Despite an otherwise grim night for Senate Republicans, it appears the three members of leadership up for re-election — Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) and Conference Vice Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) — will win re-election this evening.

Cornyn and Alexander were widely expected to win easily, but McConnell, facing a strong anti-incumbent sentiment in Kentucky, had been in a close race with Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford.

Nevertheless, McConnell by mid-evening had been declared the winner, which also brought Republicans one step closer to thwarting Democrats’ hopes of a 60-vote majority.