Democrat Bid to Control US Senate Appears to Have Fallen Short

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) holds a news conference in Washington on Sept. 30, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

The all-out effort to flip the Senate appeared to have fallen short, as Democrats successfully regained control of several seats but lost at least one other.

Democrats defeated Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) but a slew of other incumbents considered vulnerable emerged victorious, according to projections, including Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.).

Democrats relinquished control of a seat representing Alabama as first-term incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) lost to former college football coach Tommy Tuberville, who triumphed earlier this year in a primary race against former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

And Democrats faced the prospect of losing a Michigan seat. Businessman John James was up on Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) with most ballots returned early Wednesday.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of the most vilified lawmakers by the left despite her distance from President Donald Trump, was also beating challenger Sara Gideon with some ballots yet to be counted.

In another closely watched race, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) declared victory late Tuesday, though the race has not officially been called by state election officials or news organizations.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in the Senate subway area of the Capitol before President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington on Feb. 4, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

In addition to holding many seats that liberals hoped to wrest away, Republicans kept control of a Kansas seat that was left open by the retirement of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.).

Republicans prior to the election held a 53-47 majority in the Senate, after gaining two seats in the 2018 midterms.

The GOP was defending 23 seats to Democrats’ 12, but a number were not considered in play.

Former astronaut Mark Kelly, a Democrat, defeated McSally, who had lost her bid in 2018 but was then selected to replace deceased Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Former Colorado Gov. and Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper trumped Gardner.

Democrats still hold out hope they can flip at least one of the seats representing Georgia.

Pastor Raphael Warnock is headed to a January 2021 runoff versus Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), a businesswoman who is in Congress after being appointed to her seat by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp following a retirement.

Sen. David Purdue (R-Ga.) was up in the other race, though it had not been called as of early Wednesday.