In the United State’s most recent congressional election, the Grand Old Party (GOP), also known as the Republican Party, secured the majority for both the Senate and the House. Flipping three key states, West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio, the Republicans won the Senate with a 52-seat majority for the first time since 2018. The last state to be called was Nebraska, cementing a 53-47 Republican majority with Democrats winning 45 seats and two seats going to other parties. However, a recount occurred in Pennsylvania due to the unconfirmed results of the state election; Pennsylvanian law says that a recount is necessary if election results are within a 0.5% margin.

The last major election to be called was the House of Representatives. The Republican Party has kept control of the House with a 218-seat majority as of November 17th, giving the GOP a hold on Congress. However, the numbers are not completely solidified, as newly elected President Trump appointed a few Representatives to be in his cabinet. On November 11, Trump named New York Representative Elise Stefanik United Nations ambassador and requested that Florida Rep. Mike Waltz serve as his national security adviser. Around a dozen additional Republican representatives have also been considered for potential positions on Trump’s team at the White House.

There were also a few historical occurrences in this year’s congressional election. Two black women, Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland, were elected to the Senate. This is the first time two black women have served in the Senate simultaneously, doubling the overall number from two to four. Additionally, Andy Kim became the first Asian American Senator from New Jersey and the first Korean-American Senator. Senator-elect Bernie Moreno became the first ever Latino to represent Ohio. Sarah McBride, the first transgender speaker at a major party’s convention and first transgender person to be elected a state senator, became the first transgender person to be elected to the House of Representatives. These historic firsts demonstrate the progress made in diversifying Congress. 

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, progress in diversity and inclusion usually comes when the Democrats won the majority in the election. This year, it came with the Republicans winning the majority; nevertheless, there is always room for more progress.