Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada gave Democrats the 50 seats they needed to keep control of the Senate.
Democrats have kept control of the Senate.
On Saturday, it became clear that the party had repelled Republican efforts to retake the chamber, making it harder for Republicans to thwart President Joe Biden’s agenda.
The fate of the House was still uncertain as the Republican Party struggled to pull together a slim majority.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada gave Democrats the 50 seats they needed to keep the Senate.
Her win reflects the surprising strength of Democrats across the United States this election year. Seeking reelection in an economically challenged state that has some of the highest gas prices in the nation, Cortez Masto was considered the Senate’s most vulnerable member.
“We got a lot done, and we’ll do a lot more for the American people,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Saturday night. “The American people rejected — soundly rejected — the anti-democratic, authoritarian, nasty and divisive direction the MAGA Republicans wanted to take our country.”
With the results in Nevada now decided, Georgia is the only state where both parties are still competing for a Senate seat. Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock will gace Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Dec. 6 runoff.
Alaska’s Senate race has advanced to so-called ranked-choice voting, though the seat will remain in Republican hands.What Democrats’ Senate control means
Democratic control of the Senate ensures a smoother process for Biden’s Cabinet appointments and judicial picks, including those for potential Supreme Court openings. The party also will keep control over committees and have the power to conduct investigations or oversight of the Biden administration and will be able to reject legislation sent over by the House if the Republican Party wins that chamber.
Biden, who was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said of the election results: “I feel good. I’m looking forward to the next couple of years.”
The president said winning a 51st seat from the Georgia runoff would be important, allowing Democrats to boost their standing on Senate committees: “The bigger the number, the better.”
If Democrats manage to pull off a win in the House, it would mean full control of Congress for Democrats — and another chance to advance Biden priorities, which he has said include codifying abortion rights. The party still lacks the 60 votes in the Senate needed to move many kinds of major legislative changes.
