Authored by Jackson Richman by way of The Epoch Instances (emphasis ours),
There will probably be new faces within the Senate when the 119th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2025.
Because of flipping 4 seats, the GOP will management the higher congressional chamber, 53-47, for the primary time since early January 2021.
Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.), whereas in addition they received their elections on Nov. 5, have already been sworn into the Senate and due to this fact won’t be thought of freshmen. Each beforehand served within the Home.
Moreover, new senators from Ohio and Florida will probably be appointed by their state’s governor to succeed Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Vance will probably be sworn in as vp on Jan. 20, whereas Rubio is predicted to win Senate affirmation as Secretary of State.
Their resignation dates and successors have but to be introduced.
Beneath are the brand new members of what some have referred to as the “world’s best deliberative physique.”
Angela Alsobrooks
Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, will succeed Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who’s leaving Congress after 37 years, 17 of them within the Senate.
She defeated former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, with 54.7 p.c of the vote.
Alsobrooks, 53, beforehand was the manager of Prince George’s County and the county’s prime prosecutor.
She comes into Congress as a progressive who, as an illustration, is for abolishing or reforming the filibuster, particularly to codify the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, which the Supreme Courtroom overturned.
The filibuster requires 60 votes to be able to advance most laws within the Senate. Incoming Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) has stated the mechanism will stay in place.
Though Alsobrooks has referred to as for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, she has stated she backs the Jewish state’s proper to defend itself. She has additionally referred to as for a two-state answer between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
She has blamed large firms “who’re receiving report income proper now” for being behind excessive inflation.
Alsobrooks has additionally expressed help for an assault weapons ban and prohibiting ghost weapons.
Jim Banks
Jim Banks will change Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who was elected governor of Indiana.
Banks, 45, a Republican, defeated Valerie McCray, a Democrat and medical psychologist, with 58.7 p.c of the vote.
A conservative, Banks heads to the Senate after serving within the Home since 2017, representing Indiana’s Third Congressional District.
He’s a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump, whose “full and whole” endorsement of him cleared the GOP major area.
“Jim Banks is operating for the US Senate from the Nice State of Indiana. I do know Jim nicely, have seen him examined on the highest and most tough ranges and WIN!” Trump posted on Fact Social.
“Sturdy on the border, crime, our army, and our vets, Jim will battle for low taxes and rules, sanity in authorities, and our under-siege 2nd Modification.”
Banks ran on points that included securing the border, defending the unborn, supporting veterans, fiscal duty, opposing wokeness in public colleges, and supporting regulation enforcement.
John Curtis
John Curtis, a Republican, will succeed Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who declined to run for a second time period following a Senate profession that included staunch criticism of Trump, and voting to convict him in each his impeachment trials.
He defeated Democrat environmentalist Caroline Gleich with 62.5 p.c of the vote.
Curtis, 64, has represented Utah’s Third Congressional District since 2017. He beforehand was mayor of Provo, Utah.
Whereas not an opponent of Trump, he’s not a staunch ally.
“I do have my very own thoughts, and I’m not a rubber stamp. My stamp is the stamp of the state of Utah,” Curtis instructed ABC Information.
He instructed the outlet that certainly one of his disagreements with Trump is on the difficulty of the spending.
Trump added $7.8 trillion to the nationwide debt throughout his first time period, in response to the nonpartisan Committee for a Accountable Federal Finances.
Curtis’s message to Trump?
“Mr. President, now and again, I’m going to disagree with you. And it is going to be respectful,” Curtis instructed ABC Information. “And I believe after I disagree with you, it is going to be useful. And I hope you may hearken to me.”
Ruben Gallego
Ruben Gallego, a progressive Democrat, will take the seat of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who was recognized for her impartial streak, having been a Democrat who resisted calls to abolish the filibuster, thereby saving the institutional mechanism amid stress from the left.
He has been in Congress, representing Arizona’s seventh Congressional District from 2015 to January 2023 and now the state’s Third Congressional District. He beforehand served within the Arizona Home of Representatives.
Gallego, 45, defeated former TV anchor and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, a Republican, with 50.1 p.c of the vote.
He struck a crucial tone towards his fellow Democrats, particularly because it pertains to the Latino vote.
“There is no such thing as a profitable nationally with out Latinos,” he instructed CBS Information.
“Go contact grass and meet actual Latinos.”
Gallego served within the Marine Corps and fought within the Iraq Struggle.
Jim Justice
Jim Justice, at the moment the Republican governor of West Virginia, handily defeated Glenn Elliott, a Democrat and former mayor, with 68.8 p.c of the vote.
He’ll succeed Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), who selected to not run for reelection after a profession of greater than 14 years that included going towards his social gathering on points akin to vitality and the filibuster, which he was towards abolishing regardless of left-wing stress and intimidation.
Nonetheless, Justice, 73, won’t enter the Senate till after he resigns as governor on Jan. 12.
“My entire pondering behind all that is the continuity of presidency is crucial throughout transitions,” he instructed reporters on Dec. 27.
In spite of everything, he stated, the true legislating will happen when Trump takes workplace.
“I might transfer on, and I may very well be sworn into the Senate between Jan. 3 and when President Trump takes workplace,” he stated.
“There’ll be some issues occur, however there received’t be something taking place actually till when President Trump takes workplace.”
Justice, a multimillionaire, was beforehand a coal tycoon. His English bulldog, Babydog, is a star; he even appeared with Justice on the Republican Nationwide Conference.
Dave McCormick
Dave McCormick, a Republican, will enter the Senate with in depth expertise within the enterprise sector and within the federal authorities.
He narrowly defeated Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) with 48.8 p.c of the vote, or 16,205 votes.
McCormick, who sought to cobble collectively a broad coalition that included pro-Trump voters and non-voters, ran on tying Casey to President Joe Biden.
He stated Casey was out of contact with Pennsylvania voters.
McCormick criticized out-of-control spending and a “struggle on fossil fuels” for prime inflation.
Moreover, he referred to as for securing the border, treating the cartels like terrorist organizations, and due to this fact utilizing army motion towards them, and exporting pure fuel.
An Military veteran, McCormick, 59, served within the 1991 Gulf Struggle.
He additionally served in a number of roles within the Bush administration.
Bernie Moreno
Businessman Bernie Moreno, a Republican, is a political newcomer. Born in Colombia, he turned a U.S. citizen at age 18.
He narrowly defeated Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) with 50.2 p.c of the vote, or 209,652 votes. Brown had been in Congress since 1992, and 17 of these years have been spent within the Senate.
Moreno, 57, was initially a Trump critic however turned a staunch supporter of the president-elect.
His marketing campaign web site consists of 16 points he cares about, together with securing the border, standing with regulation enforcement, defending the Second Modification, “beating Communist China,” fiscal duty, election integrity, and congressional time period limits.
On the final level, Moreno instructed The Epoch he would solely serve 12 years, or two phrases.
Lisa Blunt Rochester
Lisa Blunt Rochester, a progressive Democrat, enters the Senate having represented Delaware’s at-large congressional district since 2017.
She defeated Republican Eric Hansen with 56.6 p.c of the vote to succeed Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who has been within the Senate since 2001.
Rochester, 62, ran on a platform of supporting abortion rights, gun management, combating for LGBTQ rights, combating local weather change, and dealing in a bipartisan method.
Tim Sheehy
Tim Sheehy, a Republican, by no means served in public workplace previous to unseating Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who has served within the Senate since 2007, with 52.6 p.c of the vote.
He referred to as for securing the border, defending the Second Modification, fiscal duty, supporting veterans, opposing a nationwide abortion ban, and combating the menace from China.
Sheehy was recruited by Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) in his capability as chairman of the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, the official marketing campaign and finance arm of the Senate GOP. Greater than $300 million was poured into the competition in what’s a solidly purple state.
Sheehy, 39, is a former Navy SEAL and businessman working in aerospace.
He has not been with out controversy, nonetheless, as there have been differing accounts of how a bullet got here to be lodged in his proper arm.
Elissa Slotkin
Elissa Slotkin will transfer from the Home to the Senate.
She defeated former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) with 48.6 p.c of the vote, or 20,217 votes.
Slotkin, 48, has been in Congress since 2019, representing Michigan’s eighth Congressional District between 2019 and 2023 and at the moment the state’s seventh Congressional District.
She prides herself on working throughout the aisle.
“Bipartisanship is deeply unsexy to folks,” she stated at an occasion this month hosted by the outlet Punchbowl Information.
“I believe that an important factor is for folks to emulate the habits that we educate our children in class, which is ‘deal with one another with respect, even if you disagree,’” she added. “Try this in public, try this in non-public, try this on social media.”
Previous to coming into Congress, Slotkin served within the CIA.
Jeff Louderback contributed to this report.
