Democrats retain Senate majority as GOP push falters in Nevada

Democrats have controlled the U.S. Senate for more than two years, dashing Republican hopes of a wave that would sweep them to a majority.

The fate of the House remains uncertain as Republicans struggle to secure a narrow majority there.

Sen. Kathryn Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada gives Democrats the 50 seats they need to keep the Senate.

Her victory reflects the incredible strength of the American Democrats this election year.

Ms. Cortez Masto, who is seeking re-election in a state with a struggling economy and the nation’s highest gas prices, is considered the most vulnerable member of the Senate, fueling frustration among Republicans who believe she could be defeated.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared victory Saturday night, tweeting: “Your Senate Democratic Majority!”

The results in Nevada are now set, and Georgia is the only state where both sides are still in contention for a Senate seat.

Democratic incumbent Senator Rafael Warnock faces Republican challenger Herschel Walker in the Dec. 6 runoff.

Alaska’s Senate race has advanced to a ranked-choice vote, but the seat will remain in Republican hands.

Democratic control of the Senate has ensured that President Joe Biden’s cabinet appointments and judicial nominees, including those potential Supreme Court openings, go smoothly.

The party would also retain control of the committee and have the power to investigate or oversee a Biden administration, and if Republicans win the chamber, the party would be able to reject the House-submitted legislation.

If Democrats manage to win the House, it would mean Democrats could take full control of Congress — and another opportunity to advance Mr. Biden’s priorities, which he said include codifying abortion rights.

The party still lacks the 60 votes it needs to push through a variety of major legislative changes in the Senate.

The fight in the Senate hinges on a handful of tightly contested seats.

Both parties have spent tens of millions of dollars in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, where Democrats had hoped the GOP decision to nominate untested candidates — many of whom have the backing of former President Donald Trump – will help them overcome the country’s headwinds.

The Democrats scored a major victory in Pennsylvania, with Gov. John Fettman defeating Donald Trump-backed celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mohamed Oz for the seat currently held by Republicans.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly won re-election by about five percentage points.

Nevada, a tightly divided swing state that is one of the most racially diverse in the nation, is a working-class state whose residents have been hit especially hard by inflation and other economic turmoil.

About three-quarters of Nevada voters say the country is heading in the wrong direction, and about half say the economy is the most important issue facing the country, according to a survey of 2,100 voters in the state.

Ahead of the midterm elections, Republicans were relentlessly focused on the economy, the top concern of many voters amid stubborn inflation and high oil and food prices.

The GOP also cracked down on Democrats on crime, a message that at times exaggerated the threat but still sparked anxiety, especially among suburban voters who steered clear of the party in 2018 and 2020.

They also highlighted illegal crossings, accusing Biden and other Democrats of failing to protect the country.

But voters’ anger over the Supreme Court’s June decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion has buoyed Democrats.

They also portrayed Republicans as too extreme and a threat to democracy following the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol and Mr. Trump’s false claim that he had stolen the 2020 election.

Nationally, VoteCast showed that seven in 10 voters said the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade was an important factor in their midterm decisions.

It also shows that the reversal is generally unpopular. About six in 10 said they favored a law that would guarantee legal abortion nationwide.

Half of voters said inflation was an important factor in their voting, while 44% said the future of democracy was their top consideration.

Outside Congress, Democrats have won key gubernatorial races in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — battlegrounds that will be crucial to Mr. Biden’s victory over Mr. Trump in 2020.

Republicans, though, have governors’ mansions in Florida, Texas and Georgia — another battleground state Biden narrowly won two years ago.

While the midterm elections failed to cheer Republicans, Mr Trump remains a major factor in the National Party and is scheduled to announce a third run for president on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida — which could be in conflict with white men Take a photo with Mr Biden for a potential rematch.