Democrats have managed to retain at least their slim majority in the Senate, securing President Joe Biden’s influence over the justice system and a small ray of hope for what remains of his agenda.
Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto successfully defended her seat against Republican challenger Adam Laxalt, much to the relief of Democrats who viewed her as the party’s most vulnerable senator in a political environment believed to be Republican-friendly.
With this win, Democrats have a chance to salvage some of Biden’s former Build Back Better agenda.
But control of the House of Representatives remains undecided, with a handful of competitive races yet to be called. Republicans should regain control of the chamber, but any GOP majority should be as narrow as the Senate.
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Pelosi says Biden should run again and leaves his leadership uncertain
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday she believes President Joe Biden should seek a second term and voiced her full support for a Biden candidacy.
“President Biden has been a great president for our country. He’s accomplished so much,” Pelosi told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “He has a great record to run on.”
With House control still undecided, she also left her leadership position in the Democratic Party unclear, saying she would not comment until Tuesday’s election was settled. If Republicans take the House, Pelosi told CNN’s Dana Bash that she doesn’t think House minority Kevin McCarthy has what it takes to become president.
“No, I don’t think he has it.” But it’s up to his own people to decide how they want to be led or not,” Pelosi said.
Maryland’s Hogan calls on the GOP to quit Trump
Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland strongly chastised Trump’s role in the midterm elections, blaming him in large part for the disappointing Republican losses.
“It should have been a huge red wave. It should have been one of the biggest red waves we’ve ever had,” Hogan told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. Hogan has been one of the most vocal Republicans against Trump’s leadership in the party.
Hogan said the midterm election was “essentially the third straight ‘competition that Trump’ has cost us the race.”
“I’m tired of losing. That’s all he did,” Hogan said of Trump.
Whitmer: ‘Fundamentals’ won midterm Democrats
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who won her re-election bid by more than 10 percentage points, told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday that “fundamentals” have delivered surprising Democratic wins across the country.
“I can tell you that we’re staying focused on the fundamentals, whether it’s fixing the damn roads or making sure our kids get back on track,” Whitmer said, also attributing his win to the right. abortion as a campaign issue. Whitmer navigated re-election in part with overwhelming support from female voters.
“I know a lot of people wanted to say, should we be talking about economics or abortion?” said Whitmer. “But the fact is, the ability to decide when and if to have a child is the biggest economic decision a woman will make in her lifetime.”
Which races are not called?
Neither Republicans nor Democrats have reached the magic number of 218 for a majority in the House. As it stands, the Republicans have 211 seats to the Democrats’ 203.
In Colorado, Democrats still have a rare opportunity to clinch a House seat. Republican Rep. Firebrand Lauren Boebert is still locked in a stalemate with Democrat Adam Frisch, with Boebert leading by less than half a percentage point at 50.2%-49.8%.
And in Southern California, Democratic Representative Katie Porter is playing defense but slightly widened her lead against Republican Scott Baugh to 51.3%-48.7%.
The Arizona governor’s race between an incumbent Democratic secretary of state and a staunch Republican Holocaust denier is up in the air. Democrat Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake are neck and neck, with Hobbs leading slightly at 50.7%-49.3%. There are approximately 265,000 votes left to count.
Karen Bass takes the lead in a tight race for mayor of Los Angeles
Democratic Rep. Karen Bass took the lead from businessman and fellow Democrat Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
Bass leads Caruso by just under 2 percentage points at 50.8%-49.2%. But the outcome of the race is still a draw, with only 67% of the votes counted so far.
The candidates campaigned in stark contrast to one another. Bass, a longtime Democrat who has served Southern California for more than a decade, hopes to become the city’s first female mayor. Caruso, on the other hand, has described himself as a political outsider seeking to overthrow the Democratic establishment.
Democrats flip House seat in southwest Washington
In southwest Washington, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez prevailed over Joe Kent, a far-right Republican backed by former President Donald Trump.
Gluesenkamp Pérez’s victory is an important recovery for Democrats hoping to retain control of the House. Kent’s loss will add to the growing conversation around Trump’s role in the disappointing results for Republicans.
The seat is currently held by Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump, seeking to oust any Republicans seen as disloyal, endorsed Kent who then beat Herrera Beutler in a primary earlier this year.
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