Almost every incumbent lawmaker representing big nuclear constituencies will return to Washington next year along with Donald Trump, who was reelected president Tuesday night, media including the Associated Press reported.
Along with a convincing victory for Trump, who had secured 277 electoral votes as of Wednesday morning, according to the Associated Press, U.S. voters also helped flip the Senate for Republicans. The GOP was set to hold at least 53 seats.
Republicans also appeared to be close to taking control of the House in the 118th Congress, according to AP, though they had not clinched a majority as of Wednesday morning.
Among those in races still to close to call on Wednesday morning were Sen. Jack Rosen (D-Nev.), who according to AP data narrowly trailed her opponent, Republican Sam Brown, by one tenth of a percentage point with 84% of the vote in.
Also fighting for his political life, but holding his own as of Wednesday morning, was Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 10th congressional district. Newhouse represents DOE’s Hanford Site and serves on the House Appropriations Committee.
Newhouse, one of only 10 Republicans to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 riots by Trump supporters on Capitol Hill, held a small lead in the race against fellow Republican, Jerrod Sessler, a Trump-backed former NASCAR racer and Navy veteran. Newhouse led the race 51% to 49% with 57% of the votes in, according to AP.
There were also some House races that were too close to call in the vicinity of shuttered civilian nuclear power plants. These included:
- California District 49, which includes the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Incumbent Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) led his opponent, Republican Matthew Gunderson, 51% to 49% with 70% of the vote in, according to the Associated Press.
- Wisconsin District 3, which includes the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor. Incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) led his opponent, Democrat Rebecca Cooke, 51% to 49% with 95% of the vote in, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) won the Senate seat held by Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), who was appointed to fill a vacancy left when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) died. With his new statewide office, Schiff adds employees of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to his constituency.
