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• 2021 Senate Race Predictions

• Democrats' chances of taking back the US Senate, in Republican hands since 2015, now look slim.
• Their path to the majority now hinges on winning two runoff elections in Georgia on January 5, 2021.
• Democrats flipped seats in Colorado and Arizona, but failed to make gains in Alaska, Iowa, Montana, Maine, North Carolina, and Texas.
• As of November 11, Decision Desk HQ projects Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats, 48.
• The Senate is made up of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two Independents who caucus with Democrats, meaning Democrats needed to win back four to five seats.
• Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the presidential election, Insider and Decision Desk HQ projected on November 6.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

To retain control of the Senate, the Republicans only needed to win one of those races. They failed, with incumbent Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both losing to their Democratic challengers, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Both contests were close. As a result of Georgia's Senate run-off elections, Republicans will lose control of the upper house. Democrat candidate the Reverend Raphael Warnock has been declared the winner of one of Tuesday's races by major US news outlets, with his fellow Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff declared the winner on Wednesday. The loss is one that Republicans have earned. That isn't to say that the Democrats.

President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election thanks to a big victory in Pennsylvania, Insider and Decision Desk HQ projected on November 6.

But Democrats' chances of regaining the majority in the Senate — held by the GOP for the past five years — now hinge on a pair of races in Georgia. In order to resume control of the Senate, Democrats must win two runoff elections in the state on January 5, 2021.

As of November 11, Republicans control 50 Senate seats, and Democrats control 48, according to Insider and Decision Desk HQ projections.

Democrats have retained Sen. Gary Peters' seat in Michigan and flipped the Senate seat in Colorado currently held by Republican Cory Gardner. Democrat Mark Kelly has also won the special election in Arizona for the late Sen. John McCain's seat, defeating Sen. Martha McSally. He will serve the rest of McCain's term until 2022.

But Democrats failed to oust incumbents in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, and Texas, and lost Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama to the Republicans.

With the odds of Democrats winning an outright majority in the chamber looking increasingly slim, their most likely path to reach a 50-vote tie with Republicans is to flip both Senate seats in Georgia.

Then, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who would preside over the Senate, could cast a tie-breaker vote.

Both Georgia Senate races go to January 2021 runoffs

According to Georgia state law, an election goes to a runoff between the top two vote-getters, if neither candidate wins over 50% of the vote.

This year, none of the candidates received a majority in the regularly-scheduled Senate election between first-term Republican David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff.

The same thing happened in a special jungle election for Georgia's other Senate seat, which is currently held by Republican appointee Kelly Loeffler. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to her Senate seat in late 2019 to replace Sen. Jonny Isakson.

The wealthy businesswoman competed with a slew of other candidates on November 3, and will now face off against Democratic Pastor Raphael Warnock to serve out the rest of Isakson's term until 2022, Decision Desk HQ projected.

Set to take place on the first Tuesday in January, the Georgia runoff elections will determine control of the Senate for years to come and are likely to draw millions in outside spending.

The presidential race in Georgia between President Donald Trump and Biden is currently too close to call, with Biden ahead of Trump as of November 10.

Here are some highlights of the results:

Sen. Dan Sullivan kept his seat in Alaska

Sullivan fended off a challenge from Independent candidate Al Gross, who would have caucused with Democrats.

Sen. Gary Peters won reelection in Michigan

Results Us Senate Races 2021 California

Peters defeated Republican challenger John James, who also unsuccessfully ran against Michigan's senior Senator Debbie Stabenow to keep Democratic hopes in the Senate alive.

Susan Collins held on to her longtime seat in Maine

Following state House Speaker Sara Gideon's concession, Collins is projected to have won reelection for a fifth term, the closest election of her entire career.

Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock failed to unseat Republican incumbent Steve Daines

Bullock forced a highly competitive race in Montana — a reliably red state at the presidential level — but could not overtake Daines for the Senate seat.

Joni Ernst fended off Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield in Iowa

Ernst, an Army veteran, was first elected to the Senate in 2014 as part of a GOP wave. She faced a much tougher race against Democratic nominee Greenfield to secure a second term.

Trump ally Lindsey Graham held on despite a tough race

Democrat Jaime Harrison put up a formidable fight in South Carolina, narrowly outpacing Graham in fundraising and tying polls leading up to the election. But as one of the most high-profile Republican Senators in the chamber, Graham managed to pull out the win in this historically Republican state.

Republican incumbent John Cornyn won in a close call

Cornyn was first elected in 2002 and has served in a number of positions in Senate leadership on behalf of a historically deep-red state. He secured a fourth term in the Senate by a narrow margin against Democratic challenger MJ Hegar.

Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper defeated Republican Cory Gardner in Colorado

Hickenlooper, a former two-term governor and Denver mayor, unseated Gardner in Democrats' first flip of a Senate seat and the only one to be called on election night.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defeated Democrat Amy McGrath in Kentucky

McConnell is one of the most high-profile politicians in the country and one of the most reviled among Democrats, helping McGrath raise an eye-popping $90 million for her campaign. However, despite McConnell's unpopularity among Democrats and her own strong fundraising, McGrath was unable to topple the majority leader, who has held his Senate seat since 1986.

Democrats taking back the Senate majority would be a significant achievement toward delivering on Biden's ambitious policy goals.

For Republicans, controlling the chamber for the past five years has allowed the party to confirm hundreds of conservative judges, including many younger ones, to lifetime appointments on the federal judiciary.

Here are the key Senate races of 2020

• Alabama Senate: Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who won a 2017 special election in a major upset, lost in his tough reelection fight against former college football coach Tommy Tuberville.
• Alaska Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is facing a more competitive than expected reelection challenge from Al Gross, an Independent who would caucus with Democrats if elected.
• Arizona Senate special: Republican Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat in late 2018, lost in a competitive special election against Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, and gun-violence-prevention advocate. This was her second Senate election loss in two years.
• Arkansas Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Tom Cotton was elected to a second term without any Democratic opposition.
• Colorado Senate: Republican Cory Gardner lost his bid for a second term against former two-term Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper. Colorado has trended from a purple state to a reliably Democratic one in recent years, making this seat one of the most likely to flip.
• Delaware Senate: Democrat Chris Coons defeated Republican challenger Lauren Witzke.
• Georgia Senate, regular: Republican David Perdue is headed to a January 5, 2021 runoff to earn a second term against Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is mounting a formidable campaign in a state trending toward Democrats.
• Georgia Senate, special: Republican Kelly Loeffler was appointed to replace Sen. Jonny Isakson, who retired in late 2019 because of health concerns. She ran in a jungle special election with candidates of all parties on the ballot and will face Democrat Raphael Warnock also in a January 5, 2021 runoff.
• Idaho Senate: Republican Sen. Jim Risch won a third term against Democratic challenger Paulette Jordan.
• Illinois Senate: Democrat Dick Durbin won a fifth term against Republican Mark Curran.
• Iowa Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Joni Ernst won her competitive fight for a second term against Democrat Theresa Greenfield.
• Kansas Senate: Republican Rep. Roger Marshall defeated Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier for the open Kansas Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Pat Roberts.
• Kentucky Senate: Democrat Amy McGrath lost her bid to challenge Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, a race that attracted millions in outside spending but stayed in Republican hands.
• Louisiana Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy won a second term against a bevy of challengers in both parties.
• Maine Senate: Longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins won her tough reelection fight against Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.
• Massachusetts Senate: First-term Democratic Sen. Ed Markey won a second term against Republican Kevin O'Connor.
• Michigan Senate: First-term Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won a second term, defeating Republican John James in a competitive race. Peters, along with Jones, is one of just two Democratic senators who ran for reelection in a state won by Trump in 2016.
• Mississippi Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defeated Democrat Mike Espy in a rematch of the 2018 special runoff election that she won by 7.2 percentage points.
• Montana Senate: First-term Republican Steve Daines staved off a tough challenge for a second term from former Montana attorney general and two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock.
• Nebraska Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Ben Sasse defended his seat against Democratic challenger Chris Janicek.
• New Jersey Senate: Former Democratic presidential candidate and current Sen. Cory Booker won a third term against political newcomer Rik Mehta.
• North Carolina Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Thom Tillis faced off against former state Sen. Cal Cunningham and was reelected in one of the most competitive and expensive Senate races in the country.
• Oklahoma Senate: Longtime Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe defended his seat against Democrat Abby Broyles.
• Oregon Senate: Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley won a third term in the Senate against Jo Rae Perkins.
• Rhode Island Senate: Longtime Democratic Sen. Jack Reed defended his seat against challenger Allen Waters.
• South Carolina Senate: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham won one of the most difficult reelection battles of his political career against fundraising juggernaut Democrat Jaime Harrison.
• South Dakota Senate: First-term Republican Sen. Mike Rounds won reelection against Democrat Dan Ahlers.
• Tennessee Senate: Republican Bill Hagerty defeated Democrat Marquita Bradshaw after incumbent Sen. Lamar Alexander did not run for reelection.
• Virginia Senate: Democratic Sen. Mark Warner won a third term against Daniel Gade.
• West Virginia Senate: Republican Shelley Moore-Capito won reelection against Democrat Paula Jean Swearengin.
• Wyoming Senate: Republican Cynthia Lummis defeated Democrat Merav Ben-David for the seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Enzi, did not run for reelection.

[NFA] Democrats on Wednesday completed a sweep of the two U.S. Senate seats up for grabs in runoff elections in the state of Georgia, giving the party control of the chamber and boosting the prospects for President-elect Joe Biden's ambitious legislative agenda. This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.

Donald Trump’s party has lost control of the Senate. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFPSource:AFP

Donald Trump’s Republican Party has suffered a pair of disastrous election defeats, handing control of the US Senate to the Democrats a fortnight before Joe Biden takes power.

Two runoff elections were held in Georgia yesterday to determine a winner in each of the state’s Senate races. The special elections were necessary because no candidate received a majority of the vote on November 3.

To retain control of the Senate, the Republicans only needed to win one of those races.

They failed, with incumbent Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both losing to their Democratic challengers, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

Both contests were close. Most US networks waited until after midnight to declare Mr Warnock the winner over Ms Loeffler, and Mr Ossoff’s victory remained in doubt until Wednesday afternoon.

As things stand, Mr Warnock leads Ms Loeffler by a margin of 50.6-49.4, or about 50,000 ballots, with 98 per cent of the vote counted.

He will become Georgia’s first ever African-American senator, and just the 11th black senator in US history.

Mr Ossoff leads Mr Perdue more narrowly, 50.19-49.81, with a margin 16,000 ballots.

At 33, he will become the youngest member of the Senate.

RELATED: Follow our live coverage of chaos at the Capitol

RELATED: Trump’s last-minute appearance in Georgia

Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Picture: Jim Watson/AFPSource:AFP

The Democrats’ victories in Georgia mean the Senate is now split evenly down the middle, with the two major parties holding 50 seats each.

That technically puts the Democrats in the majority, as incoming vice president Kamala Harris will have the tiebreaking vote.

With Mr Biden due to be sworn in as the next president on January 20, and the Democrats already holding a majority in the House of Representatives, this means the party will soon control the White House, Senate and House all at once.

So, for the next two years – until the 2022 midterm elections – the Republicans will be unable to block any legislation requiring a simple majority in Congress without at least one defection from the other side.

It will also be easier for Mr Biden to get his political and judicial appointees confirmed.

Keep in mind, however, that many pieces of legislation cannot pass the Senate without reaching a procedural threshold of 60 votes.

“My roots are planted deeply in Georgia soil,” Mr Warnock, a reverend, told his supporters in a video message late last night.

He said his late father was a pastor, a small business owner and a veteran, and his mother “used to pick somebody’s else’s cotton” in Georgia.

“But the other day, because this is America, the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else’s cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator,” Mr Warnock said.

“So I come before you tonight as a man who knows that the improbable journey that led me to this place in this historic moment in America could only happen here.

“We were told that we couldn’t win this election. But tonight we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible. May my story be an inspiration to some young person who is trying to grasp and grab hold of the American dream.”

In his own message to Georgia’s voters, Mr Ossoff thanked them for the “confidence and trust” they had shown towards him.

“I want to thank the people of Georgia for participating in this election. Everybody who cast your ballot. Everybody who put your faith and confidence in our democracy’s capacity to deliver the representation that we deserve,” he said.

“Whether you were for me or against me, I’ll be for you in the US Senate. I will serve all the people of the state. I will give everything I’ve got to ensure Georgia’s interests are represented in the US Senate.”

Kelly Loeffler. Picture: Brandon Bell/Getty Images/AFPSource:AFP

David Perdue. Picture: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images/AFPSource:AFP

The recriminations within the Republican Party started before either race had even been called last night.

Gabriel Sterling, a Republican who serves as Georgia’s voting system implementation manager, told CNN it would be President Trump’s fault if Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler ended up losing.

Mr Sterling had repeatedly debunked Mr Trump’s claims about voter fraud in public since the presidential election, voicing his fear that Republican voters would not bother to show up and vote for Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler if they thought the results were rigged anyway.

“If one of the Republican candidates, or both, lose their seats in the Senate, who would be to blame?” a reporter asked him as the votes started to roll in.

2021 Senate Race Predictions

“Well, I’ll speak for – outside of my role working for the state. This is a personal opinion. That will fall squarely on the shoulders of President Trump and his actions since November 3,” said Mr Sterling.

“When you tell people, ‘Your vote doesn’t count, it’s been stolen,’ and people start to believe that, and then you go to the two senators and ask them to tell the Secretary of State to resign and trigger a civil war in the Republican Party – when we need Republicans to unite – all of that stems from his decision making since the November 3 election.”

Mr Sterling went on to agree with the proposition that Mr Trump had “single-handedly divided the party”.

RELATED: Furious Republican election official slams Trump

Georgia election official @GabrielSterling, a Republican, says a loss for Loeffler & Perdue would 'fall squarely on the shoulders of President Trump.' pic.twitter.com/P1hmoukpnB

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) January 6, 2021

Text from a GOP strategist: 'thanks alot Donald'

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 6, 2021

A different factor in the race may have been the Republican Party’s refusal to back Mr Trump’s call for more generous stimulus payments to Americans as part of a coronavirus relief package that passed through Congress last month.

“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $US600 to $2000, or $4000 for a couple,” the President demanded on Christmas Eve, when the bill had already been passed after months of painful negotiations.

Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, did not comply, and Mr Trump ended up begrudgingly signing the bill into law.

Meanwhile, the Democrats turned bigger stimulus payments into a campaign issue, promising $2000 cheques would pass the Senate if voters in Georgia gave them the numbers.

At the same time, Mr Trump was running TV ads claiming he’d been robbed in the presidential election.

RELATED: Trump says coronavirus relief cheques are too small

Donald Trump at the White House two nights ago. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFPSource:AFP

The President held a massive political rally in Georgia the night before the runoff elections, where he repeated a number of his usual fraud theories – though he did also urge his supporters to vote for Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler.

“You’re going to show up at the polls in record numbers,” he said.

“You’re going to swamp them, and together we’re going to beat the Democrat extremists, and deliver a thundering victory.”

Mr Trump started to make the argument that Republicans needed to retain the Senate to act as a check on the power of the incoming Biden administration, before getting a little sidetracked.

“If the liberal Democrats take the Senate and the White House – and they’re not taking this White House. We’re going to fight like hell,” he said.

“I was telling Kelly before, ‘You can lose it, that’s acceptable. You lose, you lose, you go, you go wherever you’re going, and then you say, ‘Maybe I’ll do it again sometime, or maybe I won’t, or maybe I’ll get back to life.’

“But when you win in a landslide, and they steal it, and it’s rigged, it’s not acceptable.”

He also spent a chunk of the speech attacking Georgia’s Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, and its Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger.

Both men have supported Mr Trump in the past, but got on his bad side when they certified Mr Biden’s victory in their state.

“I’ll be here in about a year-and-a-half campaigning against your Governor, I guarantee that,” the President promised.

Mr Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992, albeit by a narrow margin of about 11,779 votes.