The Democratic Party is assured of retaining control of the US House of Representatives, but with a reduced majority compared to the outgoing Congress, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Wednesday (November 11th). In the Senate, on the other hand, the race remains open but leans more and more towards the Republican camp. On November 3, in addition to choosing their president, American voters renewed all 435 seats in the lower house of Congress and 35 of the 100 senatorial seats.
AP declared the winner in the race for the House of Representatives late Tuesday evening three incumbent Democrats: Kim Schrier in Washington state, Tom O’Halleran in Arizona, and Jimmy Gomez in California. With these three positive results, the Democratic Party is now assured of controlling at least 218 seats in the lower house, or the absolute majority in its simplest form.
In the outgoing Congress, the Democrats held 232 seats against 197 for the Republicans (to which were added an independent elected and five unfilled seats).
Dan Sullivan reelected in Alaska, 50th Republican seat
In the Senate, of the 35 seats up for grabs on November 3, 23 were held by elected Republican officials, leaving Democrats with hope of threatening the narrow majority of Donald Trump’s party – 53 votes to 47 for the Democratic and independent opposition .
The two parties were until recent hours tied with 48 elected each. But in North Carolina, Republican Thom Tillis secured his re-election after his Democratic opponent Cal Cunningham admitted defeat on Tuesday. In addition, the Edison Research Institute said on Wednesday Republican Dan Sullivan re-elected in Alaska against Al Gross. Their victories therefore bring a 49e and a 50e sits in the Republican Party.
The epilogue of the battle will be played out in Georgia, where the last two positions in the game will be awarded in a second round on January 5. For one of the two seats, outgoing Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler will face Democrat Raphael Warnock; for the other, the outgoing Republican David Perdue will be challenged by Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Use talents for dialogue and negotiation
If the two Democrats win, the Senate will find itself in perfect equality between the two camps, the casting vote then going to the future vice-president, Kamala Harris. Conversely, a single success in Georgia will suffice for Republicans to retain their majority and complicate Joe Biden’s task, especially on issues related to health and the fight against climate change.
No law can be passed in the United States without the upper house, which also has the power to approve the president’s appointments: his ministers, ambassadors, and judges, including to the Supreme Court.
If the Senate remains Republican, Joe Biden, who sat there for 36 years as a Delaware elected official, will have to use his talents for dialogue and negotiation. The president-elect said he was convinced on Tuesday that he could bring together a sufficient number of parliamentarians from the other side.
