Democrats retain control of House, battle remains for Senate majority

close

Video

Fox News Go

Democrats have retained control of the House, but Republicans have fended off a blue wave in the Senate and can still retain their majority. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to expand her Democratic majority in the House by at least five seats, Fox News projected around 9:15 p.m. ET.

The expansion of Democratic seats is a major boost for Pelosi, who pledged to focus on protecting the Affordable Care Act, crushing the coronavirus and helping families hard hit by the pandemic. 

"I'm very, very proud of the fact that tonight -- relatively early -- we are able to say that we have held the House," Pelosi announced shortly after 11 p.m. at a news conference. 

Senate control will be more of a nailbiter. Democrats need a net gain of three seats and Joe Biden as president to win back the majority -- or four seats if President Trump is reelected.

As of midnight, Democrats had a net gain of one seat and they failed in their efforts to flip Iowa, South Carolina and Texas, Fox News projected. 

The majority will come down to a few critical races in Maine, North Carolina, Michigan, Georgia and Montana. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE FOX NEWS’ LIVE PROBABILITY DIALS

Democrats' victories came by flipping Arizona and Colorado, Fox News projected. Democratic former Gov. John Hickenlooper ousted Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. The Colorado race was the first Senate seat to flip Tuesday night.

"Tonight, your message is loud and clear — it’s time to put the poisonous politics of this era behind us and come together to move forward," Hickenlooper said in a victory speech thanking Coloradans and touting the turnout. "More Coloradans have voted in this election than in any election in our state’s history."

Shortly after 11 p.m. ET, Fox News projected that Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, would defeat Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed to the Senate in 2019 to replace the late Sen. John McCain in Arizona. 

Republicans' big flip came in Alabama. Fox News projected that Tommy Tuberville, the former college football coach backed by President Trump, would beat Democrat Sen. Doug Jones in the deep-red state. Jones, the most vulnerable Democrat in the Senate, won a special election in 2017 beating Republican Roy Moore, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct with teenaged girls.

In more good news for Republicans, Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn defeated Democrat MJ Hegar, a motorcycle-riding Air Force veteran, The Associated Press reported --- dashing Democrats' dream of flipping the Lone Star state. And Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst beat Democrat Theresa Greenfield, Fox News projected, closing off another avenue for blue gains. 

Fox News also projected that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., fended off a serious scare from Democrat Jaime Harrison, who raised a record-breaking $107.6 million to challenge the powerful Judiciary Committee chairman. Graham got a boost with his GOP base in the final weeks of the campaign by presiding over the successful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. 

"Aren't you glad that this election is coming to an end," Graham quipped at his victory party. Graham said he already talked to Trump on the phone and predicted the president would be reelected, too. 

"To all the pollsters out there, you have no idea what you are doing. And to all the liberals in California in New York, you wasted a lot of money," Graham said, of record spending on his race.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks at a campaign rally on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in Conway, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

Republicans are fighting to hold a slim 53-47 majority in the Senate. Republican officials think the party can flip Michigan, too, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is facing Iraq veteran John James.

GOP CONTROL OF SENATE IN JEOPARDY, COULD HINGE ON GEORGIA IN JANUARY RUNOFF

Meanwhile, Democrats are going on offense trying to win GOP-held Senate seats in Maine, North Carolina, Iowa, Montana and two seats in Georgia. At least one of the Georgia races is headed to a run-off in January. 

Gov. Steve Bullock speaks at a Democratic Party "Get Out The Vote" rally on Saturday in Bozeman. (Rachel Leather/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has acknowledged that the GOP majority is on the line, with so many Republicans playing defense this election. Twelve GOP incumbents have competitive races Tuesday, but only two Democrats are in jeopardy.

“It's a 50-50 proposition," McConnell said Wednesday of the odds of keeping the Senate red. "We have a lot of exposure. This is a huge Republican class. ... There are dogfights all over the country."

TOP BATTLEGROUND SENATE RACES TO WATCH ON ELECTION DAY

McConnell got good news early in the night by winning reelection in his home state of Kentucky, fending off a challenge from Democrat Amy McGrath.

McConnell headed into Election Day with a big win for Senate Republicans by confirming the third of Trump's Supreme Court nominees under highly contentious circumstances. 

McConnell on Tuesday night thanked Kentuckians for sending him back to Washington and cast his reelection as a win for working people in America’s heartland.

“I’m the only one of the four congressional leaders not from New York or California,” McConnell said in a victory speech alongside his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. “I look out for middle America.”

The Cook Political Report projects Democrats will win between two and seven seats. If it's only two, Republicans still are in control. Inside Elections, another nonpartisan election analysis outlet, gives a rosier outlook for Democrats, with a net gain of four to six seats -- enough to win the majority. And FiveThirtyEight's election forecasts also found Democrats are favored to win the majority with a 77 in 100 shot.

CLICK HERE TO INTERACT WITH FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS

In the House, Democrats currently have a 233-201 majority (including five vacant seats). The 435th member is outgoing Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash, whose seat in West Michigan is up for grabs between Republican Peter Meijer, an Iraq war veteran whose grandfather started Meijer superstores, and Democrat Hillary Scholten, a former Department of Justice and nonprofit lawyer. 

Republicans would have needed a net gain of 17 seats to win back the majority in the House. They found success in Florida where Republicans ousted two Florida Democratic lawmakers.

Florida Republican candidate Carlos Gimenez defeated freshman Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell -- the first flip of a House seat Tuesday night.

And then Republican Maria Elvira Salazar defeated freshman Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala.

Gimenez, the mayor of Miami-Dade County, flipped the seat from blue to red -- a sign of the Democratic Party's struggles in southern Florida. Mucarsel-Powell flipped the seat from red to blue during the 2018 midterm election.

The Cook Political Report projected Democrats will have a net gain of between five and 15 seats after the election. Inside Elections projected an even better pickup for Democrats, of 14 to 20 seats. And FiveThirtyEight said Democrats have a 98 in 100 chance of retaining the House majority.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS POISED TO EXPAND MAJORITY, AS REPUBLICANS WARN AGAINST AOC TAKEOVER

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Earlier Tuesday, Pelosi, D-Calif., was optimistic Democrats would hold the majority and expand their gains from 2018 by going on offense in many congressional seats that Trump carried four years ago.

She spoke at a news conference with Rep. Cheri Bustos, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

“We’re playing deep into Trump districts,” Bustos added.

The Democratic leaders said they are prepared to use litigation if necessary to protect against any “skullduggery” from Trump and Republicans on vote counting.

In the Senate, Democrats were also counting on winning seats in states that Trump carried in 2016.

"Today is the day we elect new, accountable leadership to represent the place we love so much," tweeted Steve Bullock, the Democratic governor in Montana trying to defeat Republican Sen. Steve Daines. "Let’s go -- make sure you use your voice today."

Arizona was one of the biggest targets for Democrats.

Kelly offered a message of unity in the final hours of voting in Arizona.

“If you're looking for somebody who's willing to work across the aisle, who is tired of the partisanship and the polarization, the choice is pretty clear,” Kelly told Fox News on Tuesday. He commended efforts by McCain, R-Ariz., to reach across the aisle and said he’d bring a spirit of independence and problem-solving to Washington.

Arizona Republican Sen. Martha McSally campaigns at Republican Party Headquarters Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in Phoenix. McSally is running against Democratic candidate Mark Kelly in the election set for tomorrow. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Meanwhile, McSally had brushed off polling that suggested she was losing and said enthusiasm and momentum were on her side.

“I think people around Arizona realize what's at stake here,” McSally told Fox News Monday night. 

McSally said a vote for Kelly would be a vote for making Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., majority leader in the Senate and for ushering in the “radical left” agenda of packing the Supreme Court, raising taxes, open borders and taking away Second Amendment rights.

Candidates across the country in toss-up districts were campaigning up until the last minute to get their supporters to the polls.

Sitting Democrats in difficult reelection bids include Rep. Max Rose of New York, Rep. Colin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee; Rep. Anthony Brindisi of New York; Rep. Kendra Horn of Oklahoma; Rep. Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico and Rep. TJ Cox of California.

But Democrats have more places to go on offense, including a flurry of open GOP seats in places like North Carolina, suburban Atlanta, Long Island (east of New York City), Central Virginia and Texas.

KEY CONGRESSIONAL RACES TO WATCH ON ELECTION DAY

Other Republican incumbents facing tough reelection fights include New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the former Democrat who jumped parties and pledged his support to Trump; the newly elected Rep. Mike Garcia who faces a rematch with state lawmaker Christy Smith in California's 25th District; Rep. Don Bacon in Nebraska, who will have a rematch with 2018 Democratic challenger Kara Eastman; Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri; Rep. Rodney Davis in Illinois; Rep. Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota and Rep. Chip Roy in Texas. 

Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio won his reelection against a tough challenge from Democrat Kate Schroder, the Associated Press called.

Fox News' Kelly Phares, Brooke Singman, Chad Pergram and Benjamin Brown contributed to this report.