And the Gavel Goes to…Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives
Election results are not all final yet; however, in the Senate so far, Democrats have won the majority, flipping 7 seats and gaining an advantage of 54 – 44. In the House of Representatives, Democrats have won 236 seats and Republicans are at 146 seats, with several races still to be determined. Several sources indicate that the Democrats may win as many as 258 seats. Note that 218 seats are needed for control in the House.
The political landscape on Capitol Hill is changing dramatically, and it will impact the coatings industry and our advocacy strategy. The 120th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2027, and it is anticipated that there will be more than 100 “new” faces in this freshmen class. This is an unprecedented opportunity for us to demonstrate the coatings industry’s contributions to the economy to new decision makers.
Leadership Changes in the Senate
- Democrats will control agendas and their leadership team will change. Notably:
o Sen. Dick Durbin is retiring and Sen. Brian Schatz has indicated a desire to take on the post of Majority Whip;
o Sen. Amy Klobuchar won the governorship Minnesota, opening a spot for Steering and Policy Committee Chair;
- On the Republican leadership team, no obvious changes will occur as Sens. Thune, Barrasso, Cotton, Moore Capito, and Lankford will be returning.
Leadership Changes in the House of Representatives
The Democratic leadership team will return intact as Reps. Jeffries, Clark, Aguilar, Lieu and Neguse have all won their seats. They will assume control of the House.
A significant change in the Republican leadership team has already been announced. Even though he has won re-election, Speaker Johnson has indicated that he will not seek the leadership role in the next Congress. It is anticipated that Reps. Jordan and Scalise will launch efforts to succeed the Speaker.
Impact on the Coatings Industry and Advocacy
Several races will have a direct impact on the paint and coatings industry and our advocacy agenda. At least one Senate race, Alaska, is still too close to be called. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a longtime friend of the coatings industry, will likely be thrust into a ranked choice process as no candidate in this race achieved the necessary 50% vote to avoid a run-off.
Sen. Susan Collins lost her race, and as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, there will be a shake-up in roles for the committee and its subcommittees. We are likely to see Sen. Patty Murray take the gavel of the full committee. Other than a change in control, there may not be any changes to the leadership posts for Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Environment and Public Works. There will be some change at the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee as Sen. Durbin is retiring. In addition, at the Finance Committee, Sen. John Cornyn will not be returning as a leader on the International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee.
House committees of importance to the coatings industry include Appropriations; Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure; and Ways and Means. The significant Democratic majority will obviously give control of agendas to the Democrats. Committee and subcommittee leaders that will not be returning include the following:
- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Ranking member on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade (Subcommittee of E&C);
- Rep. Sam Graves, Chair of T&I;
- Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking member on Subcommittee on Highways and Transit (T&I);
- Rep. Linda Sanchez, Ranking member on Subcommittee on Trade (W&M)
As the election results are finalized, more details will be provided on the anticipated changes in committee leadership and rosters. For now, we are preparing to introduce the coatings industry to the members of the 120th Congress.