The polls predicted a wave of success for the Republicans – and a debacle for the Democrats. But neither happened during the United States midterm congressional elections. The Democrats performed much better than expected. Incumbent President Joe Biden’s party is just one seat away from a majority in the Senate, according to the latest interim results.
Because the Democrat Mark Kelly managed to keep his hard-fought Senate seat in the state of Arizona after a counting thriller. Former astronaut Kelly was victorious against Republican challenger Blake Masters. Biden called Kelly from a trip to Asia on Saturday night to congratulate him on the strategically important victory for the party. For Biden, future majorities in Congress will determine how much or little he can accomplish politically in the second half of his term.
In the event of a tie, the vice-chairman decides
In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans each have 49 votes following Arizona’s decision. Two seats are still contested: in the states of Nevada and Georgia. In Georgia, a runoff election between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker will take place on December 6, as neither opponent received more than 50 percent of the vote in the first attempt. If the Democrats can get another seat, they’ll have the majority. Because in a stalemate, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also president of the Senate, gets to vote.
Close race also in the House of Representatives
It is also unclear who will dominate the House of Representatives in the future. There are 218 seats needed for a majority. According to the votes counted so far, the Republicans had 211 seats on Saturday morning (local time) and the Democrats 203. There, too, the race is much closer than predicted before the election. Republicans are still more likely to win the majority in the chamber. But the fact that Democrats are so close to defending their previous majority was something many would not have thought possible before the election.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
