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WASHINGTON, D.C., November 9, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – The Republican Party has maintained control of the U.S. Senate and House, holding on to majority advantage over the Democrats. The GOP’s Senate hold is a major victory for pro-life and pro-family advocates and has stunned many political pundits who predicted a Democratic takeover.

With the victory by Donald Trump—unimaginable to most political observers right up through Election Day—the Republican Party on January 20, 2017 will control the executive and legislative branches of power in Washington.

Trump’s victory and the GOP’s control of the Senate guarantees that Republicans will shape the Supreme Court and the federal courts for years to come. That includes an expected vote early in 2017 on Trump’s pick for a Supreme Court nominee for the ninth Justice, and likely more Trump Supreme Court picks in subsequent years.

Democrats needed to pick up four seats to control the Senate (or five if Trump lost), but as of press time they had only gained one–the Illinois seat lost by liberal, pro-abortion Republican Mark Kirk.

Beyond the Supreme Court, the Senate win creates the opportunity for some pro-life and pro-family victories that have eluded social conservatives for decades – such as defunding Planned Parenthood and further legislative restrictions on abortion. However, it deserves mentioning that Trump is not a solid social conservative like his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence—having embraced pro-abortion and pro-homosexual positions over the decades before his Republican presidential run.

The GOP had controlled the Senate by a 54-46 majority going in to yesterday’s vote, with the Chicago Tribune reporting they are now “on track to end up with at least 52 seats, presuming they win a December runoff in Louisiana, as expected.” Republicans had to defend a whopping 24 incumbent seats—compared to just 10 for Democratic incumbent seats. (GOP control of the Senate could be safe for his entire term, since in 2018, the GOP will have to defend only 8 seats, compared to 23 for the Democrats.)

The GOP also kept control of the House of Representatives as had many predicted, with Democrats gaining only a few seats at press time. Politico reports the final numbers show the Republicans with a 238-193 majority coming out of yesterday's election. 

Portman leads the way

Sen. Rob Portman came from being way behind a few months ago to cruise to victory in Ohio—beating a popular Lt. Gov. Ted Strickland. His strong showing and superb campaign operation are being credited with helping Donald Trump win Ohio convincingly. Portman is pro-life and was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), but he announced his support for homosexual “marriage” out of solidarity with his son, who is homosexual.

Another key Senate win for the Republicans is two-term North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr—who held off Democrat Deborah Ross – in a state targeted by liberal lobby groups angry at the state’s “transgender” “bathroom bill” that overturned a Charlotte LGBT ordinance and disallows males entering female restrooms. Burr was endorsed by the NRLC while Ross supports abortion-on-demand.

In Wisconsin, Ron Johnson—endorsed by the NRLC–also came from behind to beat Democrat Russ Feingold, who was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action. Feingold was also endorsed by Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ lobby powerhouse.

Here are some results for important Senate races thought to be crucial for a Democratic takeover of the Senate:

  • Republican Senate victories at press time: Portman (OH), Rubio (FL), Burr (NC), Young (IN), Johnson (WI), Ayotte (NH), Toomey (PA), Blount (MO).

  • Senate races too close to be called: Kelly Ayotte (NH) (Ayotte was endorsed by the NRLC, while her Democratic opponent, Maggie Hassan, supports using tax dollars for abortion.)

  • Republican Senate losses: Kirk (IL)

  • Senate wins for Republicans that were widely expected: Scott (SC), Thune (SD), Lee (UT), Grassley (IA), McCain (AZ), Crapo (ID)

In Nevada, Democrat Catherine Cortez Mastro held on against Republican Joe Heck to win the seat vacated by Minority Leader Harry Reid. According to the NRLC, Cortez Mastro backs abortion on demand, while Heck was endorsed by the pro-life organization.

The single Democratic Senate gain, Rep. Tammy Duckworth in Illinois, will have little effect on social issues in the Senate. That is because Kirk was the most pro-abortion and pro-homosexual Republican voice in the Senate, and the only Republican to vote against defunding Planned Parenthood. Kirk’s replacement, Rep. Duckworth, is radically pro-abortion and pro-homosexual; she was endorsed by both NARAL and the homosexual lobby Human Rights Campaign.

Marco Rubio wins re-election in Florida

One of the strongest voices for the unborn in American politics, Sen. Marco Rubio, won re-election to his Florida U.S. Senate over Rep. Patrick Murphy. It is a crucial win for keeping the pro-life majority in the Senate.

Rubio is easily one of the most eloquent defenders of life and a Christian worldview—as many Republicans will remember from his presidential run (see this GOP debate clip). The pro-life Susan B. Anthony List knocked on over 500,000 doors in Florida to safeguard the senator’s seat.

On the homosexual issue, Rubio has been solidly conservative, with some rhetorical slips that raised pro-family eyebrows, such as when he opined that homosexuals are born that way. Nevertheless, he has been blasted by Human Rights Campaign—the nation’s largest homosexual-transgender lobby group—as “consistently on the wrong side of equality.”

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