Democrats take the US Senate: Biden triumphs

While the process of counting votes after the November 8 midterm elections has not been completed in the United States, it has already become clear that there is no need to wait for a repeat election in the state of Georgia – the Democrats have retained their majority in the Senate. And the hopes of maintaining control over the House of Representatives have not disappeared from the ruling party, although the Republicans are still in the lead.

Democrats retain control of the Senate after a decisive victory in the state of Nevada, writes The Guardian. This success provides the Democrats with a key number of 50 seats in the Senate, which is a blow to the Republicans, who hoped for a “red wave” and control of both houses of the US Congress.

Democrats retained control of the Senate after a decisive Nevada race was declared in their favor, cementing the party’s broadly better-than-expected midterm results.

Democratic Senator Katherine Cortez Masto defeated Republican nominee Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general who was backed by former President Donald Trump, the Associated Press reported.

Masto’s victory follows Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who won re-election in Arizona late Friday night. So, thanks to this victory, the Democrats received a decisive number of seats in the Senate – 50, and the Republicans – 49.

Now, even if there is a 50-50 split in Georgia for the Senate runoff on Dec. 6, the Senate will be effectively controlled by the Democrats, because if the vote is tied, the Democrats can count on an additional vote from Vice President Kamala Harris.

For the Republicans, the loss in the Senate elections was another blow after they fell far behind in many races. The Republican Party was pinning its hopes on a “red wave” that they assumed could sweep across the US and hand over the upper house of Congress to their hands. Instead, with a few exceptions such as Florida, the wave was more of a trickle.

A Democratic victory in the Senate is likely to provoke further accusations in Republican circles over who is to blame for the bad results. Until now, a lot of attention has been focused on Donald Trump after the candidates he promoted lost in several key races (like Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania).

The Democratic victory in the Senate battle also serves as another boost for President Joe Biden after his party defied fears that his low popularity ratings and an electorate hurt by high inflation would punish Democrats in the election. Democrats have also defied historical precedent as the party holding the White House often loses heavily in midterm elections.

The election results are likely to put an end to speculation that Biden may sidestep the 2024 presidential race and leave office after one term. He can now point to solid domestic legislation in his early years as president, as well as good results in the interim to build support within his party.

Biden said he was incredibly pleased with the US election turnout and said the GOP now needs to decide “who they are.” Speaking to reporters in Cambodia ahead of the Southeast Asia Summit, Biden said his focus was on the Senate race in Georgia.

The loss of the Senate will sharply focus attention on Trump’s continued dominance of the Republican Party. Disagreements have begun, with some prominent Republican figures openly urging Trump not to announce an election in 2024, which many expect him to do next week.

Trump himself has lashed out at popular Republican figures who could rival him, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who scored a rare Republican success in the interim as he easily won re-election and flipped several once-strong Democratic districts, especially in Miami.

However, the issue of party control over the 435-seat House of Representatives remains in the balance. The Republicans have the upper hand, but votes are still being counted in several races, including many in liberal-leaning California. If the Democrats – against all odds – manage to win the House of Representatives, it will mean complete control of Congress for the Democrats and another chance to advance Biden’s priorities.