Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
The Republican party has won control of the U.S. Senate, according to projected election results on Nov. 5.
The win costs Democrats their one-seat majority in the Senate.
In recent months, polling momentum has shifted towards Republicans, seen as the favorites to take the Senate in November. Republicans lost control of the chamber in the 2022 midterm elections when Democrats won 50 seats, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote as President of the Senate.
Republican Bernie Moreno managed to oust Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while Jim Justice picked up a Senate seat in West Virginia. The final results are still being determined.
It is not immediately clear who will replace outgoing leader Mitch McConnel as the new Senate Majority Leader.
McConnell of Kentucky, who is the longest-serving Senate caucus leader in history, said on Feb. 28 that he will step down in November.
Over the past two years, McConnell has been vocal in urging for military aid to Ukraine while criticizing President Joe Biden's perceived delays in providing support. He previously emphasized the economic benefits of aiding Ukraine, highlighting how such funding also supports American defense manufacturers and creates jobs across multiple states.
Potential successors to McConnell, such as Senators John Thune, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso, may bring differing perspectives on ongoing support for Ukraine, potentially impacting future decisions on aiding the embattled country.
U.S. Senators have by and large been supportive of providing Ukraine with additional military aid — in large contrast with the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives who played a larger role in attempting to block a $61 billion Ukraine aid package from passing earlier in 2024.
The bill was ultimately approved in the Senate with 79 votes in favor and 18 against in the U.S. Senate, with tighter margins in the House.
The contest over the U.S. House of Representatives is still ongoing, as is the presidential race. Former U.S. President Donald Trump was declared the presumptive winner in the swing state of North Carolina, but votes are still being tallied in key states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and Wisconsin.
Francis Farrell
(Updated: )
