The four progressive Democrat members of the ‘Squad’ and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders cruised to re-election victories as American voters have chosen to keep familiar faces in Washington. 

For House Republicans, Speaker Mike Johnson sailed to victory in Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, while Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Republican Conference Chairman Elise Stefanik also won in Louisiana’s 1st Congressional and New York 21st Congressional Districts, respectively. 

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was the winner in New York’s 8th Congressional District. In California, Nancy Pelosi won her 20th term after being voted in by the electorate of California’s 11th District. 

The ‘Squad’ also won their re-election bids: Ilhan Omar in Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, Rashida Tlaib in Michigan and Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts, who ran uncontested. 

In Texas’ 21st Congressional District, Rep. Chip Roy emerged as the winner there, while James Comer and Jim Jordan – the chairmen of the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committees — won their respective races in Kentucky and Ohio. 

Prominent Prominent Democrats also are heading back to Washington in the Senate. 

Elizabeth Warren was re-elected in Massachusetts, while Adam Schiff won the race in California for Dianne Feinstein’s former seat. 

In Vermont, Independent candidate Bernie Sanders secured his fourth term. 

For Republicans, Ted Cruz defeated Colin Allred in a hard-fought race in Texas, while Josh Hawley was the winner in his race in Missouri. 

All of these politicians will be gearing up for another term as Donald Trump is projected by Fox News to become the 47th President of the United States. 

First-term Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is projected to survive his first re-election bid in his suburban 17th Congressional District.

He defeated former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., delivering a much-needed victory for House GOP leaders as they seek to hold onto their razor-thin margin of control over half of Congress, according to The Associated Press, which called the race after 5 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Through his first term, Lawler staked out a reputation as one of House Republicans’ more moderate members, frequently working across the aisle. He was ranked the fourth-most bipartisan member in the Lugar Center and Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s annual index.

Before coming to Congress, he was a longtime Republican operative and served in the New York State Assembly.

New York’s 17th District is just north of New York City and is one of several areas represented by Republicans in the House that President Biden won in 2020.

But uneasiness over crime, spurred by New York City’s progressive criminal justice policies, led to a suburban backlash that was key to House Republicans securing control over one half of Congress.

Meanwhile, this latest race saw Jones’ evolution from a progressive lawmaker who once backed calls to ‘defund the police’ into a more moderate candidate calling out fellow Democrats for being critical of Israel.

Earlier this year, the New York Democrat angered his progressive allies, including the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ campaign arm, which rescinded its endorsements, when he endorsed a ‘Squad’ Democrat’s more moderate primary challenger.

Jones came out in support of George Latimer, a longtime Westchester County official, while rebuking Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., for his criticism of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Latimer wound up beating Bowman in the primary for the safe blue seat.

But that was not enough to win back his old seat in the New York City suburbs.

Jones represented the 17th Congressional District under its previous boundaries from 2021 through 2023.

Redistricting then pitted him against former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who switched from his 18th District even if it meant forcing Jones out, a controversial move given Maloney’s role at the time as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Jones did not challenge Maloney but ran in the 2022 Democrat primary for the more urban 10th Congressional District, where he lost to Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.

Maloney wound up narrowly losing re-election to Lawler.

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first world leaders to congratulate former President Donald Trump on his stunning political comeback victory on Wednesday.

Netanyahu, who is leading a seven-front existential war against Iran’s regime and its proxies, wrote on X, ‘Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory! In true friendship, yours, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu.’

Fox News projected Trump as the winner of the presidential election in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

An array of world leaders also chimed in to congratulate Trump on X. French President Emmanuel Macron said on X, ‘Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump . Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.’ 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote,’The biggest comeback in US political history! Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on his enormous win. A much needed victory for the World!’ 

Orban, like Trump, is a proponent of strict border control.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that the U.S. and the United Kingdom are the ‘closest of allies’ and noted that the ‘US-UK special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.’ He said ‘Congratulations President-elect @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. I look forward to working with you in the years ahead.’ 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who like Netanyahu, is leading his country in an existential war, stated on X, ‘Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory! I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.’ 

He added ‘I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States.’

Zelenskyy continued, ‘We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.’

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, also took to X to give his warm regards to Trump. The leader of the world’s most populous nation stated, ‘Heartiest congratulations my friend@realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.’

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele also congratulated Trump on X, stating, ‘Congratulations to the President-Elect of the United States of America … May God bless and guide you.’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised Trump on X noting, ‘I congratulate @realDonaldTrump on his election as US President. For a long time, Germany and the US have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens.’

‘Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his election victory. Australians and Americans are great friends and true allies. Working together, we can ensure the partnership between our nations and peoples remains strong into the future,’ wrote Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

From political pariah to the presidency.

Four years after Americans booted then-President Trump from the White House and he left Washington in political disgrace two months later, after trying to overturn his election loss, they are sending him back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 

‘It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,’ Trump said in his celebration speech early Wednesday morning, as he pointed to his convincing electoral and popular vote victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.

And his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, called Trump’s victory ‘the greatest political comeback in American history.’

Trump, in his victory address, touted that his political movement was one that ‘nobody’s ever seen before… this was the greatest political movement of all time.’

For an undisciplined candidate known for his hyperbole, Tuesday’s election results appeared to prove Trump right.

‘This is a historic political realignment,’ seasoned Republican strategist Ryan Williams said. 

Williams argued that Trump ‘basically threw out the coalition that Republicans had put together for the last several decades and reached out and doubled down on voting blocks that he thought he could make a connection with.’

‘He just expanded the party in a way that no other nominee has been able to do before. And I think that’s why the polling missed this, because he so radically changed the composition of the electorate,’ Williams highlighted.

For Trump, the 2024 campaign was a grueling two-year marathon. He announced his candidacy at his south Florida Mar-a-Lago club days after the 2022 midterm elections.

And he launched his campaign amid criticism from many in his party that he was partially responsible for the GOP’s lackluster performance in the midterm elections.

But after a slow start, the former president eventually easily dispatched a field of GOP primary opponents – which last year briefly expanded to over a dozen contenders – as he ran the table earlier this year in the Republican presidential primaries.

Trump, who was indicted in four different criminal cases, saw his support surge and his fundraising soar in the late spring of this year, after he made history as the first former or current president convicted of felonies.

A month later, President Biden suffered a major setback after a disastrous late June debate performance against Trump reignited longstanding questions over whether the 81-year-old president was physically and mentally up for another four grueling years in the White House – and sparked calls from within his own party for him to step down.

Trump’s polling advantage over Biden widened, and the former president was further politically boosted after surviving an assassination attempt on his life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in July.

But the race was instantly turned upside down days later, as Biden ended his re-election bid and endorsed his vice president. Democrats quickly coalesced around Harris, and her fundraising surged as her poll numbers soared.

The Harris honeymoon continued through the late August Democratic National Convention, and into September, when most pundits declared her the winner of the one and only presidential debate between her and Trump. 

But as the calendar moved from September into October, Trump appeared to regain his footing, and public opinion surveys indicated the former president gaining momentum.

Longtime GOP strategist David Kochel noted that we’re ‘still in a country where you have a 70% wrong track. The voters wanted to change who was in the White House.’

Kochel, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns, noted that while Harris ‘breathed some life into the campaign, some enthusiasm, the fundamentals didn’t change. People are unhappy with the economy. They think the country’s going in the wrong direction. And they wanted to make a change. And it turns out Trump won the change argument.’

‘And he also ran a very effective swing state campaign with effective advertising that hurt her,’ Kochel added.

Williams also applauded the Trump campaign, saying that they ‘had a strategy and stuck with it. They just basically said we’re going with men… they doubled down on men.. they had a consistent strategy for it, and it worked.’

And Williams argued that Harris ‘basically took the Hillary Clinton playbook from 2016, xeroxed it, and made it worse.’

And both strategists highlighted that Trump was able to overcome his many misstatements and controversial comments.

‘We pay so much attention to the crazy things Trump says. All that stuff that people find inappropriate. That stuff doesn’t matter,’ Kochel argued. ‘He had a better strategy and an environment that played to his favor.’

And Williams spotlighted that Trump ‘has a way of understanding the electorate and connecting with people in a way that no other politician does. He just speaks off the cuff in his own way, and despite the fact that he tells a lot of mistruths, he’s viewed as being genuine because he’s not a polished politician.’

President-elect Donald Trump addressed his supporters in the nation early Wednesday morning after earning more than 270 electoral votes, vowing he will lead the ‘golden age of America’ after launching the ‘greatest political movement of all time.’ 

‘This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond. And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal,’ Trump said just before 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. 

‘We’re going to help our country here. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country and we’ve made history for a reason tonight. And the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,’ he added to cheers from the crowd. 

Trump took the stage after Fox News projected he would win the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, as well as Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina. He notched more than 270 electoral votes around 1:45 a.m., officially defeating Harris. 

Trump said that he will lead the ‘golden age of America’ upon his inauguration. 

‘Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,’ he said. 

The Keystone State throughout the election cycle was seen as the state that would likely determine the overall outcome of the election, as both campaigns repeatedly traveled throughout the state to build support. Georgia was another hard-fought state for both campaigns, and where Trump was ultimately projected victorious on Tuesday evening. 

Vice President-elect JD Vance also addressed the crowds on Wednesday morning, thanking Trump for an ‘incredible journey.’

‘I appreciate you allowing me to join you on this incredible journey. I thank you for the trust, the place to me. And I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America. Okay. And under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never going to stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children. And after the greatest political comeback in American history, we’re going to lead the greatest economic comeback in American history. Under Donald Trump’s leadership,’ he said. 

Trump was flanked by his family while addressing his supporters, including former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump. The president-elect invited UFC CEO Dana White to speak on stage, and gave shout outs to Elon Musk, as well as professional golfer Bryson Dechambeau. 

‘We will make America safe, strong, prosperous, powerful and free again. And I’m asking every citizen all across our land to join me in this noble and righteous endeavor,’ Trump said. 

The president-elect noted that after winning North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he still has the opportunity to win other states such as Arizona and Michigan. 

‘In addition to having won the battleground states of North Carolina, and I love these places, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. We are now winning in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada and Alaska, which would result in us carrying at least 315 electoral votes,’ he said. 

‘We also have won the popular vote,’ he added. 

Trump’s remarks followed the Harris-Walz campaign packed it up for the evening, with campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon encouraging supporters to go home ‘get some sleep’ as votes began to show Trump in the lead. Harris skipped addressing her supporters, opting to instead speak to voters and the nation on Wednesday. 

The campaign’s co-chair, Cedric Richmond, instead delivered brief remarks. 

‘We still have votes to count, we still have states that have not been called yet We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken. So you won’t hear from the vice president tonight. But you will hear from her tomorrow,’ Richmond said.