WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have picked up the first of six additional Senate seats they will need in order to be in the majority when the new Congress convenes in January.

Republican Shelley Moore Capito (CAP’-uh-toh) defeated Democrat Natalie Tennant in West Virginia in the race to succeed retiring Democrat Jay Rockefeller. During the campaign, Capito lumped Tennant in with President Barack Obama, and put the blame on Obama and Washington for all of the recent coal industry layoffs.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sihk) won re-election over Democrat Ed Fitzgerald, whose campaign was unable to gain traction. Ohio will be hosting the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

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