Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has defeated Democratic challenger Beto O바카라 게임 웹사이트�Rourke in a hotly contested race, the AP reports.Cruz's win appeared to help solidify the Republican's hold of the U.S. Senate. Republicans Marsha Blackburn won in Tennessee and Kevin Cramer defeated Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, the AP projected.O'Rourke, 46, had gradually closed the gap, according to polls leading up to the race.Cruz, 47, was first elected to the Senate in 2012, winning the seat vacated by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison.While Republicans currently command the Senate only narrowly, 51-49, a crucial piece of math was in their favor Tuesday: The Democrats and their two independent allies were defending 26 seats, Republicans just nine.Blackburn, a conservative who is also an ardent Trump backer, defeated former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, 74. Bredesen had promised a bipartisan approach if elected and had won the endorsement of music star Taylor Swift.The night's news wasn't completely disastrous for Democrats.Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was re-elected in West Virginia, a state Trump captured by 42 percentage points in his 2016 election triumph. Democratic incumbents also prevailed in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Midwestern states that Trump carried narrowly two years ago.Overall, Democrats were defending seats in 10 states that Trump took in 2016, including five he won by at least a huge 19 percentage points. Trump prevailed in Indiana by 19 points.