Control of Congress is at stake and with it a president’s agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — Control of Congress is at liking Tuesday, pinch ever-tight races for nan House and Senate that will find which statement holds nan mostly and nan powerfulness to boost aliases artifact a president’s agenda, aliases if nan White House confronts a divided Capitol Hill.

The cardinal contests are playing retired alongside nan first statesmanlike predetermination since nan Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected nan Capitol, but besides successful unexpected corners of nan state aft what has been 1 of nan most chaotic legislature sessions successful modern times.

In nan end, conscionable a fistful of seats, aliases arsenic small arsenic one, could extremity nan equilibrium successful either chamber.

The economy, separator security, reproductive authorities and moreover nan early of U.S. populist itself person each punctuated nan debate.

In nan Senate, wherever Democrats now person a slim 51-49 majority, an early boost for Republicans is expected successful West Virginia. Independent Sen. Joe Manchin’s status creates an opening that Republican Jim Justice, now nan state’s governor, is favored to win. A pickup location would deadlock nan chamber, 50-50, arsenic Republicans effort to wrest control.

Top House races are focused successful New York and California, wherever successful a politically different twist, Democrats are trying to claw backmost immoderate of nan 10 aliases truthful seats wherever Republicans person made astonishing gains successful caller years pinch prima lawmakers who helped present nan statement to power.

Other House races are scattered astir nan state successful a motion of really constrictive nan section has become, pinch conscionable a mates of twelve seats being earnestly challenged, immoderate of nan astir contentious successful Maine, nan “blue dot” astir Omaha, Nebraska, and successful Alaska.

Vote counting successful immoderate races could widen good past Tuesday.

“We’re successful striking region successful position of taking backmost nan House,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is successful statement to make history arsenic nan first Black speaker if his statement wins control, told The Associated Press during a caller run plaything done Southern California.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson, drafting closer to Trump, predicts Republicans will support “and grow” nan majority. He took complete aft Kevin McCarthy was booted from nan speaker’s office.

Capitol Hill tin make aliases break a caller White House’s priorities, giving Trump aliases Harris imaginable friends aliases adversaries successful nan House and Senate, aliases a divided Congress that could unit a play of discuss aliases stalemate.

Congress tin besides play a domiciled successful upholding nan American contented of peacefully transferring statesmanlike power. Four years ago, Trump sent his mob of supporters to “fight for illustration hell” astatine nan Capitol, and galore Republicans successful Congress voted to artifact Joe Biden’s election. Congress will again beryllium called upon to certify nan results of nan statesmanlike predetermination successful 2025.

What started arsenic a lackluster title for power of Congress was instantly transformed erstwhile Harris stepped successful for Biden astatine nan apical of nan ticket, energizing Democrats pinch monolithic fundraising and volunteers that lawmakers said reminded them of nan Obama-era enthusiasm of nan 2008 election.

Billions of dollars person been spent by nan parties, and extracurricular groups, connected nan constrictive battleground for some nan 435-member House and 100-member Senate.

Democrats request to triumph a fistful of House seats to pluck statement power from Republicans. In nan Senate, nan vice president becomes nan tie-breaker successful a split, which would time off power of that enclosure up to nan victor of nan White House.

Senate Republicans launched a wide-open representation of opportunities, recruiting able newcomers to put Democratic incumbents connected defense successful almost 10 states crossed nan country.

In Ohio, Trump-backed Republican Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, is seeking to unseat three-term Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Some $400 cardinal has been spent connected nan race.

One of nan most-watched Senate races, successful Montana, whitethorn beryllium among nan past to beryllium decided. Democrat Jon Tester, a celebrated three-term legislator and “dirt farmer” is successful nan conflict of his governmental profession against Trump-backed Tim Sheehy, a able erstwhile NAVY Seal, who made derogatory comments astir Native Americans, a cardinal constituency successful nan Western state.

And crossed nan “blue wall” battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, Republicans are depending connected Trump arsenic they effort to unseat a trio of incumbent Democratic senators.

Outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has spent a profession focused connected seizing and keeping mostly power, but different opportunities for Republicans are slipping into agelong shots.

In nan Southwestern states, Arizona firebrand Republican Kari Lake has struggled against Democrat Ruben Gallego successful nan spot opened by Sen. Krysten Sinema’s retirement. In Nevada, Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen has been holding retired against newcomer Sam Brown.

Democrats intensified their challenges to a brace of Republican senators — Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott successful Florida — successful states wherever reproductive authorities person been a attraction successful nan aftermath of nan Supreme Court determination rolling backmost abortion access. Cruz faces Democrat Colin Allred, nan Dallas-area congressman, while Scott has poured $10 millions of his ain luck into nan title against Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a erstwhile House lawmaker.

Congress has a chance to scope respective history-making milestones arsenic it is reshaped by nan American electorate and becomes much typical of a divers nation.

Not one, but perchance 2 Black women could beryllium connected their measurement to nan Senate, which would beryllium thing ne'er seen successful nan U.S.

Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware is favored successful nan Senate title against Republican Eric Hansen.

And successful Maryland, Harris-ally Angela Alsobrooks is successful a highly competitory title against nan state’s celebrated erstwhile governor, Republican Larry Hogan.

Americans person elected 2 Black women, including Harris, arsenic senators since nan nation’s founding, but ne'er astatine nan aforesaid time.

House campaigner Sarah McBride, a authorities lawmaker from Delaware who is adjacent to nan Biden family, is poised to go nan first openly transgender personification successful Congress.

Fallout from redistricting, erstwhile states redraw their maps for legislature districts, is besides shifting nan equilibrium of powerfulness wrong nan House — pinch Republicans group to summation respective seats from Democrats successful North Carolina and Democrats picking up a 2nd Black-majority spot successful Republican-heavy Alabama.

Lawmakers successful nan House look voters each 2 years, while senators service longer six-year terms.

If nan 2 chambers do successful truth flip statement control, arsenic is possible, it would beryllium rare.

Records show that if Democrats return nan House and Republicans return nan Senate, it would beryllium nan first clip that nan chambers of Congress person some flipped to opposing governmental parties.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Kevin Freking and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.