(Headline USA) Republicans fought to keep control of the Senate on Tuesday in a razor-close contest against a surge of Democrats challenging President Donald Trump‘s allies across a vast political map.
Polls started closing in key states where some of the nation’s most well-known senators were on the ballot.
In Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fended off Democrat Amy McGrath, a former fighter pilot in a costly campaign, but he acknowledged his GOP colleagues face tougher races.
It could be a long wait, as both parties saw paths to victory, and the outcome might not be known on election night.
McConnell is the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history.
As President Donald Trump’s top ally on Capitol Hill, McConnell led efforts to defend the president during his impeachment acquittal in the Senate.
He also worked with Trump on a tax overhaul and orchestrated Senate confirmation of more than 200 judicial appointments, including Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
McGrath outraised the Senate majority leader $88 million to $55 million, according to Fox News:
On the campaign trail, she attacked McConnell over Washington’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and she accused him of building “the swamp” that President Trump often pledged to drain.
Whether McConnell leads a majority or minority in the Senate depends on the outcome of the rest of the races.
Adapted from reporting by Associated Press.
