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President Joe Biden on Sunday touted the results of the midterm elections, with Democrats projected to maintain control of the U.S. Senate following Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s narrow defeat of Republican Adam Laxalt to win re-election in Nevada.
“We feel good about where we are. And I know I’m a cockeyed optimist,” Biden told reporters in Cambodia after NBC News and other news outlets projected that his party would keep a majority in the Senate. He added that he was „not surprised“ by the turnout.
Democrats defeated several candidates backed by former President Donald Trump to hold onto at least 50 seats come 2023. Control of the House has not yet been determined, with several races too close to call.
Before Cortez Masto’s victory, which put Democrats over the threshold needed to secure a Senate majority, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona won his re-election contest in Arizona, defeating Republican Blake Masters, NBC News projected Friday evening. Both Laxalt and Masters were endorsed by Trump and boosted his false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, blamed his party’s underwhelming performance on candidates who campaigned on Trump’s election denialism.
“I learned that the American people want a way forward that actually focuses on ideas, ideas that will make their lives better, not just their lives but that for future generations,” Cassidy said.
