When the new Senate meets in January, Democrats will have to rely on two Republican members, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, if they want to block parts of Donald Trumphis agenda.

Trump will return to the White House after winning 295 Electoral College votes this week in the race against the vice president Kamala Harris. republicans they also took control of the Senate, switching seats in Montana and Ohio, however several races remained too close to schedule Thursday morning.

The House of Representatives remains a question mark as dozens of races are up for grabs, but whichever party takes control is almost certain to have a very narrow majority.

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Collins and Murkowski are the two most moderate Republicans in the Senate and are likely to take on key legislative roles when Trump takes office — just as they did in 2017 when they became two of the GOP’s most vocal Trump critics.

Both senators have broken with other Republicans on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Given that the Senate needs 60 votes to pass any legislation — and the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the filibuster will hold — Republicans will need support from Collins and Murkowski, as well as a handful of moderate Democrats, to pass any legislation.

Tammy Vigil, senior associate dean at Boston University’s College of Communication, said Newsweek that the influence of Collins and Murkowski will depend on the results of those uncalled Senate races.

“The question will be whether or not women are able to temper the outlook of other Republican senators. Otherwise, they’ll be similar to Sinema and Manchin – effective at holding things up occasionally, but not strong enough to influence their overall intent. party,” Vigil said. He was referring to the senators Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona and Joe Manchin from West Virginia.

Republicans need to consider how much “mandate” they have after the election results because the midterms “will be here sooner than they might imagine,” Vigil said.

The 2018 midterms during Trump’s first term saw a strong performance by Democrats. His unpopularity at the time allowed them to take control of the House, though the GOP held the Senate because Democrats were defending seats in heavily Republican states.

“The electorate said they voted Republican now because of economic issues. If the GOP members are smart, that’s where they’re going to focus their actions and stay away from social issues,” Vigil said.

Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, said Newsweek Collins and Murkowski will be “very critical of the legislation.”

“The Republicans are going to have to get to 60 unless they’re operating on terms of reconciliation, but there are limits to how much what’s new can be folded that way. To get to 60, the Republicans will he definitely needed their votes,” he said. .

He said Republicans will likely focus on the economy, as exit polls have shown it is a major concern for voters, as well as border security. Collins and Murkowski may be willing to support border efforts as long as they “don’t get too punitive.”

History shows they may also be willing to vote against some of Trump’s nominees, though they may need other Republicans to join them to succeed, depending on the size of the GOP’s Senate majority.

In 2017, Collins and Murkowski voted against Trump’s education secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos. In remarks on the Senate floor, Collins raised questions about whether DeVos fully appreciated “that the education secretary’s primary focus must be on helping states and communities, parents, teachers, school board members and administrators strengthen our public schools.”

She continued: “While it is unrealistic and unfair to expect a candidate to know the details of all the programs under the Department of Education’s jurisdiction, I am troubled and surprised by Ms. DeVos’ apparent lack of familiarity with the landmark 1975. Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act disabilities, known as IDEA, which guarantees a free and appropriate education for children with special needs.”

Collins and Murkowski have not shied away from criticizing Trump. Both voted to convict him in his Senate impeachment trial after the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Neither has endorsed his campaign this year.

While Collins and Murkowski were seen as the most moderate Republicans, several other Republicans could be a check on Trump. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana did not endorse Trump’s campaign, and Sen Bill Cassidy of Louisiana also voted to convict Trump.

GOP Sen.-elect John Curtis of Utah, a moderate who has focused on climate policy, has been critical of Trump at times, defeating a Trump-backed conservative in the Senate primary. He replaces the senator Mitt Romneya primary enemy of Trump in the party.

Notably, Collins is running for re-election in 2026, though he has not said if he plans to run. Although she has performed well in the past in Maine, a Democratic-leaning state, 2020 was her worst performance to date. She will likely be a top target for Democrats, who are banking on a “blue wave” in two years.