Republicans torpedo Chuck Schumer’s majority in the Senate

The Republican Party on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump was battling Kamala Harris for the White House, was making advances in Congress.

In the current makeup, the GOP held a 220-212 lead in the U.S. House, with three vacancies. The Senate saw Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., leading with a 51-49 split for the Democrats, which included independents who align with the leftist party.

But the Democrats were facing an uphill battle to keep their tiny margin in the Senate, as they had only 28 senators not up for re-election. The Republicans had 38 senators who are staying on, as the parties battled for the 34 seats on the ballot.

Senate races largely finished as expected with Republicans winning in Indiana (Jim Banks), West Virginia (Jim Justice), Mississippi (Roger Wicker), Tennessee (Marsha Blackburn), and Florida (Rick Scott.)

Justice replaced Joe Manchin, a Democrat who did not seek re-election.

Also winning were John Barrasso in Wyoming, Kevin Cramer in North Dakota, Pete Ricketts in Nebraska, John Curtis in Utah, Josh Hawley in Missouri, Bernie Moreno in Ohio, Ted Cruz in Texas and Deb Fischer in Nebraska.

Independent but left-leaning Bernie Sanders won again in Vermont, and Democrats Andy Kim, New Jersey; Lisa Rochester, Delaware; Chris Murphy, Connecticut; Liz Warren, Massachusetts; Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island; Kirsten Gillibrand, New York; Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland; Timothy Kaine, Virginia; Maria Cantwell, Washington; Adam Schiff, California; Martin Heinrich, New Mexico; and Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, won.

At the point the GOP had taken 51 seats, seven remained contested, including in Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where Republicans were leading their races.

Control of the House remained a question mark.

The GOP had had 220 seats, to 212 for the Democrats, with three vacancies.

Late evening, the Republican Party had secured 179 seats to the Democrats’ 148, with 218 needed for a majority.