Republicans are heading for control of Congress, but Democrats hold strong in the Senate
The legislative elections in the United States could lead to a new earthquake in North American politics two years after the presidential elections. The vote, which is progressing as slowly as was presumed, outlines a favorable scenario for the Republican Party of donald trump and a setback for the president’s Democratic Party Joe Biden.
In these mid-term elections, the 435 seats of the House of Representatives35 of the 100 seats in the Senate Y 36 governors, in addition to a multitude of key positions in several states. The Republicans are heading towards absolute control of both chambers and have won the majority of the governors at stake.
In the absence of the complete count, which may still last a few hours, these are the main results of the verdict of the polls.
Results in the House of Representatives
The Republican Party takes advantage to wrest control of the US House from the Democrats. Until now, Biden’s party had a slim majority (222 congressmen were Democrats and 213 were Republicans) in a House where the absolute majority is set at 218 seats. According to the first results, the Republicans would have achieved at least 6 new deputieswhich would already give them control of the Chamber.
With this overturn, Trump’s party will be able to decide which laws are debated in Congress, thus limiting the legislative capacity of Biden. They will also preside over House committees, which would give them room, for example, to stop the Capitol assault investigationwho recently summoned former President Trump to testify.
Results in the Senate
The pulse is much more even in the Senate and can be decided in four of the so-called ‘hinge states’: Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Currently, Democrats and Republicans were tied at 50 senators, although Biden’s party retained the majority due to the quality vote of the vice president kamala harris. The first results give a tie to 46 senators in the absence of 8 seats to be awarded.
In the race for Senatefor example, the democrats they have achieved convincing re-elections in New Hampshire and Colorado, two of the states that the surveys presented as highly contested. The republicans For their part, they have managed to maintain the seat in the Upper House that was disputed in Ohiowhere it has been imposed JD Vance, the author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ who had been supported by donald Trump. But two key races, in Pennsylvania between John Fetterman and Mehmetz Oz, and in Georgia between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, remain extremely close. If in Georgia none of the candidates obtains more than 50% of the votes, it will go to a second round on December 6.
In the ‘midterms’ of 2018, the vote yielded 21 Republican senators and 14 Democrats. If the Republicans prevail in the Senate, they will be able to block the Biden judicial nominationsconstrain its foreign policy and also dominate the committees of the upper house.
Governors Results
The distribution of governors also seems to lean in favor of the Republicans, who could have managed to prevail in 24 states compared to the 18 that the Democrats would have achieved.
One of the most important conservative triumphs has come in Floridawhere it has been confirmed strong turn to the Republican Party of voters who for decades made the state a hinge that oscillated between Republicans and Democrats. Governor Ron DeSantis, a figure of growing weight in the conservative formation, and the name that most sounds like possible opponent of Donald Trump for one presidential candidacy in 2024, has been overwhelmingly re-elected. Also in the state he has renewed his seat in the Senate blond frame and there have been other Republican victories for Congress.
The re-elections of the Republican governors of Texas, Greg AbbottY Georgia, Brian kemp, that have been imposed on Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams respectively.
The democrats, for their part, have achieved some significant and historic victories. In New YorkFor example, the governor Kathy Hochul With his re-election he has managed to resist the onslaught of Republican Lee Zeldin, who threatened the Democratic stronghold.
In Massachusetts maura healey She has become the first woman to reach the position of governor in the state. She will also be first openly lesbian female governor in US history. In Marylandwhile, Wes Moore, rising figure in the match, he will become the state’s first black governor, which was now in Republican hands. He is only the third black governor in US history.
In other notable results, Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was a White House spokeswoman and ardent defender of donald trumphas been chosen Governor of Arkansasa position also held by his father, Mike Huckabee.
The controversial Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene has also renewed her position in the House of Representatives. The politician was ousted from her committee duties by Democrats for propagating conspiracy theories, including of QAnonand for extremist statements, but he will be able to regain those positions if the Republicans gain a majority in the House.
The Democrats, meanwhile, have also managed to get him to Washington from Florida on first generation Z congressman: Maxwell Frost, 25 years old.
This vote also allows the renewal in each state of fundamental positions for the electoral process. In other words, the party that controls the secretaries of state Y attorneys general will play a decisive role in the certification of the 2024 presidential elections.
The history of the ‘midterms’
Historically, the party that controls the White House often does poorly in midterm elections. The president’s party has lost seats in every midterm election since 2006, a trend that has been repeated with both Democratic and Republican presidents.
The last midterm elections were during the Trump presidency. He then won two seats in the Senate, as happened in 2002 with George W Bush in the power. In other elections of this type held in the last 30 years, the president’s party lost seats in this Chamber and only in 1998 there was no net change in representation.