Hardwood Floors December 2024/January 2025

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The GOP regained control of the U.S. Senate with 53 seats in the 100-seat chamber, picking up seats in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Montana. Democrats won several tight races and will have 47 seats in the minority. For the first time in 17 years, Senate republicans will hold a vote to decide their leader, as Senator Mitch McConnell (R KY) steps aside. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will retain his role as minority leader in 2025. The House caucuses will also likely continue with current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and current Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) continuing to lead their parties, although roles may switch depending on which party takes what is sure to be a very slim majority. – needing only 270 – and won the popular vote. He will be sworn in January 20, 2025. Public opinion polling on the presidential race over the last few months consistently showed that November 5 promised to be a nail biter. In fact, commentators and political experts were forecasting that we would not see final results until days after the election. This turned out not to be the case. It was pretty clear early in the evening that the Donald Trump/JD Vance ticket was going to hold swing states that were on the margin and prevail in key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania. Michigan and Wisconsin were called for Trump the next day. Trump currently has 295 electoral votes

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