In Alaska, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is favored to win a new term, while races in Missouri and New Hampshire were too close to call early Wednesday. When it came to contentious Senate races, the Democrats took a seat from Republican-held Illinois, where votes for Democrat challenger Tammy Duckworth – a double-amputee Iraq war veteran – easily surpassed those for GOP Senator Mark Kirk. Pat Toomey has won re-election to the U.S. Senate, beating Democrat Katie McGinty in a down-to-the-wire Pennsylvania race that allows Republicans to maintain Senate control. She’s the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. The Republicans will retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives – and while the race for the Senate remained too close to call Tuesday night, the Republicans appeared to have stalled Democratic gains in several of the tightest contests. With a smaller GOP majority, dissident hard-right conservatives could have added leverage to press House Speaker Paul Ryan and other party leaders on the budget and other issues. Similarly in Wisconsin, Democrat Russ Feingold's effort to reclaim his former Senate seat fell short, with incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson prevailing, the networks said. Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz won re-election in Hawaii, defeating Republican John Carroll in heavily Democratic Hawaii to earn his first full term in the Senate.
The Republican Party retains control of the House and Senate.