Democrats Retain Senate Majority as Republican Pressure Eases in Nevada – Orange County Register
Will Weissart, Jill Colvin, Sarah Barnett
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats retained control of the Senate on Saturday, defeating Republican efforts to retake the House, making it difficult to block President Joe Biden’s agenda. , remained uncertain as the Republicans struggled to gather a small majority there.
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada gave Democrats the 50 seats they needed to keep the Senate. Her victory reflects the incredible strength of Democrats across the country in this year’s election. Cortez Masto, who is seeking re-election in an economically troubled state, has the highest gas prices in the nation and is considered the most vulnerable member of the Senate, is confident she could lose. The dissatisfaction of some Republicans was growing.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said on Saturday night, “We’ve done a lot and will do a lot more for the American people.” “The American people rejected the anti-democratic, authoritarian, nasty and divisive direction that MAGA Republicans wanted for our country. They rejected it outright.”
Now that the Nevada outcome is decided, Georgia is the only state where both parties are still in contention for a Senate seat. Incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock will face Republican challenger Herschel Walker in the December 6th runoff election. Alaska’s Senate election went to votes for ranked options, although the seats remained in Republican hands.
Democratic control of the Senate would make the process of appointing Mr. Biden’s cabinet and judicial appointments, including the possibility of opening the Supreme Court, smoother. Republicans also retain control of the committees, have the power to investigate and monitor the Biden administration, and can veto bills introduced by the House if the Republicans win the House.
Speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Mr Biden said of the election results: I look forward to the years to come. “
He said winning 51 seats in Georgia’s runoff vote is important, allowing Democrats to gain more ground on Senate committees.
“It’s just getting better,” Biden said. “The higher the numbers, the better.”
If the Democrats can win the House, that would mean full Democrat control of Congress and another chance to advance Biden’s priorities, including codifying abortion rights. The party has yet to win the 60 votes needed to make major legislative changes of many kinds in the Senate.
Biden, who called to congratulate Cortez Mast, said he still hopes Democrats can hold the House.
“It’s a stretch,” he admitted. “Everything has to go our way.”
The battle for the Senate hinged on a handful of hotly contested seats. Both parties have spent tens of millions of dollars in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. Democrats hoped the Republican decision to nominate an untested candidate would help them buck the headwinds of the nation.
The Democrats won a landslide victory in Pennsylvania, with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman defeating Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon who was backed by Mr. Trump, to win the seat currently occupied by Republicans. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly was re-elected by about 5 percent.
A tightly divided swing state, Nevada is one of the nation’s most racially diverse and working-class states, and its residents have been hit particularly hard by inflation and other economic turmoil. is receiving According to an AP VoteCast survey of 2,100 Nevada voters, about three-quarters of Nevada voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction, and about half say they say the most important issue facing them is the economy.
Heading into the midterm elections, Republicans were relentlessly focused on the economy. This is the number one concern for many voters amid stubborn inflation and rising gas and food prices. Republicans also attacked Democrats on crime. While the message at times exaggerated the threat, he particularly fueled anxiety among suburban voters who turned against Republicans in 2018 and her 2020. I couldn’t save my country.
But Democrats were bolstered by voters angry at the Supreme Court’s June ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Republicans have been portrayed as too extreme and a threat to democracy, following Trump’s false allegations (repeated by many Republican candidates) that the election was stolen from him.
Schumer said the Democratic candidate’s promise to defend abortion rights resonated with voters. He said the election results made him feel better about the country and its commitment to democracy.
Schumer said, “I know it hurts and doesn’t help Republicans to deny, offend, condone Donald Trump’s big lie, and say the election was rigged without any evidence of it. “But too many of them and their candidates have fallen into that trap.”
Schumer said voters rejected “extremist MAGA Republicans”, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Nationwide, VoteCast showed that 7 in 10 voters said the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade was a key element of the interlocutory judgment. We also showed that reversals are generally unpopular. And about 6 in 10 say they support legislation that guarantees legal access to abortion nationwide.
Half of voters said inflation had a big impact on their voting, and 44% said the future of democracy was their top priority.
Beyond Congress, Democrats won major gubernatorial races in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. These are key battlefields for Biden to beat Trump in his 2020. But Republicans have governors’ mansions in Florida, Texas and Georgia, where Mr. Biden narrowly won two years ago.
The midterm elections failed to yield a Republican victory, but Trump remains a key component of the National Party, announcing his third presidential run on Tuesday at the Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida. With Biden, who is scheduled and is setting up a possible White House rematch.
“I think the Republican Party… has to decide who they are,” Biden said.
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/11/12/democrats-keep-senate-majority-as-gop-push-falters-in-nevada-2/ Democrats Retain Senate Majority as Republican Pressure Eases in Nevada – Orange County Register