Democrats have maintained control of their razor-thin majority in the United States Senate, despite a slim margin.
The Senate took control of the floor Saturday night after Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Mast defeated Republican and former Attorney General Adam Laxalt.
Democrats won 50 seats in the Senate in Saturday’s election. It is sufficient for a majority, plus a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Harris.
Meanwhile, the United States House of Representatives has a tough race ahead of it. The Republicans have a narrow lead over the majority.
One of the Republican Party’s most coveted targets was Nevada. Cortez Masto’s takeover was therefore a dead end campaign. Her runoff with Laxalt was a neck-to-neck competition.
Cortez Mastro received about 5,000 votes, according to the AP Race Call.
It will be a blow to the Senate for Democrats when Raphael Warnock stomps Republican Herschel-Walker in the Dec. 6 race in Georgia.
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Democratic Victory
Among other factors that helped the Democrats win a majority is the issue of abortion rights. Roe v. Wade prompted a significant increase in voter registration among women and young people in June, researchers said.
Although a national survey showed that inflation and the economy were top priorities, the issue of abortion rights really made it for Democrats. Furthermore, it played a vital role in urging voters and raising chances for Democratic candidates.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., told NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday that it had been “a great week for democracy.” Moreover, it marked her party’s win to strong candidates “who had experience, who knew how to get things done.”
“The reason there wasn’t a red wave is because Democrats had a ‘blue wave of accomplishment.’ And we basically defied the tides of history,” she stated, reiterating a statement from Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer.
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A Senate Pledge
Per Klobuchar, the party’s mission was to reduce pharmaceutical costs and protect Social Security and Medicare. In addition, they want to “do all we can to get our economy in a place that works for everyone.”
Another Democrats’ mandate is to systematize Roe v. Wade.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen with the House. We don’t know if the Republicans will play ball. I’d get rid of the filibuster to do it,” he added.
And third is to safeguard democracy.
“A lot of the election deniers lost,” Klobuchar said. “So, it shows Americans care about democracy.”
If Republicans grab the House, it’s nearly impossible for the two chambers to find a mutual agreement. Meanwhile, a Democratic grab of the House would maintain President Biden’s trifecta of power for two more years.
Furthermore, a solid Democratic majority in the Senate secures Democrats’ capacity to back Biden’s nominees. It includes other future vacancies in the US Supreme Court.
Former president Donald Trump’s impact on his party’s odds is now under close observation. This is so because Democrats beat his hand-selected candidates.
“Republicans lost the Senate in 2010 and 2012 because they put up poor candidates,” former GOP campaign strategist Liam Donovan said.
“The difference [in 2022] is that President Trump, I think, locked these fields into questionable candidates. You had people that might have been the strongest staying out because they didn’t want to go anywhere near this. You had a number of strong governors who might have come in and easily won these seats that stayed out.”
Photo: NPR
