IT’S TRUMP: Bitter POTUS cycle comes to an end, control of Congress is next

Nov 06, 2024

The big race wasn’t even remotely close in Louisiana, with former President Donald Trump capturing the Bayou State and his old job with 60 percent of the vote to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 38 percent.

Trump, as expected, delivered a commanding performance here, winning 57 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes. Harris, meanwhile, notched wins in Caddo, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Madison, Orleans, St. Helena and St. John parishes. 

The president-elect actually yielded at or above 80 percent in 14 parishes, including a 93 percent favorable vote in Cameron and 91 percent in LaSalle.

Meanwhile on the Hill, the GOP has captured the Senate but the House is too close to call. According to the Associated Press, there were 57 House races still to be called as of this morning.

Stakes are high for Louisiana in the lower chamber, with Mike Johnson currently serving as speaker, Steve Scalise filling the role of majority leader and Congresswoman Julia Letlow sitting on the Appropriations Committee.

While Johnson celebrated his own re-election in Shreveport, he was on a plane not long after for Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where he met with the president-elect overnight. 

Scalise, who toasted another win from Drago’s in Metairie, did the same, exiting Louisiana to make his way to Trump’s victory party.

What happens next in the House, which remains undecided, is high on the list of speculative topics in Washington. 

Feeding the fire, The Hill reported overnight Scalise seems like a candidate for speaker, alongside Johnson, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota. 

Over in the Senate, Republicans enjoy a 51-49 majority, which bodes well for the home team. 

Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy spent time this cycle campaigning for and making contributions to colleagues — a political exercise that will help both navigate the chamber next year. Contested leadership elections, however, are not expected.

The big question mark involves who will replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellBased on reporting from CBS News, “Minority Whip John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, are considered the front-runners in the race to replace the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.”

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