Democrats win Pa.'s state senate, earning 'trifecta'; Republicans swept out of control in U.S. House and Senate; races yet to be called

In failing to weather Tuesday’s blue wave, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick conceded to Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie on Wednesday.

“I wish Bob Harvie success as he assumes a responsibility that is both extraordinary and humbling. The responsibility to represent every person in our community, whether they voted for him or not. To lead with independence, to welcome differences of opinion, and to remember the people we serve must always come before party.”

Harvie, 55, mounted a campaign against one of the toughest incumbents in the country, the five-term Fitzpatrick, who has survived several blue wave elections, boasts hefty fundraising coffers, and enjoys family-name recognition. For years, Fitzpatrick has been known as a Republican who appeals to many across the political spectrum.

After U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew conceded to Cape May Mayor Zach Mullock in Tuesday’s general election, he told reporters “everything came together the wrong way.”

The incumbent Republican will end his eight years as New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district representative in January, which oversees most of South Jersey and almost all the Jersey Shore towns.

At an election night party, Van Drew attributed Tuesday's loss to a "wave election" sweeping people away "who didn't do anything wrong," including himself.

President Donald Trump said he was "a little surprised" by Tuesday night's sweeping election results, where Democrats took control of both the House and Senate.

"I thought they'd do better," Trump said during a phone interview with Fox News late Tuesday night, referring in some cases to candidates he picked and endorsed. "I thought that I could transfer those people into candidates... but in certain cases they didn't win."

As for why Republicans suffered such steep loses, Trump said he didn't blame himself or his cabinet. He did take aim at voters upset over the high price of gasoline stemming from the conflict in Iran.

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While Democrats have already won control of both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, a few high-profile races have yet to be called.

Democrats have flipped four U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania, a clean sweep of the state’s competitive congressional elections.

Two of the ousted GOP incumbents won their seats with President Donald Trump’s help just just two years ago. The other two, including U.S. Brian Fitzpatrick in Bucks County, are longtime Republican lawmakers with long tenures and distinct political brands.

The sweeping wins in Pennsylvania – along with Democratic wins in New Jersey — helped put the party in control of the House for the first time in four years and for the remaining years of Trump’s presidency. As of Wednesday morning, the Associated Press called 228 House seats for Democrats, 10 more than they needed to take over the majority.

Gov. Josh Shapiro cruised to reelection on Tuesday, trouncing his Republican opponent Stacy Garrity in a decisive victory that strengthens the Democrat’s prospects for a 2028 presidential run.

The Associated Press called the race for Shapiro shortly after polls closed across the state. The resounding win for Shapiro, 53, of Abington Township, cements his dominance in the critical battleground state that voted for President Donald Trump just two years ago.

But a more substantial test of Shapiro’s strength is still to come in the following hours and days, as he’s staked his reputation on helping Democrats win up and down the ballot. The move could bolster his national standing at a time when the Democratic Party searches for a new leader to carry it into the post-Trump era. Shapiro invested $10 million of his campaign war chest to flip four congressional seats and to win a Democratic trifecta of control in Harrisburg for the first time since 1993, in races that had yet to be called on Tuesday evening.

(Left to Right) Volunteers Christina DeLullo, Vicky McCaffrey, and voter Keith Franchetti at the polls at Barry Playground polling place, on Election Day, in South Philadelphia.Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

By the time polls opened just after daybreak on what turned out to be a magnificent Election Day with the weather evoking a spring primary, the sunlight had turned the foliage on the treetops to fire.

Whether that somehow lit a fire among those who voted was arguable, but a certain energy was evident at the polls as voters cast ballots that potentially could change the balance of power in the U.S. House and the Pennsylvania Senate.

Of several congressional seats considered up for grabs, the race in solid purple Bucks County between GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Democratic challenger Bob Harvie was among the most closely watched in the nation as talk of a Democratic “blue wave” had been building.