Democrats defy expectations in US midterm elections

US MIDTERM ELECTIONS

⭐2022⭐

PRESIDENT Joe Biden hailed "a good day for democracy" on Wednesday as his Democratic Party outperformed expectations in the US midterm elections.

Far from being swept away by a red wave, the Democrats retained control of the Senate after it was finally confirmed today that incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto  had fended off the challenge from Adam Laxalt in Nevada.

Earlier, in Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman defeated Donald Trump-backed former celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz - and President Biden's party also held onto vulnerable toss-up seat in New Hampshire.

Those results take the Democrats to 50 seats, the same total as in the 2020 election, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast the deciding vote, if required.

And that might not even be required if the Democrats retain the seat in Georgia in the run-off on 6 December.

The Peach State holds run-offs between the top two candidates if no one achieves 50% in the initial vote - and, with Libertarian Chase Oliver on 2.1%, incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Trump-backed challenger Herschel Walker fell short of that threshold.

Elsewhere, in the House of Representatives, in which the Republicans are still expected to gain a narrow majority, this was still not a red wave election for GOP.

Indeed, it was barely a red ripple.

Associated Press has now called the races in 416 of the 435 seats in the House - and,  of those, the Republicans have flipped 17 but also lost four the other way to the Democrats.

Meanwhile, from the eight new seats created by a reapportionment of the chamber following the 2020 census, the GOP has won only four, having previously held five of the eight which were replaced.

As such, the Republicans net gain in the House currently stands at +12.

If that same position is held or bettered, it would be enough for the Republicans to gain a majority - but, by historic standards, it is a fair way short of what had been expected of them in these elections.

After all, the Democrats were defending an extremely narrow advantage, with an unpopular President, and steepling inflation.

And, even in better times, the party of the incumbent President is susceptible to a backlash from the voters in the midterms.

True, the Republicans' control of the House on its own would still be enough to thwart many of President Biden's best-laid plans in the second part of his term.

Furthermore, the GOP will surely collapse the probe into the extraordinary attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 and launch various investigations of their own.

Already, conservatives have promised a hearing into President Biden's son Hunter's business ties - while they also want to look into the Biden administration's immigration policies, the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in China.

Without control of the Senate, though, any ridiculous laws proposed by the Republicans can be easily blocked - and, crucially, Democrats will retain the power to approve President Biden's judicial appointments.

Back in the House, a narrow majority would mean leader-elect Kevin McCarthy will have to pick his battles wisely and not rely on any single faction in his party, in case he loses the backing of another.

Of course, by far the noisiest wing within the Republicans is, rather unsurprisingly, the Donald Trump cultists including many who still falsely claim that the former President won the 2020 Presidential Election.

Concerningly, as many as 173 election deniers have won House, Senate and Governor seats, though thankfully their overall numbers remain stymied - for now.

Instead, several candidates backed by Mr Trump had a bad night, performing worse than their party overall - and much of the Republicans' attention has now turned toward the re-elected Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Governor DeSantis is an impressive political operator - and, at the moment, he has turned the infamously marginal Sunshine State into something of a Republican stronghold.

In the two state-wide elections held on Tuesday, Marco Rubio comfortably retained his Senate seat by a 16-point margin - while Governor DeSantis, with a 19% advantage, fared even better himself.

Now, Mr Trump has not exactly been slow to recognise the threat presented by his rival, producing a tirade in which - with typical maturity - he referred to Governor DeSantis as "Ron DeSanctimonious".

Former President Trump is aged 76, will be 78 at the next election in November 2024 - and, at this stage, he is not going to change his attitude for anyone.

But, despite him being backed by a significant and passionate base, many Republicans now cannot envisage any way in which Mr Trump can achieve a victory across the whole of the United States.

Former Republican Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, said: "Almost every one of these Trump-endorsed candidates that you see in competitive states has lost - and it’s a huge loss for Trump."

Meanwhile, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears declared Mr Trump to be a "liability" and added that she would not support him if he decides to run for President again.

On the Democrats' side, there is also an ongoing debate about President Biden's suitability for office beyond 2024, although it is a far quieter and generally more nuanced discussion.

The President turns 80 at the end of next week - and his position was openly questioned during the midterms campaign by in an editorial featured in the renowned Washington Post newspaper.

Despite his advancing years, though, President Biden cannot be anything other than boosted by the results as they stand.

"Our intention is to run again," President Biden said on Wednesday. “That’s been our intention regardless of what the outcome of this election was."

⭐STATE-BY-STATE RESULTS⭐

P		HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DEMOCRATIC 🔵 213 (-9) REPUBLICAN 🔴 222 (+9)	SENATE 🔵 51 (+1) 🔴 49 (-1)	GOVERNOR 🔵 24 (+2) 🔴 26 (-2)
🔴	Alabama [AL]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Alaska [AK]	🔵	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	Arizona [AZ]	🔴🔴🔵🔵🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	Arkansas [AR]	🔴🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	California [CA]	🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴 🔵🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴 🔴🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Colorado [CO]	🔵🔵🔴🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Connecticut [CT]	🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Delaware [DE]	🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	Florida [FL]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔵🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵 🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	Georgia [GA]	🔴🔵🔴🔵🔵🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴	🔵🔵	🔴
🔵	Hawaii [HI]	🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	Idaho [ID]	🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	Illinois [IL]	🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔴🔴🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	Indiana [IN]	🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Iowa [IA]	🔴🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Kansas [KS]	🔴🔴🔵🔴	🔴🔴	🔵
🔴	Kentucky [KY]	🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔵
🔴	Louisiana [LA]	🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔵
🔵	Maine [ME]	🔵🔵	🔵🔴	🔵
🔵	Maryland [MD]	🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Massachusetts [MA]	🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Michigan [MI]	🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Minnesota [MN]	🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔴🔴	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	Mississippi [MS]	🔴🔵🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Missouri [MO]	🔵🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Montana [MT]	🔴🔴	🔵🔴	🔴
🔴	Nebraska [NE]	🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	Nevada [NV]	🔵🔴🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔴
🔵	New Hampshire [NH]	🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔴
🔵	New Jersey [NJ]	🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	New Mexico [NM]	🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	New York [NY]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	North Carolina [NC]	🔵🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵	🔴🔴	🔵
🔴	North Dakota [ND]	🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Ohio [OH]	🔵🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔴	🔵🔴	🔴
🔴	Oklahoma [OK]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	Oregon [OR]	🔵🔴🔵🔵🔴🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Pennsylvania [PA]	🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔵	Rhode Island [RI]	🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	South Carolina [SC]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	South Dakota [SD]	🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Tennessee [TN]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Texas [TX]	🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔵 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔴🔵🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔴	Utah [UT]	🔴🔴🔴🔴	🔴🔴	🔴
🔵	Vermont [VT]	🔵	🔵🔵	🔴
🔵	Virginia [VA]	🔴🔴🔵🔵🔴🔴🔵🔵🔴🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔴
🔵	Washington [WA]	🔵🔵🔵🔴🔴🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵	🔵🔵	🔵
🔴	West Virginia [WV]	🔴🔴	🔵🔴	🔴
🔵	Wisconsin [WI]	🔴🔵🔴🔵🔴🔴🔴🔴	🔵🔴	🔵
🔴	Wyoming [WY]	🔴	🔴🔴	🔴

- P column refers to the party which the state voted for in the 2020 Presidential election
- House seats are ordered by district number

INDIVIDUAL SEATS CHANGES
▪️ House of Representatives

🔵 DEMOCRATIC GAINS 7 • AK-01 IL-13 MI-03 NM-02 NC-13 OH-01 WA-03

NEW SEATS 4 • CO-08 NC-14 OR-06 TX-37 | ELIMINATED 3 CA-53 MI-14 PA-18

🔴 REPUBLICAN GAINS 18 • AZ-02 CA-03 CA-13 CA-27 FL-07 FL-13 GA-06 IA-03 NJ-07 NY-03 NY-04 NY-17 NY-19 OR-05 TN-05 TX-15 VA-02 WI-03 

NEW SEATS 4 • FL-28 MT-01 MT-02 TX-38 | ELIMINATED 5 IL-18 MT-AL NY-27 OH-16 WV-03

▪️ Senate

🔵 DEMOCRATIC GAINS 1 • Pennsylvania
🔴 REPUBLICAN GAINS 0

▪️ Governors

🔵 DEMOCRATIC GAINS 3 • Arizona Maryland Massachusetts

🔴 REPUBLICAN GAINS 1 • Nevada