Democrats’ wins in the Senate come as Republicans look likely to retake the House, setting up a split Congress.
Democrats will maintain a narrow majority in the Senate for at least the next two years, according to the results from this week’s elections.
Exactly how many seats Democrats ultimately will hold depends on the results of the Georgia runoff elections, set for December 6. But with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s win in Nevada, Democrats now hold 50 seats. That means, at the very least, the balance of power will remain the same as it is now, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as a tie-breaker. Should the party prevail in Georgia, they’ll have ended the midterms with a net gain of one seat.
“This election is a victory; a victory and a vindication for Democrats, our agenda, and for America and the American people,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a victory speech in New York Saturday evening. “There are three things that helped [Democrats] secure the majority: One, our terrific candidates; two, our agenda and our accomplishments; and three, the American people rejected the anti-democratic, extremist, MAGA Republicans.”
Democrats’ wins in the upper chamber come as Republicans appear poised to retake the House, a situation that would set up a split Congress, and likely see standoffs over must-pass bills like funding the government and increasing the debt ceiling. Should Democrats control one chamber while Republicans control the other, the likelihood of more ambitious legislation passing is exceedingly slim. There is a very narrow path for Democratic victory in the House, but even if the party keeps its majority there, having tiny margins in both chambers would probably temper their policy ambitions.
