Because of unresolved important contests, control of the US Congress is in doubt. By winning both state elections, either Democrats or Republicans can gain a majority in the Senate.
PHONEIX: Three days after Americans cast their last midterm election ballots, all eyes in the political world were focused on Arizona and Nevada, where hundreds of thousands of uncounted votes held the key to control of the U.S. Senate.
By winning both state elections, Democrats or Republicans can take control of the Senate. However, a divide would turn the Georgia Senate runoff election on December 6 into a proxy fight for the chamber, which among other things controls President Joe Biden’s judicial nominations.
Republicans were inching closer to ousting Biden’s Democrats from the House of Representatives, thereby giving them the power to reject his legislative agenda and authorize a slew of investigations into his administration.
Edison Research estimated late on Thursday that Republicans had gained at least 211 of the 218 House seats necessary for a majority, while Democrats had taken home 197 seats. There were still 27 races to be decided, many of which were closely contested.
Kevin McCarthy, the head of the Republican Party in the House, has already declared his desire to run for speaker if Republicans win control, a conclusion he called probable on Wednesday.
Despite the bleak outlook, Biden told reporters on Thursday that he and McCarthy had spoken and that he still held out hope that Democrats might win the House.
Their chances, he continued, “are still alive.”
It may take days before the results of the Senate elections in Arizona and Nevada, where Democratic incumbents were attempting to hold off Republican challengers. It might not be finished tallying uncounted mail ballots until next week, according to officials in both states.
Despite Biden’s dismal favor ratings and intense voter resentment over nearly record inflation, Tuesday’s results fell far short of the broad “red tsunami” that Republicans had anticipated.
Republicans were characterized as extreme by Democrats, who cited the Supreme Court’s ruling to end the right to an abortion statewide and the large number of Republican nominees who supported former President Donald Trump’s bogus allegations that the 2020 election was rigged.
Trump’s reputation as the Republican kingmaker was damaged by the defeat of several of his most prominently backed candidates in crucial races on Tuesday, which prompted some Republicans to attribute the party’s poor performance on his divisive image.
It’s possible that the result will boost the likelihood that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who defeated his Democratic opponent on Tuesday, decides to run against Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination. Even though Trump hasn’t formally announced his third bid for the White House, he has made strong indications that he will and is preparing a “big announcement” at his Florida club on Tuesday.
In a statement on Thursday, Trump berated DeSantis and attacked the governor’s detractors on his social media platform, Truth Social, while taking credit for the governor’s political ascent.
Even a slim Republican majority in the House would have the power to demand concessions in exchange for votes on crucial issues like raising the country’s borrowing cap. McCarthy may find it difficult to keep his caucus united, especially the hard-right faction that is largely supportive of Trump and is uninterested in making concessions, with few votes to spare.
