How the midterms will impact control of the Senate

DEIRDRE: THE BALANCE OF POWER REMAINS UNCLEAR IN WASHINGTON AS STATES WITH THE MOST TIGHTLY CONTESTED RACES COUNT VOTES. TEO: BUT WE ARE GETTING A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHO MAY TAKE OVER CONTROL OF BOTH CHAMBERS IN CONGRESS. AMY LU IS LIVE ON CAPITOL HILL THIS MORNING. AMY, WHERE DO WE STAND ON THE NUMBERS? AMY: AS YOU SAID, TOO CLOSE TO CALL WHAT THE BALANCE OF POWER WILL LOOK LIKE. WE JUST SOME IDEAS BASED ON SOME NUMBERS. ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW, REPUBLICANS ARE CLOSER TO A MAJORITY WITH A 109 -- 199-172 SEAT COUNT. IN DESCENDANT, THEY ARE TIED AT 48 SEATS A PIECE. THERE ARE SOME INTENSELY CONTESTED RACES NOW ANNOUNCED. >> THAT IS WHY I WILL BE THE NEXT U.S. SENATOR IN PENNSYLVANIA. DEIRDRE: -- AMY: JOHN FETTERMAN DECLARING VICTORY BEFORE SUPPORTERS, DEFEATING REPUBLICAN DR. MEHMET OZ. >> I’M SO HONORED AND EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. AMY: NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATOR MAGGIE HASSAN KEEPING HER SEAT. SHE AND JOHN FETTERMAN WERE PROJECTED WINNERS ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, SUGGESTING DEMOCRATS WILL KEEP CONTROL OF THE UPPER CHAMBER. MANY RACES ARE TOO CLOSE TO CALL SUCH AS IN NEVADA, ARIZONA, WISCONSIN, AND GEORGIA. >> NANCY PELOSI WILL BE IN THE MINORITY. AMY: TIGHT RACES ARE ALSO HAPPENING IN THE HOUSE IS REPUBLICANS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO A PROJECTED MAJORITY. IF THEY PICK UP FIVE MORE STATES, THEY WILL ELECT A NEW HOUSE SPEAKER, LIKELY TO BE KEVIN MCCARTHY. >> REPUBLICANS WILL WORK WITH ANYONE WHO’S WILLING TO JOIN US TO DELIVER THIS NEW DIRECTION. AMY: STATES WILL CONTINUE TO COUNT MAIL-IN AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS, WHICH COULD TAKE SEVERAL DAYS MAYBE EVEN WEEKS. THAT COULD MEAN MORE RECOUNTS AND RUNOFF ELECTIONS. DEIRDRE: WE JUST HEARD FROM KEVIN MCCARTHY ON HOW REPUBLICANS POTENTIALLY TAKING OVER THE HOUSE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT HERE ON OUT? AMY: IT IS VERY UNLIKE THE LAST TWO YEARS. PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL LIKELY SEE A VERY DIVIDED GOVERNMENT THE REMAINDER OF HIS TERM. THAT MEANS REGRETS AND REPUBLICANS COULD OFTEN BE GRIDLOCKED WHEN TRYING TO PASS LEGISLATION OR ANY NEW POLICY. IN THE SENATE, NEITHER PARTY IS LIKELY TO HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH MAJORITY TO OVERCOME A FILIBUSTER. EVEN IF THEY ARE ABLE TO PUSH LEGISLATION THROUGH CONGRESS, HAS BUTTON STILL HOLDS VETO POWER TO STOP IT. WE COULD SEE VERY BIG CHANGES

Balance of Power: How the midterms will impact control of the Senate

Updated: 5:47 PM EST Nov 9, 2022

For more updates on outstanding races across the country, click here.Control of the Senate hinged on a series of tight races Wednesday after 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 Pennsylvania, Democrats won the governorship and Senate in the key battleground state. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who suffered a stroke five months ago, flipped a Republican-controlled Senate seat, topping Trump-endorsed Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. In the governor’s race Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro beat Republican Doug Mastriano, an election denier who some feared would not certify a Democratic presidential win in the state in 2024.Georgia, meanwhile, was set for yet another runoff on Dec. 6. In 2021, Warnock used a runoff to win his seat as did Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff — which gave Democrats control of the Senate. Both Warnock and Walker were already fundraising off the race stretching into a second round.Both Republicans and Democratic incumbents maintained key Senate seats. In Wisconsin, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson prevailed over Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, while in New Hampshire, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassen beat Don Bolduc, a retired Army general who had initially promoted Trump’s lies about the 2020 election but tried to shift away those views closer to Election Day.

For more updates on outstanding races across the country, click here.

Control of the Senate hinged on a series of tight races Wednesday after 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 Pennsylvania, Democrats won the governorship and Senate in the key battleground state. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who suffered a stroke five months ago, flipped a Republican-controlled Senate seat, topping Trump-endorsed Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. In the governor’s race Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro beat Republican Doug Mastriano, an election denier who some feared would not certify a Democratic presidential win in the state in 2024.

Georgia, meanwhile, was set for yet another runoff on Dec. 6. In 2021, Warnock used a runoff to win his seat as did Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff — which gave Democrats control of the Senate. Both Warnock and Walker were already fundraising off the race stretching into a second round.

Both Republicans and Democratic incumbents maintained key Senate seats. In Wisconsin, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson prevailed over Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, while in New Hampshire, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassen beat Don Bolduc, a retired Army general who had initially promoted Trump’s lies about the 2020 election but tried to shift away those views closer to Election Day.