(CNN) One of the big questions we'll be parsing after Election Day is the strength of the Republican brand in the age of Donald Trump.

Several weeks ago, it looked like Trump was inflicting serious damage on the GOP. But then the race tightened and is a nail-biter in the final hours.

We'll be looking for answers about the future of the Republican Party in the results of the down-ballot races -- particularly the races that will determine control of the Senate. Will some of those establishment candidates who distanced themselves from Trump survive in states where Trump gets trounced by Hillary Clinton?

One reason we may see more split ticket voting this year is because many of those Senate candidates have been running strong campaigns in their states, independently from their presidential nominee.

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