Despite a lot of drama during the day, the power relations in the two chambers appear to be virtually unchanged.

In the House of Representatives, the Democrats retain power.

The Republicans put a lot of effort into retaining power in the Senate with its 100 members, and as it turns out, the efforts have paid off.

Blytung victory in Maine

Maine's Republican senator Susan Collins succeeds in defeating challenger Sara Gideon and defending her seat after a lengthy vote.

A victory that in practice guarantees a Republican majority in the Senate for the next two years.

This is because the Republican candidates are heading for victories in Texa, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia and Alaska, among other places, which means that the party is guaranteed to get at least 53 of the 100 seats in the House.

- To succeed in retaining power over the Senate is a real message of strength from the Republicans.

They retain control no matter who becomes president.

And since the two chambers seem to have a different majority, it will be difficult to pursue a cohesive policy, says the researcher and US expert Frida Stranne in SVT's special broadcast.

Pelosi remains

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are directly crucial to the president's power and room for maneuver.

The two chambers are, among other things, crucial in the budget work, and the Senate also has a mandate to stop ministers, judges and officials nominated by the president.

In the House of Representatives, the Democrats retain their majority position, even if it does not become as strong as hoped.

One of Trump's fiercest critics, President Nancy Pelosi, will continue to be trusted for another two years.

"This election concerned the right to health care and the voters have shown that they want the right to health insurance," Pelosi said in an initial comment on the election outcome.

Everyday politics

Senate leader Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky also received continued support, as expected.

He took the opportunity to bring the debate back to everyday politics, and demanded that Congress adopt a new stimulus package in the shadow of the corona crisis "before the end of the year".

McConnel opened up for regional efforts, which was a previous demand from the Democrats.