There are a total of 470 Congressional seats were up for election on Nov. 3, 2020 — 35 in the Senate and all 435 House of Representative seats. The number of seats needed to obtain a majority in the House is 218, and in the Senate, 51 seats are needed. The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are up for reelection.
The 117th Congress will be sworn on Jan. 3, 2021, when the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority leader will be elected.
The U.S. Congress House of Representatives Results
The House of Representatives entered into the election with 232 Democrats and 197 Republicans. After the 2020 votes were counted, Democrats lost five seats but retain the majority with 227 seats — Republicans have 197, as of 4:30 a.m. EST on November 4.
- California House District 12 race between the current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Democrat) and Republican Shadid Buttar ended with Pelosi winning.
The U.S. Congress Senate Results
There are two Congressional Senate seats as prescribed by the U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 3:
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators, for six years, and each Senator shall have one vote [in Congress].
Key Races are in 11 states: Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Montana, South Carolina, Iowa, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, and Colorado. Additionally, there are two seats up for grabs in Georgia and Arizona Special Elections.
- Kentucky Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won his 7th term, as declared by the Associated Press at 7:56 p.m. EST with only 59 percent of the expected vote counted. At the time, he held a 13 percent lead over his opponent Democrat Amy McGrath.
Entering this 6-year-term, McConnell is 78 years old. Until Congress reconvenes on Jan. 3, 2021, the Senate Majority Leader’s identity will remain unknown. - Alabama Incumbent Senator Doug Jon (Democrat) is projected to lose to his Republican opponent, Tommy Tuberville, with 90 percent of the votes tallied.
- Arizona’s Special Election winner will take over Republican John McCain’s Congressional seat left vacant after his death; the term ends in 2022. Democrat Mark Kelly is projected to beat Republican Martha McSally, with 77 percent of the expected votes counted.
- Colorado Incumbent Senator Cory Gardner (Republican) loses his seat to Democrat John Hickenlooper, with 88 percent of the votes counted.
- Iowa Incumbent Joni Ernst (Republican) continues to hold her seat in the race against her Democratic challenger Theresa Green with 91 percent of the expected votes tallied.
- South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham will remain in Congress. His opponent, Democrat Jaime Har, trails Graham by 16 percentage points, with 76 percent of the votes counted.
- Texas Republican Jon Cornyn (incumbent) hold his seat against Democrat MJ Hegar, with 93 percent of the expected votes tallied.
- Montana Incumbent Senator Steve Daines retains his seat as he wins the election against Democrat Steve Bullock. With 81 percent of the votes counted, the race is close — Daines only holds a 5 percent lead.
- Kansas Senator Roger Marshall (incumbent) wins over his Democratic opponent Barbara Bollier, with 94 percent of the votes tallied.
- North Carolina’s Senatorial race between Republican Thom Tillis and challenger Democrat Cal Cunningham is too close to call. As of November 4 at 3:25 a.m EST, Tillis holds 48.7 percent of the vote, and Cunningham has 46.9 percent, with 94 percent of the expected votes counted.
- Michigan’s race between Republican John James and Incumbent Democrat Gary Peters is too close to call as of November 4 at 3:32 a.m. EST, with 71 percent of the votes tallied. James holds an 8.7 percent lead over Peters.
- Maine’s Senatorial race between Republican Incumbent Susan Collins and Democratic opponent Sara Gideon is too close to call, with only 66 percent of the votes counted. As of November 4 at 3:40 a.m. EST, Collins holds a 9.5 percent lead.
- Georgia’s race between Republican Incumbent David Purdue (50.8 percent) and Democrat Jon Ossoff (46.9 percent) is too close to call, with 91 percent of the votes counted as of November 4 at 3:48 a.m. EST.
- Georgia’s Special Election to replace Republican Johnny Isakson’s seat after his resignation had 21 candidates on the ballot — eight Democrats, six Republicans, and seven from other parties. As of November 4 at 4:03 a.m. EST, the top two vote-getters, Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Kelly Loeffler will participate in a runoff election on Jan. 5, 2021.
Fifty-one Senate seats are needed to hold the majority. As of 4:30 a.m. EST on Sept. 4, 2020, the Senate is split 47 to 46, with a Republican edge. Once the too-close-to-call seats are settled and Georgia’s Special Election runoff takes place the true majority will be known.
Updates will be provided as they come available.
Written by Cathy Milne -Ware
Sources:
The Washington Post: EXPLAINER: Why AP called Kentucky for Mitch McConnell; by Brian Slodysko|AP
NBC: DECISION2020; U.S. Senate Election Results 2020
NBC: DECISION2020; U.S. House Election Results 2020
Inset Image Courtesy of Richard Berg’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Featured Image Courtesy of NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
