Senator Catherine Cortez Masto's victory in Nevada got the Democrats past the 50-seat post to hold the Senate for the next two years in the mid-term elections, dashing Republican hopes a late wave might sweep them into a majority. The fate of the House of Representatives remains uncertain as the GOP struggles to pull together a slim majority.
Prior to the election, Ms Cortez Masto was considered the Senate's most vulnerable member, with Republicans hopeful that she could be defeated. Her surprising victory reflects the astonishing strength of Democrats across the US. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed victory on Saturday night, taking to Twitter to say: “Your Senate Democratic Majority!”
A closely divided swing state, Nevada is a racially diverse in the nation, working-class state whose residents have been hit particularly hard by inflation rises and other economic turmoil. According to AP VoteCast, a survey of 2,100 of the state's voters revealed that three-fourths damningly believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, while half called the economy the most important issue facing the country.
With the all-important results in Nevada now determined, Georgia is the only state where both parties are still competing for a Senate seat, where Democratic incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock has the most tenuous of edges over GOP challenger and former NFL Pro Bowler Herschel Walker in a December 6 runoff. While Alaska's Senate election has reached ranked choice voting, the seat will stay in possession of the Republicans.
The Democratic hold of the Senate will be most fruitful for President Joe Biden, ensuring a smoother process for cabinet appointments and judicial picks. This could potentially go as high as the Supreme Court, with the possibility of giving Democrats a 5-4 advantage should a Republican justice leave office in the pipeline.
Control over committees will also remain in the party's hands and the power to conduct investigations or oversight of the Biden administration, and reject legislation sent over by what will likely be a GOP House. However, if Democrats manage to pull off a win in the House, they would have full control of Congress — and another chance to advance Mr Biden’s priorities, including codifying abortion rights. Despite this, Democrats will still struggle to move major legislative changes, as they lack the supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate.
The Senate fight had hinged on a few closely contested seats alongside Nevada. Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania were considered the top battlegrounds, with both parties spending tens of millions of dollars. Democrats had hoped that many untested Republican candidates - many backed by former GOP President Donald Trump - would help them withstand the onslaught.
Democrats collected Pennsylvania from the Republicans, where Governor John Fetterman overcame Trump-endorsed celebrity heart surgeon Dr Mehmet Oz, while Arizona Senator Mark Kelly won re-election by around five percentage points.
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