Republicans sweep the US Senate, ending two years of Democrat control 2024 US Election News

The loss of Senate seats in Ohio and West Virginia exposed the power in the upper house of the US Congress.

The Republican Party regained control of the United States Senate, ending two years of leadership from the Democrats.

Tuesday’s general election saw a third of the upper house in Congress – or 34 seats – go to the polls, with around nine contested.

Democrats were in danger of losing their hold on the chamber, given their slim majority. A coalition of four independent senators and 47 Democrats gave the party a majority of 51, out of about 100 seats.

The party needed to secure all possible seats to gain control.

But on Tuesday, two key defeats put control over the Senate back in the hands of Republicans.

Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown has lost his bid for re-election in the west-central Ohio district. Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Republicans took the seat held by outgoing independent Senator Joe Manchin.

The Republican Party also successfully defended a vulnerable seat in Texas, held by Senator Ted Cruz. Tuesday was the second time Cruz defeated a Democratic candidate for his seat.

Meanwhile, in Nebraska, incumbent Republican Deb Fischer fended off a challenge from independent candidate Dan Osborn, turning the race sour in its final weeks.

A change in control of the Senate could pave the way for Republicans to hold both chambers of Congress, giving the party control over the legislative agenda for at least the next two years.

More details to come.