Democratic incumbent Kathryn Cortez Masto has 48.7 percent of the vote — a narrow lead over Republican former state attorney general Adam Laxalt’s 48.2 percent. Ms. Cortez Masto, 58, has campaigned strongly on the abortion issue and has also criticized Mr. Laxalt for his ties to oil majors, which have enjoyed record profits in recent months. Mr. Laxalt had tried to link Ms. Cortez Masto to President Joe Biden’s economic policies, blaming them for both inflation and rising fuel prices. The election result comes a day after Democrat Mark Kelly won in Arizona, beating Republican challenger Blake Masters, who – like Laxalt – had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. That means Democrats have 50 seats in the Senate. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris may break ties in the 100-member House, meaning the party could secure victories for President Joe Biden. That will be especially important if a seat on the US Supreme Court – which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority – opens up in the final two years of Mr Biden’s term. Read more: Democrat Mark Kelly wins Arizona Senate race, with overall control still in the balance The surge in support for Trump’s Republicans isn’t taking off. Donald Trump May Soon Be Yesterday’s News As America’s Far Right Media Turns On Ron DeSandis Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “We have done a lot and will do a lot more for the American people. “The American people rejected – strongly rejected – the undemocratic, authoritarian, ugly and divisive direction MAGA Republicans wanted to take our country.” The final state to decide is Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock faces a runoff against Republican Herschel Walker on Dec. 6. However, the 435-seat House of Representatives remains in the balance. Republicans have the lead, but votes are still being counted in many races, including many in liberal-leaning California.
Democrats’ surprise performance will force Republicans to reassess ties with Trump
The midterm elections are said to be a referendum on the success, or otherwise, of the sitting president and his first two years in the White House. President Biden’s approval rating is underwater, inflation is skyrocketing, and he makes a gaffe almost every time he opens his mouth, so the success of Democratic candidates is meaningless when they apply normal rules. But it was no ordinary election. One way to explain it is to see it, instead, as a referendum on the far-right politics of “Make America Great Again” candidates recruited, in some cases, and endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Take Adam Laxalt, the Republican who lost the decisive Senate race in Nevada, a fully paid-up member of the lie of election denial promoted by Trump. There was “no mathematical way” he could lose, said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, perhaps forgetting to include a discerning electorate in his equation. Across the country and up and down the ballot – with a few, but not many exceptions – voters rebuked Trumpism. From Mehmet Oz, a celebrity TV doctor who was beaten in Pennsylvania, to anti-abortionist Yesli Vega who was beaten in a key race in Virginia, it hasn’t been the red wave the GOP was expecting, and now they have to decide whether to continue to ally with the former President.
