Bhubaneswar: With former US president Donald Trump sailing well to win the 60th quadrennial Presidential Elections held on November 5, it seems he will have a smooth tenure for the period of 2025-2029 as Republicans have seized control of the U.S. Senate. The reason is the Senate has been designed to serve as a counterbalance to the House of Representatives (US Congress) and also as a brake on executive powers of he president
while the Republicans fillped on two seats to win the majority, the Grand Old Party (GOP) had also held on to its incumbent seats to gain the majority for the first time in four years.
The dream run for Republicans in Elections 2024 turned true when in the unexpected battleground of Nebraska. The Incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer brushed back a surprisingly strong challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn to retain the seat.
Even as Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat for almost 30 years, Colin Allred, a Dallas-area congressman, positioning himself as a moderate, lent his support for reproductive rights amid Texas’ abortion ban – the strictest in the nation. Democrats have launched full scale efforts to oust firebrand Republican Ted Cruz from Texas, but collapsed.
Similarly, Democrats wholesome pitch in Florida didn’t yield result as Republican Rick Scott won the race.
OHIO BATTLE – THE EXPENSIVE ONE
Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio lost his reelection to Republican Bernie Moreno, a wealthy Trump-era newcomer. Brown’s loss to Moreno, an immigrant from Bogota, Colombia, who built a fortune as a luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur, nudged the Democrats to lose Senate control. A three-term senator, he is the first incumbent to lose reelection.
The Ohio race between Brown and Moreno, who was backed by Donald Trump, is the most expensive of the cycle, estimated at some $400 million.
HISTORY MADE: BLACK WOMEN WINS SENATE
In a historic first, Americans voters have elected two Black women to the Senate. The two new senators were Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland. Alsobrooks defeated Maryland’s popular former governor, Larry Hogan.
Just three Black women have served in the Senate, and never before have two served at the same time.
They are not the states with majority of African-American population. As per the US Census data 2022, in Delaware, the Black population has been estimated at 24% and in Maryland, their population remained static at 29%.
2024 US ELECTIONS HISTORIC FACTS
* In New Jersey, Andy Kim became the first Korean American elected to the Senate, defeating Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw. The seat opened when Bob Menendez resigned this year after his federal conviction on bribery charges.
