WASHINGTON DC - Democrats will hang onto control of the U.S. Senate as Senator Catherine Cortez Masto won re-election in Nevada, Edison Research estimated on Saturday, providing a big win to President Joe Biden.
Still, Republicans were near to regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives as authorities resumed counting votes cast in Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections.
Cortez Masto barely beat Republican rival Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general who was backed by former President Donald Trump.
With Masto's triumph on the heels of Democratic Senator Mark Kelly winning re-election in Arizona late on Friday, Democrats will control at least 50 Senate seats, with Vice President Kamala Harris empowered to break ties in the 100-member body.
"America proved that we believe in our democracy, that the roots of democracy are deep and powerful," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, told a press conference.
The Senate is now divided 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. The newly elected Senate will be sworn in on Jan. 3.
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As long as Democrats maintain their majority in the Senate, they will have the power to confirm federal judges and other nominations put forth by Biden. This includes all Supreme Court appointees who may become available during the next two years in the event of a vacancy.
If Senator Raphael Warnock of the Democratic Party were to defeat her Republican opponent, Herschel Walker, in the runoff election in Georgia on December 6, the Democrats' advantage would be increased to 51 to 49. Considering that most laws need 60 votes to progress, Democrats would have an extra advantage in passing the few ones that can do so with only a simple majority.
Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who have been known to cast "swing" votes against or postpone Biden's key initiatives—including the extension of certain social programs—this would further weaken their power.
Before enough House contests are decided, the party holding the majority in the 435-seat body may not be known for many days, if not longer. Results were still trickling in for a number of contests, including some in liberal-leaning California, where Republicans maintained an advantage.
While making his speech in Cambodia, Biden said that his party's primary objective will be to win the Georgia Senate election. However, when asked about the possibility of maintaining House power, Biden responded, "It's a stretch."
If Republicans in the House are successful, they want to permanently institute a number of tax cuts that were enacted in 2017 but are about to expire. They have also promised to attempt to reverse Biden's policies on combating climate change. They also want to look into the actions of the Biden administration and the president's son, who is a businessman with links to China and Ukraine.
At a Henderson event held in the days leading up to the midterm elections, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto takes the lead.
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Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of the Democratic Party addresses a rally in Henderson, Nevada, USA, on November 7, 2022, in the days leading up to the midterm elections. David Swanson/Reuters
Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez beat Trump supporter Joe Kent in Saturday's 3rd congressional district race, and the results are anticipated to favor the Democrats.
The Democratic candidate for secretary of state, Nevada, Cisco Aguilar, became victorious in the state's election administration campaign. Among his opponents was Republican Jim Marchant, who had backed Trump's baseless assertion that Biden had committed voting fraud in the 2020 race, which he had overcome.
Republican candidates who had aspired to become top elections officials in their respective states and had endorsed Trump's phony assertion were also defeated by Democrats in Arizona and Michigan.
Kelly, the Democratic senator from Arizona, was expected to retain his seat by late Friday, beating Republican Blake Masters—who, like Laxalt, had received Trump's endorsement—and giving Democrats a significant boost. Masters is still in the race.
In a brief victory speech delivered to his supporters in Phoenix on Saturday, Kelly—a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut—said, "We've seen the repercussions that occur when leaders refuse to acknowledge the truth and concentrate more on conspiracies of the past than tackling the difficulties that we face today."
The race for governor of Arizona has not yet been called. Democrat Katie Hobbs was leading Republican Kari Lake—yet another Trump denier—by a hair.
Biden can be certain that his nominations for hundreds of federal judgeships will be confirmed if the Senate is controlled by Democrats. In light of the current conservative majority of 6-3 on the Supreme Court, this would be of the utmost importance to Democrats should a seat become available during the last two years of Biden's tenure.
On Monday, the departing Senate will convene for a post-election work session that may last into late December. Schumer's goal is to swiftly approve two more federal judges who are already pending final votes.
The 2022 midterm elections have been dominated by Trump throughout the year. He manipulated the Republican Party's nominations for congressional, governorship, and municipal contests by capitalizing on his enduring support among hard-right conservatives.
Even if Republicans manage to secure a slim House majority, their performance on Tuesday will be disappointing, and Trump has taken the heat for endorsing candidates who failed to attract a diverse enough voter base.
Even though Trump is reportedly thinking about declaring a third presidential candidacy in 2024 this week, a defeat for the Republicans in Georgia might further reduce his popularity, according to aides.
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