Five new senators could be deal-brokers

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The Hill:

The party that holds the Senate majority is about to change but one thing will stay the same: Come January, Republicans won’t be any closer to a filibuster-proof 60-vote supermajority than Democrats are right now.

 

Republicans picked up at least seven seats on election night. But even if two more incumbent Democrats fall in currently undecided races in Alaska and Louisiana, Republicans will only have 54 votes.

 

If deals are to get done, some senators are going to have to lead the way toward agreement.

 

There are some likely contenders to do so among the people who were elected to the upper chamber on Tuesday.

 

- Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a popular former governor, was able to defeat challengers from all across the political spectrum. The four-way race pitted Rounds against two other Republicans — former Sen. Larry Pressler, who ran as an independent, and conservative former state Sen. Gordon Howie. Rounds came out well ahead of both, partly by touting his bipartisan work as governor, where he made investments in higher education.