Republicans Clinch Control of U.S. Senate With Decisive Wins
- Wins in Indiana, North Dakota help GOP claim expanded majority
- Democrats plagued by lack of pickup opportunities in 2018
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Republicans kept control of the U.S. Senate, empowering President Donald Trump to appoint more conservative federal judges and agency officials while shielding him from Senate Democratic efforts to investigate his administration.
The GOP’s gains in three states that overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016, along with Republican retention of hotly contested seats in Texas and Tennessee, would leave Democrats about five votes shy of the 51 they need to take Senate control. Democrats lack enough opportunities to make up for their losses, with only a seat in Arizona offering the party a chance.