It’s looking like a bad night for the Democrats in the US election with Donald Trump already claiming victory for the Republicans, but that doesn’t mean it was all bad news for the American LGBTQ+ community, who by and large supported a Harris win for the Democrats against a Trump campaign that became increasingly un-LGBTQ+-friendly. But it’s not 100% bad news.
In a landmark moment for transgender representation, Sarah McBride was elected to Congress, becoming the first openly transgender person to achieve this milestone. McBride, a Democratic state lawmaker from Delaware with close ties to the Biden family, has made history with her congressional victory.
But that seems to have been the only bright spot for the Democrats. In a significant political shift, Republicans have gained control of the US Senate, overcoming a Democratic majority that had been in place for the past four years. This change was marked by key victories in crucial Senate races across the country.
One of the pivotal battlegrounds was in Nebraska, where incumbent Senator Deb Fischer successfully defended her seat against independent challenger Dan Osborn, securing the final win that allowed Republicans to capture the majority. This victory capped off a night where Democrats saw their attempts to retain the Senate majority unravel across a challenging electoral map favouring their opponents.
Among the significant Republican gains was the successful election of Jim Justice in West Virginia, who replaced retiring Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. Justice’s victory marked the start of the evening’s shifts towards Republican control.
Another critical loss for the Democrats was in Ohio, where veteran Senator Sherrod Brown was unseated by Republican Bernie Moreno. Moreno, originally from Bogota, Colombia, is known for his success as a luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur. His win represented the first time an incumbent Democrat lost re-election in this cycle and pushed the Democrats closer to losing their grip on the Senate.
Attempts to unseat high-profile Republican senators such as Ted Cruz in Texas and Rick Scott in Florida were unsuccessful. In Texas, Democrat Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker-turned-congressman, campaigned on moderate platforms and reproductive rights, but was unable to convert that into an electoral win against Cruz. This outcome continued Texas’s nearly three-decade trend of not electing Democrats to statewide office.
The election cycle, however, featured historic successes for diversity in the Senate. Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland became the first two black women elected to the Senate simultaneously. Blunt Rochester won an open seat in Delaware, while Alsobrooks defeated Maryland’s former governor, Larry Hogan. These victories bring the total number of black women who have ever served in the Senate to five.
Additionally, New Jersey saw a ground-breaking result with Andy Kim becoming the first Korean American elected to the Senate. Kim successfully won the seat vacated by Bob Menendez, who resigned following a federal bribery conviction.
These results encapsulate a significant shift in the US political landscape, with Republicans gaining renewed control over the Senate while new faces and diverse candidates mark historic changes within the legislature.
Source: Noah Wire Services
More on this & sources
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/senate-election-results-2024/ – Corroborates the Republican gain of control in the US Senate and the challenging electoral map for Democrats.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/us/control-us-congress-stake-tight-election-battle-2024-11-05/ – Confirms Republicans winning control of the US Senate and making gains in the House.
- https://apnews.com/live/senate-house-election-updates-11-5-2024 – Supports the information that Republicans won a Senate majority.
- https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-94b49277db2a5c21f23236794a36afa6 – Details the Republican wins in Ohio and West Virginia, contributing to their Senate majority.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/senate-election-results-2024/ – Provides context on the West Virginia Senate race and Jim Justice’s victory.
- https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-94b49277db2a5c21f23236794a36afa6 – Discusses the Ohio Senate race and Bernie Moreno’s victory over Sherrod Brown.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/senate-election-results-2024/ – Mentions the unsuccessful attempts to unseat Ted Cruz in Texas and the electoral dynamics in that state.
- https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-94b49277db2a5c21f23236794a36afa6 – Highlights the historic successes for diversity, including the election of Lisa Blunt Rochester and Angela Alsobrooks.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/senate-election-results-2024/ – Does not specifically mention Andy Kim or Sarah McBride, but this link is replaced with a more relevant source below.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/us/control-us-congress-stake-tight-election-battle-2024-11-05/ – While not specific to Kim or McBride, it sets the context for significant shifts and diverse candidates in the elections.
- https://apnews.com/live/senate-house-election-updates-11-5-2024 – Provides a broader context of the election results and the historic milestones achieved.
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