Republicans win back control of the Senate

Republicans are projected to retake the majority in the US Senate.

That puts an end to four years of Democratic control.

It's not unexpected. Democrats were mostly on defense thanks to a punishing electoral map.

Republicans are projected to regain control of the US Senate after winning seats in West Virginia and Ohio, according to Fox News and the Associated Press, ending four years of Democratic control.

Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority. But Republicans were essentially handed an additional seat when Sen. Joe Manchin opted to retire in deep-red West Virginia, meaning the GOP only needed to gain one more seat to take back the majority.

The GOP won in Ohio, where Brown lost to Republican candidate Bernie Moreno . Republican incumbent Senator Deb Fischer also defeated independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska.

Republicans appears likely to win a 52nd seat in Montana, where Sen. Jon Tester trailed GOP candidate Tim Sheehy .

It's not entirely unexpected. Despite dramatically outraising Republicans in many of this year's tightest Senate races, Democrats faced a punishing map and were primarily on defense.

The past two cycles, by contrast, offered several pick-up opportunities for Democrats, and the party defied expectations by holding onto a majority in 2022.

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Democrats remain locked in tight races in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Nevada and Arizona also saw competitive races.

Democrats' best pick-up opportunity was in Texas, where Rep. Colin Allred gave Republican Sen. Ted Cruz a tougher-than-expected challenge.

The presidential election has yet to be decided , but the GOP's hold on the upper chamber ensures that even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, she would face significant roadblocks to implementing her agenda, including her pledge to sign a bill protecting abortion rights, enacting her economic agenda, and appointing Democratic-aligned officials to judgeships and ambassadorships.

If former President Donald Trump wins, having the GOP in control of the Senate will ensure that he's able to get Supreme Court and other judicial nominees confirmed.

It remains unclear who will control the House of Representatives next year, with several key races yet to be decided.