It should have been a triumphant night for Chuck Schumer, who is poised to become his party's leader in the U.S. Senate after overwhelmingly winning his re-election. But because his party struggled in Senate races across the country, he will serve as minority leader and will have to work with Donald Trump in the White House instead of Hillary Clinton. State House Reporter Zack Fink has the story.

Shortly after the polls closed Tuesday night, Charles Schumer was quickly declared the winner of his New York Senate race, and he addressed hundreds of Democratic supporters outside the Javits Convention Center, who were anxiously awaiting the results of the presidential race.

"Now, I know there are millions of families out there like my own, whether they're from Brooklyn or Buffalo, whether they're Dominican or Puerto Rican, whether they came from Poland, Ireland, Italy, Senegal, or Ethiopia, or China, or Colombia, or India — as New Yorkers, we're proud and we come from every corner of the globe," said Schumer, who won his fourth term as a New York senator.

But Schumer's hopes of ascending into the role of majority leader were dashed later that evening by Democratic losses in other races.

In the end, Republicans will remain in control of the Senate, relegating Schumer to be the next minority leader. He takes over for retiring Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

Schumer was the heavy favorite in his lopsided race against Republican Wendy Long, who ran unsuccessfully against New York's junior senator Kirsten Gillibrand four years ago.

"He was actually very gracious, and he said that even though we have different political beliefs he respect me very much and said we had a very good debate, and I told him the same," Long told supporters about the concession call she made to Schumer.

Before learning of the fate of his Democratic colleagues, Schumer spoke of his own winning strategy.

"I wake up every day thinking about how I can make things just a little bit easier for families like my own — to make it easier for those struggling to make it into the middle class, for those in the middle class — to stay there," Schumer said. "And I've worked hard to do that as your senator."

Schumer may have to work even harder, with Donald Trump in the White House.