James Packard
Democrats And Republicans Still Battling Over Control Of Congress
As the final races play out, Americans are taking stock of the results we have so far and what it could mean for the future and democracy.
LEARN MOREPosted: 9:04 p.m. EST Nov 9, 2022
Control of the U.S. Senate hangs on the outcome of races in three states.
In Georgia, the race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker is headed to a runoff next month. Neither of them received more than 50% of the vote, though both candidates were confident on election night.
"We will hear from the people who have given me the great honor of my life, representing you in the United States Senate, and we will move forward together," Sen. Warnock said.
"We're in a fight, are we not?" Walker said. "We're in a fight, but hey, God is a good God, is he not? And he put us here for a reason, and we're here to win this election, are we not?"
In Arizona, incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly led Republican challenger Blake Masters through the night, but Kelly's lead shrank, leading to the still uncalled race.
Mail ballots that arrived shortly before or on Election Day will be counted in the coming days.
Kelly has focused on supporting abortion rights, protecting Social Security and lowering drug prices. Masters has made his endorsement by former President Donald Trump a central selling point of his campaign. He's expressed a hard line on immigration, including accusing Democrats — without evidence — of using immigrants to try "to change the demographics of our country."
Immigration is a key issue in Nevada, where the senate race has been close for weeks.
Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto became the first Latina elected to the Senate in 2016. She's promising to fight for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came here as children. Republican opponent Adam Laxalt blames Democrats for lax immigration policies.
The debate has spurred young people to get involved.
"Mainly I'm out here because I know there's a lot of people that feel weak, they feel like they're unheard, they feel like their voices don't matter, their opinions don't matter, and I want to go ahead and change that narrative," said Joel Vera, who canvassed for votes.
Republicans are approaching a narrow House victory, with several races undecided. Underscoring his confidence, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy formally announced his run for House Speaker.
Click here for all of Newsy's headline stories and analysis for the midterm elections. Get up-to-the-minute results and important context for races across the country.
