Ballot Counts Continue as Some Republicans Suggest a Break From Trump
The struggle for control of the Senate boiled down to three races in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, with each party needing to win two of those states to secure a majority. Democrats need 50 seats to control the Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote, while GOP needs to capture 51. Republicans are currently locked into 49 Senate seats and Democrats at 48.
Georgia Senate race headed for runoff; House results still pending but point to modest Republican control. The midterm elections are not over yet as the race between incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and GOP challenger Herschel Walker will come down to a Dec. 6 runoff election.
The Nevada race between Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and GOP candidate Adam Laxalt is also still undecided, with Laxalt holding a lead of less than 20,000 votes with 70% of ballots tallied.
New in the House
Republicans have gained 10 seats and captured 207 seats versus 184 for Democrats as of early this morning. There are still 44 seats where no winner has been declared with 22 of those in California. Republicans are still expected to win control (as of this morning, they’re 11 seats shy of a majority), but several races haven’t been called. One that was: Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, conceded to his Republican opponent, Mike Lawler.
Election watchers signal Republicans will capture a narrow majority in the House, with David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter signaling Republicans are on track to win 51% of House seats which would give them 221 seats, just three more than the 218 needed for control.
Early Run for President
Republicans take aim at Donald Trump. With candidates backed by the former president largely underperforming, some in the party suggested a break from Trump: "I strongly believe he should no longer be the face of the Republican Party,” said former Representative Peter King of New York, a longtime Trump supporter.
President Joe Biden reiterated his desire to run for president again in 2024, saying he will make a final decision early next year. He hailed the “strong night” Democrats had in Tuesday’s midterm elections, but acknowledged voters’ frustration with the country’s direction.
More on elections:
'Red Wave' of Voters Did Not Happen: Why Were Poll Predictions So Far Off the Mark?
