U. S . SENATE WINNERS

Democrats picked up seats in Colorado and Arizona, and Republicans picked one up in Alabama in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Republicans held off Democratic challengers in just five of the 14 most competitive races, but final results may not be clear for some time. Here are some notable outcomes:

MAINE

Republican Senator Susan Collins, a New England moderate long known for her independence, won her fifth term after Maine House of Representatives Speaker Sara Gideon called her on Wednesday afternoon to concede one of the hardest-fought Senate races of 2020.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's closest allies in Congress, held off a surprisingly strong challenge from Democrat Jaime Harrison, who raised $100 million for his run. “I've never been challenged like this,” Graham said, and later added about Harrison: “You wasted a lot of money. This is the worst return on investment in the history of American politics.” A stoic Harrison said, “We did something incredible … we proved that public office is not a lifetime job and that people are willing to hold our leaders accountable.”

GEORGIA

Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock head to a Jan. 5 run-off election after neither secured a majority in a multi-candidate non-partisan special election. The unusual race was prompted by the retirement of Republican Senator Johnny Isakson. Loeffler was appointed last year to fill his seat. The contest featured 21 candidates.

ALABAMA

Republican Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn University football coach, defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Doug Jones.

Jones had been considered the most vulnerable Democrat in the Senate. He won the seat in an upset in 2017 after Republican Jeff Sessions vacated it to become Trump's attorney general. Tuberville defeated Sessions' attempted comeback earlier this year.

IOWA

Republican Senator Joni Ernst defeated Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield. Ernst used her role in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to appeal to conservative-leaning voters.

Greenfield, an urban planner and real estate developer, accused Ernst of being a rubber stamp for President Donald Trump and not taking the pandemic seriously enough.

WYOMING

Republican Cynthia Lummis, 66, is heading back to Washington. She has spent decades in politics, as a former state treasurer and state legislator. She served as Wyoming's lone congresswoman from 2009-2017 and was a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. She will be the state's first female senator.