WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have taken control of the US Senate and are fighting to maintain their majority in the House of Representatives, which would result in full Republican power in Congress alongside the president-elect. Donald Trump at the White House.

A unified Republican hold on Washington would pave the way for a Trump’s agenda. Or if Democrats took control of the House, it would provide an almost certain safety net, with veto power over the White House.

Trump, speaking early Wednesday at his election night in Florida, said the results were a “powerful and unprecedented mandate” for Republicans.

He called the Senate rout “unbelievable.” And he congratulated the Speaker of the House Mike Johnsonwho left his own party in Louisiana to join Trump. “He’s doing a tremendous job,” Trump said.

Vote counting in some races could take several days, and control of the House is too early to call.

The rally for Republicans began early on election night in West Virginia, when Jim Justice, the state’s wealthy governor, flipped the seat held by incumbent Senator Joe Manchin. From there, Republicans marched alongside Trump on the Senate map.

Republicans unseated Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, the first incumbent senator to fall, with a GOP luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno. They chased Democrats in the “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where Vice President Kamala Harris strived to move the party forward.

Democratic efforts to oust firebrand Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida collapsed. The unexpected battleground of Nebraska pushed Republicans over the top. Incumbent Republican Party Sen. Deb Fischer rejected a surprisingly strong challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn.

One of the most watched Senate races, in Montana, was decided early Wednesday. Democrat Jon Tester, a popular three-term senator and “farmer” in the fight for his political career, lost to Trump-backed Tim Sheehy, a wealthy former Navy Seal, who made disparaging comments about Native Americans, a key party constituency. Western state.

All told, Senate Republicans have a chance to win more seats, potentially delivering their strongest majority in years — a coda for the incumbent Republican minority leader. Mitch McConnellwho has made a career out of charting a path to power, this time by recruiting wealthy Trump-aligned Republicans.

McConnell called the election a “damn good day” for the GOP. He told reporters that a Republican-controlled Senate would “check the guardrails” and prevent changes to Senate rules that would end the filibuster.

He declined to answer questions about his past harsh criticism of Trump or the prospects of potential candidates in a new administration. He also said he views the election results as a referendum on the Biden administration.

“People just weren’t happy with this administration and the Democratic nominee was part of that,” McConnell said.

The fight for control of the House has become a state-by-state fight, much of which has taken place far from the presidential race.

Home races focus on new York And Californiawhere Democrats are trying to recover part of the dozen seats where Republicans have made surprising gains in recent years.

Other House races are scattered across the country, with some of the most contentious taking place in Maine, the “blue dot” around Omaha, Nebraska and Alaska.

To take control of the House, Democrats must wrest four seats from Republicans while retaining all of their own, a daunting task, especially in congressional districts where Trump won.

It could come down to a handful of seats, or even just one, to determine control of the House.

Johnson expressed confidence in a Republican victory, tweeting at . »

Harris generated enthusiasm for her party when Biden dropped out of the race, and she moved to the top of the ticket, a dizzying development just 100 days after the election. But Democrats saw their own hopes for Washington collapse.

Voters said the economy and immigration were the top issues facing the country, but the future of democracy was also a top motivator for many Americans voting in the presidential election.

AP VoteCast, a thorough investigation of more than 120,000 voters across the country, found a country mired in negativity and desperate for change as Americans faced a stark choice between Trump and the vice president. Kamala Harris.

This is the first presidential election since January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, when Trump sent a mob of his supporters to “fight like hell” against the 2020 election. Many Republicans in Congress voted against President Joe Biden’s victory. Congress will be called again next year to certify the 2024 election.

Despite everything, the election followed one of most chaotic congressional sessions in modern times, as the Republican-led House expelled its speaker, Kevin McCarthy, threatened to shut down the government, and struggled to conduct basic operations of governance.

Johnson said House and Senate Republicans were working on an “ambitious” 100-day agenda — cutting taxes, securing the U.S. border and “blowtorching” federal regulations — if they sweep the White House and Congress.

Trump himself has promised mass expulsions and retaliation against his perceived enemies. Republicans want to expel federal agencies from Washington and reallocate government staff, Johnson said, to bring the federal government “in line.”

Trump is “think big” about his legacy, Johnson said.

Several states will send history makers to the new Congress.

Elected voters two black women in the SenateDemocrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, who defeated Republican Larry Hogan, the former governor, in Maryland. Only three black women have served in the Senate, and never before have two served at the same time.

And in New Jersey, Andy Kim became the first Korean American elected to the Senate. The seat opened when Bob Menendez resigned this year following his federal corruption conviction.

In the House, candidate Sarah McBridea Democratic lawmaker from Delaware close to the Biden family, became the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

What’s still unclear is who will lead the new Republican Senate, as longtime leader McConnell prepares to leave his post.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who previously held the post, are the favorites to replace McConnell in a secret ballot election scheduled for when the senators arrive in Washington next week.

Billions of dollars have been spent by party and outside groups on the narrow battleground for the 435-member House of Representatives and the 100-member Senate.

If the two chambers actually exercise reverse control, as is possible, this would be rare.

Records show that if Democrats take the House and Republicans the Senate, it would be the first time that the chambers of Congress have both tilted toward opposing political parties.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Kevin Freking and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.