Republicans dominated the 2024 election cycle, winning control of the presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives. As of Nov. 21, three seats remained uncalled by the Associated Press (AP), but Republicans maintained a lead of 219 seats to the Democrats’ 213, already securing the 218 for the majority.
Heading into election night, many already conceded that chances for a Democratic victory in the Senate were slight. The party held a narrow majority, with 47 Democratic senators, plus four Independents who caucus with the Democrats, compared to 49 Republican senators. Democrats were almost certain to lose their seat in West Virginia after Senator Joe Manchin decided not to seek reelection. Assuming the Democrats lost no other seats, their only path to victory was flipping a Republican seat or winning the presidency, allowing for a vice-presidential tiebreaker in the case of a 50-50 split.
Democrats came into election night with several Senate seats at risk. According to the Cook Political Report, Democratic incumbents in Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as Democrats in open races in Arizona and Michigan, faced a serious chance of defeat. Meanwhile, few Republican incumbents seemed to face any competitive Democratic challengers.
Ultimately, Republicans flipped four Democratic seats in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, all states that voted for President-elect Donald Trump. As of Nov. 21, the Senate is 53-47 in favor of the Republicans; Democrats held onto seats in the swing states of Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Democrats also held onto seats in Maryland and Virginia; according to the AP, the Democratic candidates received 53% and 54% of the vote, respectively, in what CNN said were much closer races than expected. The Maryland Senate race between former Republican Governor Larry Hogan and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks garnered special attention, as it was seen as a potential pickup for Republicans. Alsobrooks ultimately won, making history by becoming the first Black senator from Maryland.
The 119th Congress will also be the first time two Black women serve together in the Senate: Alsobrooks joins Senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware as becoming the fourth and fifth Black women to serve in the Senate. They follow Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Lophonza Butler of California and former Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois. Senator-elect Andy Kim of New Jersey also made history as the first Korean-American senator and Representative-elect Sarah McBride of Delaware will become the first openly transgender representative.
Describing the Republican victory as an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” at his victory party, Trump will likely aim to use his party’s Senate majority to push a conservative agenda. Other top Republicans, such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, described it to reporters as a “hell of a good day” for the Republican party.
Republicans also maintained their slim majority in the House, though it did not reflect the increased Republican momentum in the presidential and senate races this year. Though five races remain uncalled, Republicans are looking towards a net zero gain of seats, the same number of seats they had in the previous Congress, or potentially even less.
However, the math may not be so favorable for Republicans. Trump has selected several congressional Republicans to serve in his administration: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York as the Ambassador to the United Nations, Congressman Mike Waltz of Florida as National Security Advisor, Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida as Attorney General and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as Secretary of State.
Though all hail from Republican districts, special elections to fill their vacancies could occur months after the new Congress is sworn in, shrinking the Republicans’ slim majority in both chambers and hindering Trump’s ambitious 100-day plan.
Currently holding a narrow majority of 220-213 seats (two remain vacant), Republicans now gain the illustrious “trifecta” of the House, Senate and Presidency. A majority in the House would be a significant victory for Trump and allow the newly revitalized Republican party to pass major legislation, including tax cuts, tariffs and border legislation, which many Democrats strongly oppose.
A Republican trifecta has many Sidwell students worried. “I fear what may happen if all of Congress is controlled by a single party,” said sophomore Amika Bibolov.
With his trifecta, Trump’s campaign press secretary said in a statement that he would carry out “the largest deportation effort in American history,” possibly resulting in the removal of a significant number of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States.
Trump has promised to improve the economy, close the border and tighten immigration laws, revert reforms against climate change, ban primary schools from discussing ideas about critical race theory and sexual orientation and more. Furthermore, Trump would likely have the support to pass many policies outlined in the highly controversial Project 2025.
Project 2025, published by right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation, is an ultra-conservative plan to increase presidential power and limit many rights, such as abortion and education. Although Trump has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025, many high-ranking Republicans close to Trump vocally support it, with his own Vice President-elect J.D. Vance writing its foreword.
Republican control over the Presidency and Congress will allow the party to reshape government policy dramatically. The Republican controlled Senate will work to confirm Trump’s nominees to the federal judiciary, and the House and Senate will most likely be able to pass conservative appropriation bills.
“I’m very disappointed in the American people, “for electing not only a president who promised to be a dictator from day one but also for, by way of the Senate and the House, providing him with the tools he needs to impose his will on the American people,” said sophomore Tristan Pomponi.
