AASHTO Journal - Election 2020 Update: Biden Declared President, Control of Congress Still Uncertain

On November 7, major news organizations declared the Biden-Harris ticket to be the winner of the U.S. presidential election. However, the Trump campaign has launched several legal challenges disputing that declaration and is calling for recounts in several swing states.

Meanwhile, as of November 9, control of the House of Representatives is expected to remain in Democratic hands, while control of the Senate remains an open question as both of Georgia’s Senate races appear headed for runoff elections in January 2021.

House members winning re-election include Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. – chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee – and Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., the committee’s ranking member.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass. – chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee – won his re-election bid as did Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, the committee’s ranking member.

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. – chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee – won his re-election contest, while the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., did not run for re-election.

Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. – chair of the House Appropriations Committee – likewise chose not to run again. Meanwhile Rep. Kay Granger, R-TX, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, won her re-election race.

In the Senate, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee up for re-election this year included Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss.; Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; and Christopher Coons , D-Del.

All 10 of them won their electoral contests.

Sens. Capito and Merkley also serve on the Senate Environment and Publics Works Committee. Other members of that committee that faced re-election in 2020 included Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.; Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass. All of them also won re-election.

So far, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, another EPW committee member, is leading in the vote count in his re-election bid. However, as of November 8, ballot counting is still continuing in that race.