Latest: Republican control of US House probable but Senate a toss-up
Both chambers of the US Congress were in play on Friday morning as ballots continued to be counted in the key battleground states of Arizona and Nevada as the US Senate race in Georgia heads to a run-off.
Democratic incumbent senators in the two south-western states were in tight races against their Republican opponents to win re-election. A party can win control of the Senate should they win Arizona and Nevada. If not, the run-off in Georgia, scheduled for December, will decide the upper chamber's fate.
Meanwhile, the Republican party edged closer to a majority in the House of Representatives. But speculation of a “red wave” did not come to fruition for the Republicans who may only narrowly win the lower chamber.
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As of Friday morning, the House of Representatives and the Senate both remained in play.
However, the remaining results are coming in slowly as counting continues three days since polls closed.
The Senate will likely be decided by a run-off in the state of Georgia, expected to take place later in the month.
The National will be covering the key results as they come in. Follow our US News page for the latest coverage.
Latest: Republican control of US House probable but Senate a toss-up
Explained: Why is the vote count in the US midterm elections taking so long?
Biden and Harris thank supporters for election results
US President Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris headed out Thursday to thank supporters for what they consider a good midterm elections.
As the counting of votes continues out west, Republicans are on track for a slim majority in the House of Representatives, while the Senate remains split.
One key battleground, Georgia, won’t be settled until next month, when Republican challenger Herschel Walker and Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock square off in a runoff rematch.
“Thank you for believing in your country,” said Mr Biden. “Tuesday was a good day for America. A good day for democracy. And it was a strong night for Democrats.”
- AP
Democrats pad narrow leads in Arizona Senate and governor races
Democrats padded their narrow leads in key Arizona contests on Thursday, but the races for US Senate and governor were still too early to call with about a fifth of the total ballots left to be counted.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly led Republican Blake Masters by 5.6 percentage points, while Democrat Katie Hobbs had a much tighter lead of 1.4 points against Republican Kari Lake in the governor’s race. Democrats also led in the races for secretary of state and attorney general.
Election officials in Maricopa County, which includes metro Phoenix and more than 60% of voters, expected to begin reporting results Friday from a crucial group of ballots — nearly 300,000 mail ballots that were returned on Election Day. That group has swung wildly in recent election cycles, from strongly Democratic in the 2018 midterms to strongly Republican in 2020.
The races will hinge on whether those late-counted ballots look more like 2018 or 2020.
- AP
What the midterm elections mean for US democracy
Willy Lowry reports from Washington:
As the results of the US midterm elections come into focus, one thing is already clear: many of the candidates who parroted Donald Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him fared poorly.
Mr Trump’s false narrative that Joe Biden only beat him in 2020 through a shadowy nationwide voting conspiracy has been embraced by many Republicans, even though no evidence has surfaced to support the claims.
The former president endorsed hundreds of election-denying loyalists in the midterms, including some who were running for secretary of state, a position responsible for the administration of elections.
Trump urged to delay 2024 launch as Republicans fret over midterms
Former US president Donald Trump is being urged to push back his expected launch of a 2024 presidential run after Republicans failed to get their projected decisive victory in the midterm elections.
As conservative media outlets branded Florida Governor Ron DeSantis the future of the Republican Party, those same outlets pointed the finger at Mr Trump over the Republicans' anticlimactic performance.
Now, with Georgia heading for a run-off that could determine the fate of the Senate, Republicans and former Trump allies are urging him to delay the expected launch of his White House campaign.
Arizona remains centre of post-election misinformation
Arizona remained the epicentre for post-election day misinformation on Thursday as vote counting in that state continued.
Many of the misleading claims circulating two days after the election focused on printing problems that prevented vote counters from reading some ballots. The mishap spawned conspiracy theories about vote rigging that spread despite explanations from local officials and assurances that all votes would be counted.
The rumours spread in part because people had legitimate questions about problems at the polls, said University of Washington professor Kate Starbird, a leading misinformation expert and part of the Election Integrity Partnership, a nonpartisan research group.
“The problem is when their audiences pick that up with this assumed voter fraud implication,” Ms Starbird said. “It gets picked up and reframed as voter fraud as it spreads.”
Hoaxes in other states added to the misinformation swirling on the internet after the election. In some cases, it was amplified by candidates and far-right groups trying to explain away losses.
- AP
Why is the vote count in the US midterm elections taking so long?
Patrick deHahn writes:
Two days after the US midterm elections, dozens of races remain undecided and it is still not clear which party will control Congress.
Overseas observers may be left wondering: why is it all taking so long?
Like anything to do with elections in the US — a country where a presidential candidate can win with fewer votes than his opponent — the answer is complicated.
Kevin McCarthy preparing for possible House majority control
Kevin McCarthy, currently House minority leader, on Thursday said he's getting ready for his party to assume control of the legislative body in Congress after the midterm elections.
It is expected that the House will fall under Republican control but many say it is too early to call.
Mr McCarthy tweeted that he has formed "transition teams" for House Republicans to enter majority control once it is officially declared.
Who is Ron DeSantis and why is he tipped for a White House bid?
Kyle Fitzgerald reports from Washington:
Governor Ron DeSantis's landslide re-election in Florida has solidified his status as the fastest-rising star in the Republican Party.
Mr DeSantis is considered the biggest rival to Donald Trump in 2024, should both men seek the party's nomination for president.
After winning his state by more than 19 per cent — a better showing than the Republicans managed in many other parts of the country — conservatives are beginning to circle around Mr DeSantis as their best shot at winning back the White House.
Conservative television outlet Fox News heralded the governor as “the new Republican Party leader”. The New York Post, a conservative tabloid, called Mr DeSantis “DeFUTURE”, while Mr Trump became “Trumpty Dumpty”.
Republican control of US House probable but Senate a toss-up
The Republican Party inched closer to taking control of the US House of Representatives on Thursday, albeit with a smaller majority than they had predicted, while the fate of the Senate may not be known for weeks.
As of midday, two days after the midterm elections, Republicans had won 208 of the 218 seats needed to secure a majority in the 435-seat chamber, gaining 10 from the Democrats, who only had 190. Another 37 seats had yet to be announced.
Greater uncertainty surrounded the fate of the 100-seat Senate, where Republicans had won 49 seats and Democrats 48.
Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, once nicknamed 'El Presidente', now weighs White House bid
Newly re-elected California Governor Gavin Newsom has spent months deflecting speculation that he plans to run for president, saying he has “sub-zero interest” in getting into the 2024 race.
It is a practised response from someone who has been tagged as a future contender for most of his life – even back to 10th grade. Mr Newsom’s classmates had a nickname for the tall boy who was always talking about politics and world leaders: “El Presidente”.
At 55, brash and telegenic, his nerd days well behind him, Mr Newsom’s childhood insecurities from his lifelong struggle with dyslexia help to explain his visceral response to the “culture of cruelty” he sees taking hold in the Republican Party, say those close to him. Some Democrats see in Mr Newsom the culture warrior their party needs in this moment, and maybe even a presidential candidate.
He often seems happy to oblige their interest. In his victory remarks in Sacramento on Tuesday night, Mr Newsom took aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, also re-elected handily, by decrying “the zest for demonisation coming from the other side, red states where there is a cruelty, talking down to people, bullying, making them feel lesser”. In a clear swipe at Mr DeSantis, who earlier this year used state funds to fly undocumented migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Mr Newsom said: “That cruelty is embodied by flying migrants to an island and then celebrating.”
Running for president in 2024, however, is a different matter. Current and former advisers and aides say Mr Newsom’s decision will come down to a series of “ifs”: if President Joe Biden stands down, if his friend and ally Vice President Kamala Harris does not step in, and above all, if Mr Newsom and his wife Jennifer are willing to accept what a presidential campaign in this toxic political climate would mean for them and their four young children.
Absent all three, Mr Newsom is most likely to stay on the sidelines and wait for another election cycle, these current and former advisers say, noting that he pledged without hesitation during a campaign debate to serve all four years of his second term.
- Bloomberg
Biden acknowledges possibility Democrats could lose majority
President Joe Biden acknowledged that Republicans could win one of or both chambers of US Congress.
The president indicated the possibility while praising the latest inflation data, which showed consumer prices in the country eased last month.
"I will work with anyone – Democrat or Republican – on ideas to provide more breathing room to middle-class and working families. And I will oppose any effort to undo my agenda or to make inflation worse," he said in a statement.
Republicans on Thursday edged closer to taking the House of Representatives after they had won 207 seats, 11 shy of the number needed to win the majority.
Arizona: more cases of alleged voter intimidation referred to police
More alleged cases of voter intimidation in Arizona have been referred to the federal authorities, CNN reported on Thursday, as the state awaits the results of a critical Senate race.
Twenty-one complaints have been sent to federal and state law enforcement, it said. One case involved threats made against a government official.
Voters told CNN they were intimidated by supporters of former president Donald Trump, who tried to dissuade them from going to the polls on Wednesday.
Officials said security had been increased at polling stations before the elections following "uninformed vigilante" visits to drop boxes.
In Maricopa, the state's most populous county, the sheriff said "considerable" resources had been used to boost safety measures.
“Every day I’m dedicating a considerable amount of resources just to give people confidence that they can cast a vote safely, and that is absurd,” Sheriff Paul Penzone said.
Republicans close in on House majority but Senate still hangs in the balance
Republicans were edging closer to securing a majority in the House of Representatives on Thursday, while control of the Senate hung in the balance, two days after Democrats staved off a Republican "red wave" in the midterm elections.
Republicans have captured at least 210 House seats, Edison Research projected, eight short of the 218 needed to wrest control of the House away from Democrats and effectively halt President Joe Biden's legislative agenda.
Even a slim House majority would allow Republicans to shape the rest of Mr Biden's term, blocking priorities such as abortion rights and launching investigations into his administration and family.
- Reuters
Democratic edge shrinks in Arizona's Senate and governor races
Margins between Democrats and Republicans in key Arizona races narrowed considerably on Wednesday as election officials chipped away at counting more than 500,000 mail ballots.
Democrats maintained small but dwindling leads in key races for Senate, governor and secretary of state, while Republicans were optimistic the ballots would turn the races in their favour, similar to the vote in 2020.
Among them former television news presenter Kari Lake was about half a point behind Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the race for governor, a contest that centred on Ms Lake’s baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
The Republican candidate for attorney general also trailed narrowly.
Democrats had more comfortable five-point margins in the races for Senate and secretary of state, but with so many ballots outstanding, the races were too early to call.
Officials in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous, said about 17,000 ballots were affected by a printing mishap that prevented vote-counters from reading some ballots, a problem that slowed voting in some locations and infuriated Republicans who were counting on strong election day turnout.
County officials said all ballots would be counted but gave no timetable for doing so.
- AP
A Republican House could pressure Biden on Ukraine and Iran
Joyce Karam reports from Washington:
With the Republican Party set to snag a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives following Tuesday's midterm elections, the White House will be bracing for oversight and a series of investigations into foreign policy matters including Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iran.
While the new Congress will mostly be preoccupied with domestic issues such as inflation and petrol prices, Republicans who will now lead major committees in the House have signalled their readiness to put pressure on US President Joe Biden's administration over national security issues.
Colorado’s Lauren Boebert locked in tough reelection bid
Republican Lauren Boebert was locked in a tight race with fewer than 100 votes separating her and her opponent Wednesday night in her bid for reelection to a US House seat in Colorado against Democrat Adam Frisch, a businessman and former city councilman from the posh, mostly liberal ski town of Aspen.
Ms Boebert's contest in Colorado’s sprawling 3rd Congressional District was being watched nationally as Republicans try to flip control of the US House in the midterm elections.
The Donald Trump loyalist established herself as a partisan flashpoint in Washington, in her first term, and had been favored to win reelection after redistricting made the conservative and mostly rural district more Republican.
The margin in the race puts it in the recount zone of about 800 votes or less, or 0.5 per cent of the leader’s vote total.
Both Ms Boebert and Mr Frisch had 50 per cent of the vote as of Wednesday night with about 97 per cent of votes counted.
- AP
Arizona, Nevada and Georgia: the three states that will decide the Senate
Patrick deHahn writes:
Future control of the US Senate remained undecided on Wednesday, with two battleground states still tallying votes and a run-off election scheduled for Georgia.
Democrats and Republicans are in control of 48 seats each, with President Joe Biden's party flipping a seat in Pennsylvania with the election of John Fetterman.
With Alaska certain to elect a Republican senator, here is a look at the three states that will decide control of the Senate.