GOP nudges closer to US House win

Election workers sort ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center Wednesday. Pic/AFP

Republicans inched closer to a narrow House majority Wednesday, while control of the Senate hinged on a few tight races in a midterm election that defied expectations of sweeping conservative victories driven by frustration over inflation and President Joe Biden's leadership.

Either party could secure a Senate majority with wins in both Nevada and Arizona - where the races were too early to call. But there was a strong possibility that, for the second time in two years, the Senate majority could come down to a runoff in Georgia next month, with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker failing to earn enough votes to win outright.

In the House, Republicans on Wednesday night were within a dozen seats of the 218 needed to take control, while Democrats kept seats in districts from Virginia to Pennsylvania to Kansas and many West Coast contests were still too early to call. In a particularly symbolic victory for the GOP, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, the House Democratic campaign chief, lost his bid for a sixth term.

Joe Biden, president, the USA

Control of Congress will decide how the next two years of Biden's term play out, and whether he is able to achieve more of his agenda or will see it blocked by a new GOP majority. Republicans are likely to launch a spate of investigations into Biden, his family and his administration if they take power, while a GOP takeover of the Senate would hobble the president's ability to appoint judges.

"Regardless of what the final tally of these elections show, and there's still some counting going on, I'm prepared to work with my Republican colleagues," Biden said Wednesday in his first public remarks since the polls closed. "The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well."

Biden said on Wednesday he intends to run for re-election and would likely make a final decision by early next year. The GOP is expected to cross halfway mark of 218 but is falling far short of expectations of sweeping midterm elections and crossing at least 250 seats. Post elections, this is said to be best performance by a current president in decades during midterm polls.

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