EDlection2018: Republicans Keep Control of U.S. Senate, Setting Countdown Clock on Alexander’s Chairmanship

EDlection2018: We have examined numerous races for the 2018 midterms that may have an impact on state or federal education policies. Stay updated with the latest news by subscribing to Newsletter.

Updated, 11:30 a.m. – Incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida has requested a recount in his race against Republican Rick Scott.

Republicans will maintain their control over the Senate, meaning that long-serving Senator Lamar Alexander will continue as the chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, most likely for the last time.

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Republicans will hold a minimum of 51 seats while Democrats will have 45. Republicans are leading in the races in Montana and Arizona, although the final results have not been declared yet. Additionally, the race in Mississippi will proceed to a runoff later this year since no candidate secured a majority.

Major news outlets, including the Associated Press, have not yet determined the final outcome in Florida, where the margins are extremely slim. Although the Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald reported that Democratic Senator Bill Nelson had conceded to his Republican opponent, Governor Rick Scott, Nelson announced on Wednesday morning that he would request a recount. Under Florida law, an automatic recount is triggered if the margin of victory is less than 0.5 percent. Currently, Scott is leading by approximately 30,000 votes, which makes up 0.38 percent of the total votes cast according to state records.

(Stay informed with our liveblog for the latest updates on Senate and other races nationwide.)

This election marks the countdown for Alexander’s final term. Republicans in both houses of Congress have implemented a six-year limit for committee chairs, meaning that the session in 2019-2020 will be the last for the 78-year-old Senator. Alexander is also up for re-election in 2020 and stated in October that he may run again.

Alexander, a former U.S. Secretary of Education and university president, has been eager to reauthorize the Higher Education Act for a long time. However, he and ranking Democratic Senator Patty Murray have been unable to replicate the bipartisan success they achieved in 2015 with the Every Student Succeeds Act when it comes to rewriting the higher education law. The controversial tenure of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whom Murray strongly opposes and Alexander supports, has also strained their typically strong bipartisan relationship in Congress.

Will 2018 be the year that Alexander finally gets the opportunity to rewrite the Higher Ed Act, which he has been striving for? (Read more in Lamar Alexander’s White Whale: Will 2018 Be the Year the Education Veteran Finally Gets His Chance to Rewrite the Higher Ed Act?)

One of Alexander’s main goals in higher education is to reduce federal regulations, particularly by streamlining the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) form. This idea has bipartisan support, and Alexander often presents a printed copy of the current 108-question form as evidence that it can be significantly shortened.

With the Democrats expected to regain control of the House, it may be more feasible to achieve smaller-scale changes, such as simplifying the FAFSA, rather than a comprehensive higher education law reauthorization.

Currently, Republicans hold a slight advantage in the Senate with 51 seats compared to Democrats’ 49. On the HELP Committee, Republicans have 11 seats while Democrats have 10. However, the distribution of committee seats may change slightly depending on the final size of the GOP majority.

There is typically some reshuffling of committee assignments as members gain or lose seniority after elections, but the composition of the HELP panel is not expected to undergo significant changes. The only definite departure is Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who is retiring. All other committee members up for re-election this year, including senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, were successful in retaining their seats.

EDlection2018: We have analyzed numerous races for the 2018 midterms that could potentially influence state or federal education policies. Stay updated by subscribing to Newsletter.

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