Democrats edging toward Senate control after brutal GOP losses in key states
WASHINGTON — Democrats quickly racked up dramatic victories Tuesday night in the battle for control of the Senate, putting Republicans in a once-unthinkable position to lose the upper chamber.Shortly after polls closed, incumbent Sen.Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) waltzed to victory in what was once seen as a key pickup opportunity for Republicans.Then former North Carolina Gov.
Roy Cooper (D) was declared the winner for the Old North State, in a flip for Dems.While Democrats had been expected to win both of those seats, they were called remarkably quickly.
And in a dramatic upset, Democrat Annie Andrews took down Republican Darline Graham in the deep red state of South Carolina, in the seat the late Sen.Lindsey Graham had held more than two decades.“Brutal,” Fox News anchor Sean Hannity remarked on air after the stunning defeat.
Worsening matters for Republicans was the fact that by 10 p.m.ET, Democrat James Talarico had a sizable lead over Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas.“This is what happens when you combine the volatility of a wave with local dynamics and weak candidates,” said Michigan Republican strategist Dennis Lennox.
“Republicans may lose everything in Texas tonight because Trump picked Paxton.”Republicans were also trailing in Kansas and Nebraska, which was once an unthinkable scenario for the GOP.While there is still a path for Republicans to hold the Senate — albeit a rapidly narrowing one — the night marked a remarkable turnaround from just a few months ago when the GOP was seen as the favorites to hold the upper chamber.“S—y,” one GOP operative simply told The Post about the vibe of the night.There have only been two other midterm cycles — 1994 and 2006 — when a single party managed to flip both the House and Senate in the same election over the past 70 years.Raising the stakes for the Senate contest was the fact that Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, 76, and Clarence Thomas, 78, decided against retirement.
Alito was hosp...