The Republicans will maintain control of the United States House of Representatives, which will give elected President Donald Trump more Republicans in both chambers of Congress. The Republicans have controlled the lower house since 2023, and the Democrats would have needed a net gain of four seats to regain the majority.
Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Republican leader of the chamber, stepped down after 18 years. Meanwhile, the Senate has shifted to Republican control. Earlier this Wednesday, it was reported that South Dakota Senator John Thune, a former aide to Mitch McConnell and a free trade advocate, won the election to lead the Republican majority in the Senate next year, potentially establishing conflicts with elected President Donald Trump over tariffs.
Thune, 63 years old, defeated Elon Musk's candidate, Rick Scott, and another McConnell protégé, John Cornyn, in a secret ballot. Thune has sought to repair his relationship with Trump after a difficult period following the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. The Republican Party is about to have the majority when newly elected senators are sworn in on January 3. Trump did not publicly endorse anyone in this Senate leadership contest.
