According to the Associated Press, Republican rival Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general and supporter of former president Donald Trump, has reportedly been defeated by Democratic US senator Catherine Cortez Masto.
Masto’s triumph follows Democratic senator Mark Kelly’s victory in Arizona late on Friday. With Masto’s victory, the Democrats now hold 50 seats in the Senate, compared to the Republicans’ 49. The Georgia election will proceed to a runoff in December, but even if Republicans prevail there, a 50-50 split would essentially give the Democrats control of the Senate since Kamala Harris, the vice president, would cast the deciding vote.
Following their egregious underperformance in several elections, it was yet another setback for the Republicans. The party had made much of their expectations for a “red wave” to sweep the nation and award them control of the House of Representatives. Except for a few places, like Florida, the wave was more of a trickle.
The Democratic victory in the Senate will probably lead to further finger-pointing among Republicans over who is to blame for their dismal performance. Trump has received a lot of attention thus far because he supported right-wing or well-known figures in a number of crucial elections who lost, such as Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania.
The victory is also a further boost for President Joe Biden after his party dispelled early concerns that his poor approval ratings and an electorate battered by rising inflation would result in a defeat at the polls. The Democrats also broke with historical norms, since the party in power often loses badly in midterm elections.
The election result is expected to put an end to rumours that Biden could withdraw from the 2024 presidential contest and serve only one term. Now, in order to increase internal support in his party, he can point to sound domestic legislation from his first years in office as well as a great midterm performance.
The US election turnout, according to Biden, was “very happy,” and the Republican party must now define “who they are.” Prior to an East Asia conference, Biden told reporters in Cambodia that the Georgia Senate campaign was the focus of his attention.
“I’m not shocked by the attendance. I’m really happy right now. And I believe that speaks to the calibre of our candidates.
The matter of who will control the House of Representatives is still up for debate. Even though Republicans were expected to surge to power in Washington, Biden recognised that such a triumph would be “a stretch” for the Democrats.
The loss of the Senate will also draw attention to Trump’s continued control of the Republican party. A rift has emerged, with several major Republican individuals publicly pleading with Trump not to declare his candidacy for president in 2024 as is generally anticipated he will do next week.
The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, was a rare Republican victory in the midterm elections as he easily won reelection and turned around numerous once-strong Democratic districts, particularly in Miami. Trump himself has attacked popular Republican individuals who may challenge him.
