Win Some, Lose Some

By Aimee Bench

 

While the Democrats already hold a majority in both houses of congress, they were aiming for a filibuster-proof super-majority in the senate this past election--60 seats. A filibuster keeps an issue open and active, suspending the vote until all persuasion is complete. 60 votes from the Democrats would stop a Republican filibuster, thus would become another huge asset to the democratic majority. With the liberal presidential elect, this act would spell trouble for any hopeful members of the GOP. 

Though it was close, the Democrats fell short of the magic number 60. They did, however, take over seats where the GOP has held them for decades, such as in New Mexico and North Carolina, and gain a bigger majority than in 2006. Even the senate minority leader Mitch McConnell was in danger. The Kentucky incumbent narrowly edged his opponent, which is one of the few bright spots for Republicans.

In the House of Representatives, the Democrats capitalized on the unusually high 29 Republican departures, gaining a net of about 20 more seats. The Republicans hold one of the smallest number of seats since the Republican Revolution in 1994, where they re-gained the majority after 40 years. The Democrats rode on the coattails of the president-elect, gaining popularity where they normally would not have.