The Republican Party is projected to win a majority in the US House of Representatives, setting the stage for two years of divided government as President Joe Biden's Democratic Party held control of the Senate.
The victory gives Republicans the power to rein in Mr Biden's agenda, as well as to launch potentially politically damaging probes of his administration and family, though it falls far short of the "red wave" the party had hoped for.
The final call came after more than a week of ballot counting, when Edison Research projected Republicans had won the 218 seats they needed to control the House. Republican victory in California's 27th Congressional district took the party over the line.
The party's current House leader, Kevin McCarthy, may have a challenging road ahead as he will need his restive caucus to hold together on critical votes including funding the government and military at a time when former President Donald Trump has launched another run for the White House.
While the loss takes away some of Mr Biden's power in Washington, he has signalled that he expects Republicans to cooperate.
"The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well," Mr Biden said during the weekend.
Democrats have been buoyed by voters' repudiation of a string of far-right Republican candidates, most of them allies of Mr Trump, including Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania's Senate and governor's races respectively, and Blake Masters in Arizona's Senate contest.
Even though the expected "red wave" of House Republicans never reached shore, conservatives are sticking to their agenda.
In retaliation for two impeachment efforts by Democrats against Mr Trump, they are gearing up to investigate Biden administration officials and the president's son Hunter's past business dealings with China and other countries - and even Mr Biden himself.
On the international front, Republicans could seek to tamp down US military and economic aid to Ukraine as it battles Russian forces.
