US House Control Hinges on Tight Races after Democrats Take Senate
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Control of the US House of Representatives hinged on Monday on several tight races that could secure a majority for Republicans following midterm elections that saw US President Joe Biden’s Democrats beat expectations and retain the Senate.
Republicans were closer to winning the House, having secured 211 seats compared to Democrats’ 206, with 218 needed for a majority.
But the final outcome might not be known for days, as officials continue counting ballots nearly a week after Americans went to the polls.
Democrats portrayed their better-than-expected performance as vindication of their agenda and a rebuke of Republican efforts to undermine the validity of election results.
Other high-profile uncalled races include the Arizona governor contest, in which Republican Kari Lake, who promoted former President Donald Trump’s baseless 2020 election fraud claims, was trailing her Democratic opponent.
There are still some 18 outstanding House races, including 13 considered closely competitive, according to a Reuters compilation of the leading non-partisan forecasters.
Ten of the remaining contests were in liberal-leaning California.
A Republican victory in the House would set the stage for two years of divided government, while giving Biden’s opponents the power to limit his political agenda and launch potentially damaging probes into his administration and family.