Republicans in Congress will hold onto the House of Representatives in a major victory that paves the way for President-elect Donald Trump to begin the first two years of his second term with his party controlling both chambers of Congress.
The victory, called by CNN and NBC News Wednesday, is a worst-case scenario for Democrats still reeling from last week’s bruising election night defeat up and down the ballot. Senate Republicans had already won the majority in Congress's upper chamber.
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The massive win for Republicans paves the way for Trump to push through his agenda for at least the next two years – from his cabinet and judicial picks to big-ticket budget items on issues like immigration and the economy – with little to no congressional opposition.
Democrats in the House lost their majority after the 2022 election and didn’t make enough gains with voters in swing districts nationwide to reclaim it in this year's election that saw Vice President Kamala Harris underperform in key battleground states where Joe Biden won four years ago.
Senate Republicans meanwhile voted Wednesday to elect Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as the Senate's majority leader. The next Senate will have 53 Republicans, while Democrats will have 46 members.