization of abortion, reducing taxes, aiding law enforcement and affordable housing.
Wyoming: Incumbent Republican candidate John Barraso won the seat by a majority against Democrat Scott Morrow. Barraso’s campaign highlighted energy conservation, prohibiting federal funding for abortion, lowering taxes and support for veterans.
Nebraska: Republican candidates Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer won the seats by a majority. Both candidates’ campaigns were focused on securing the United States and Mexican border, missile defense, improving agriculture, senior citizens, supporting veterans and clean energy.
New York: Incumbent Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand won the seat against Republican Michael Sapracione and Independent Diane Sare. Gillibrand focused her campaign on immigration reform, school-based mental health services, better healthcare, green jobs, clean air and water, energy conservation, supporting veterans and service members, long-term care workers to help older Americans, revitalizing rural communities and gun safety.
North Dakota: Incumbent Republican candidate Kevin Cramer won the seat by a majority against Democrat Katrina Christansen. Cramer’s campaign focused on protecting veterans, foreign policy, personal property rights, affordable power generation, rural health facilities, right to bear arms, securing North Dakota’s southern border and support for life from conception to natural death.
Maryland: Incumbent Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks won the seat by a majority against Republican Larry Hogan and Libertarian candidate Mike Scott. Alsobrooks’ priorities for abortion rights, agriculture, climate change, valued education system, protection for Chesapeake Bay, gun safety, immigration and national security were highlighted in her campaign.
Virginia: Incumbent Democratic candidate Timothy Kaine won the seat by a majority against Republican Hung Cao. Kanie’s campaign focused on immigration reform, protecting the Affordable Care Act, budgeting funds to help businesses and agencies, investing in education from early childhood to college, creating a new interstate connector at Norfolk for better transportation and supporting military families.
Texas: Incumbent Republican candidate Ted Cruz was reelected by a majority against Democrat Colin Allred and Libertarian candidate Ted Brown. Cruz’s mission to protect Texas’ oil and energy sector, preserving the Constitution, repealing Obamacare, tax cuts, national security and reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs VA were displayed in his campaign.
Ohio: Republican Bernie Moreno flipped the seat by a majority against incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. Moreno focused his campaign on education, the election process, securing the United States and Mexican border, banning late term abortions, local law enforcement, right to bear arms, ending cancel culture and holding Big Tech accountable.
Wisconsin: Incumbent Democratic candidate Tammy Baldwin won the seat by a majority against Republican Eric Hovde, Independent Candidate Phil Anderson and America First Party candidate Thomas Leager. Baldwin focused her campaign on supporting veterans, lowering prescription drug prices, better healthcare, women’s medical freedom, national security and reforming police departments.
Pennsylvania: Republican candidate Dave McCormick flipped the seat in the Senate by a majority defeating Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey, Libertarian candidate John Thomas, Green Party candidate Leila Hazou and Constitution Party candidate Marty Selker. A national abortion ban, right to bear arms, benefits of cryptocurrency and protecting veterans are a few key issues McCormick focused his campaign on.
Utah: Republican candidate John Curtis won the seat by a majority against Democrat Caroline Gleich and Independent candidate Carlton Brown. Curtis focused his campaign on national security, foreign affairs, conserving public land, right to bear arms, better transportation and supporting veterans.
Minnesota: Incumbent Democratic candidate Amy Klobuchar won the seat by a majority against Republican Royce White, Libertarian Rebecca Whiting and Independence-Alliance Party candidate Joyce Lacey. Klobuchar’s campaign efforts focused on creating better jobs, improving rural communities and agriculture, preserving natural resources, national security, taking care of veterans and senior citizens, immigration reform, educational opportunities and healthcare.
Maine: Incumbent Independent candidate Angus King Jr. won the seat by a majority against Republican Demi Kouzounas, Democrat David Castillo and Independent candidate Jason Cherry. King focused his campaign efforts on supporting senior citizens, private and state conservation, utilizing renewable energy, fighting climate changes, reducing methane emissions, cybersecurity and public health.
Hawaii: Incumbent Democratic candidate Mazie Hirino won the seat by a majority against Republican Bob McDermott, Green Party candidate Emma Pohlman and We the People Party candidate Shelby Billionaire. Hirino highlighted her support for better health care, civil rights and public school funding during her campaign.
New Mexico: Incumbent Democratic candidate Martin Heinrich won the seat by a majority against Republican Nelly Domenici. Heinrich’s campaign focused on supporting agriculture, artificial intelligence with boundaries, freedom and privacy, protecting New Mexico’s public lands, public safety, better jobs and housing.
Michigan: Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin won the seat by a majority against Republican Mike Rogers, Green Party candidate Douglas Marsh, Libertarian Party candidate Joseph Solis-Mullen, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Dave Stein and Natural Law Party candidate Doug Dem. Protecting voting and civil rights, gun safety measures, passing the CHIPS Act and expanding Michigan’s middle class and healthcare are issues Slotkin supported in her campaign.
California: Democratic candidate Adam Schiff won the seat by a majority against Republican Steve Garvey. Schiff’s campaign was focused on climate change, criminal justice reform, better quality of education, Armenian issues, immigration reform, press freedom, racial justice, space exploration and protecting veterans.
Washington: Incumbent Democratic candidate Maria Cantwell won the seat by a majority against Republican Raul Garcia. Cantwell prioritized her campaign on immigration reform, public safety, technology and innovation, better jobs and transportation, agriculture, equal rights and defending veterans.
Nevada: Democratic candidate Jacky Rosen won the seat by a majority against Republican Sam Brown, Libertarian Chris Cunningham and Independent American Party candidate Janine Hansen. Rosen focused her campaign on finding bipartisan solutions, affordable housing, better education and training populations, reducing gun violence, prioritizing rural Nevada, LGBTQ+ equality, national security and embracing emerging communication technologies.
Arizona: Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego won the seat by a majority against Republican Kari Lake and Green Party candidate Eduardo Quintana. Climate change, abortion, affordable healthcare, civil rights, combating water droughts, inflation and national security are among many issues Gallego addressed in his campaign.
