| Translate This News In |
|---|
Following the midterm elections in which President Joe Biden’s Democrats outperformed predictions and kept the Senate, control of the US House of Representatives hung on a number of close races on Monday that might result in a majority for the Republicans. Republicans were closer to taking control of the House than Democrats, having won 211 seats to their 206, with 218 needed for a majority. However, since officials are still tallying ballots over a week after Americans went to the polls, the ultimate result might not be known for many days.
Democrats portrayed their stronger-than-anticipated showing as a justification for their programme and a rebuttal of Republican attempts to call into question the legitimacy of election results.
Other notable uncalled elections include the race for governor of Arizona, when Republican Kari Lake was lagging her Democratic opponent despite supporting former President Donald Trump’s unfounded accusations of 2020 election fraud.
18 House races remain uncontested, with 13 of them being closely contested, according to a Reuters compilation of the top nonpartisan analysts. Ten of the remaining elections took place in liberal California.
Two years of split government would result from a Republican victory in the House, and Biden’s opponents would have the authority to stifle his political agenda and start potentially devastating investigations into his family and administration.
Jim Banks, a Republican congressman from Indiana, predicted that his party would secure a slim majority in the 435-seat chamber and act as “the last line of defence to block the Biden agenda” while opening inquiries into the cause of COVID and pandemic lockdowns, as well as the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Democrats have switched their focus to a Georgia run-off election that might increase their influence in Congress after securing the Senate with a victory in Nevada on Saturday and dashed Republican dreams for a “red wave” of victories.
Democratic dominance of the Senate would increase if Senator Raphael Warnock defeated Republican rival Herschel Walker in the run-off election on December 6. This would increase the party’s influence over committees, legislation, and judicial appointments.
Thanks to the victory in Nevada, Democrats now control a 50-50 Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote.
THE CANDIDATES FOR TRUMP
Democrats’ performance implies they were successful in portraying their opponents as extremists, pointing in part to the Supreme Court’s decision to abolish a national right to abortion following conservative nominations to the bench. Even if Republicans win a slim majority in the House.
But the outcomes have also brought Trump under more criticism since he influenced the Republican nominees for municipal, state, and federal offices by appealing to hard-right extremists.
Trump’s popularity may suffer more if the Republicans lose in Georgia because, according to aides, he may announce this week that he will make a third run for the presidency in 2024. He has been accused of endorsing politicians who couldn’t draw in a large enough voter base.
