by Dave Chamberlain, Staff Writer
The Republican party is moving closer to securing control of both chambers of the US Congress, according to American media projections.
The Senate and House elections are being held simultaneously with the race for the White House between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Thirty-four of 100 seats in the Senate and all 435 in the House of Representatives are up for grabs. Democrats currently control the Senate by a razor-thin majority, while Republicans control the House.
According to AP, the GOP has managed to flip one Senate seat in West Virginia, where Republican Jim Justice has a comfortable lead over Glenn Elliott with 69.1% of the vote, with 80% of the ballots counted.
Overall, Republicans are now projected to control at least 48 Senate seats, while Democrats trail with 36. The GOP needs a majority of 51 seats, or 50 seats and a Republican vice president.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans are now projected to win at least 139 seats, with 218 needed for a majority, while Democrats are on track to secure at least 92. The GOP has flipped two seats so far, AP has reported. A Washington Post projection shows that Democrats need to win at least 43 of the most competitive districts to control the chamber, while Republicans only need to win 27.
When it comes to the presidential race, Trump now leads Harris with 210 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election, while Harris has 113.