As vote counting continues in the US Congressional midterm elections held on November 3, the Democratic Party has begun winning critical seats controlled by Republicans. In addition to victories in the House of Representatives races in North Carolina and New Jersey, the change in control of the Senate seat in North Carolina drew attention. In Georgia, a result emerged in the gubernatorial race that has gone down in US political history.
The first results have begun to be announced in the midterm elections, which will determine the political balance in Congress for the remaining two years of US President Donald Trump's second term. While Democrats have won some key seats held by Republicans, the struggle for a majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives continues.
According to results published by the Associated Press (AP), Democrats managed to win the Senate seat in North Carolina that was held by Republicans. In the House of Representatives elections, two districts in North Carolina and New Jersey also passed under Democratic control.
However, it is not yet clear which party will hold the majority in either chamber of Congress.
DEMOCRATS WON IN TWO CRITICAL DISTRICTS
In the House of Representatives elections, the Democratic Party outperformed its rivals in two districts managed by Republicans.
Democrat Jamie Ager, running in North Carolina, defeated Republican Jennifer Capps Balkcom, marking the first seat flip of election night in favor of the Democrats.
In New Jersey's 7th congressional district, Democrat Rebecca Bennett also secured a victory against Republican House member Tom Kean. Thus, the Democrats took over another seat previously held by Republicans.
For the Democrats, who are aiming for a majority in the 435-member House of Representatives, these results stood out as a significant gain.
NORTH CAROLINA SENATE SEAT FLIPPED TO DEMOCRATS
One of the most notable developments in the Senate elections took place in North Carolina.
The state's former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper won the election against Republican Michael Whatley, bringing the Democrats a Senate seat they had not been able to secure for a long time.
In Georgia, Democrats maintained their existing Senate seats. Democratic Senatör Jon Ossoff managed to get re-elected by defeating Republican Mike Collins.
In New Hampshire, Democrat Chris Pappas surpassed former Republican Senatör John Sununu, retaining the open seat held by his party. In Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner also won the election against Republican Bert Mizusawa.
Republicans, meanwhile, maintained their existing seat in the special Senate election held in Florida with Ashley Moody's victory.
HISTORIC GUBERNATORIAL VICTORY IN GEORGIA
One of the striking results of the midterm elections emerged in the gubernatorial race in Georgia.
The Democratic Party's candidate, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, defeated the Republican billionaire businessman Rick Jackson to be elected as the new governor of Georgia.
With this result, Bottoms became the first Black woman in US history to be elected governor of a state. She also earned the title of being Georgia's first female and first Black governor.
With the Democratic candidate's victory, the Republican gubernatorial administration that had been in place in Georgia since 2003 also came to an end.
CALCULATING THE SENATE MAJORITY
The US Senate consists of a total of 100 members. In the November 3 midterm elections, two special Senate races are being held in addition to the 33 regular elections.
For the Democrats to secure a majority in the Senate, they need to make a net gain of four seats currently under Republican control.
Although the victory in North Carolina is an important result for the Democrats' goal, the races in Ohio, Maine, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, and Texas will also determine the new structure of the Senate.
218 SEATS NEEDED FOR A MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for re-election in the midterms. A party seeking to gain a majority in the House must reach at least 218 seats.
While Republicans entered the elections with a narrow lead in the House, Democrats need to make a net gain of at least three seats held by Republicans to take over the administration.
While the results in North Carolina and New Jersey have been added to the Democrats' tally, vote counting in other districts continues. For this reason, the final picture regarding the new majority in the House of Representatives has not yet emerged.
ECONOMY WAS THE DECISIVE AGENDA OF THE ELECTION
In research conducted by the Associated Press with voters, economic conditions, the cost of living, and trust in the government were among the prominent issues.
Approximately three-quarters of the voters participating in the research stated that they were not satisfied with the current situation in the US, while approximately 80 percent of the participants expressed that inflation was putting moderate or severe pressure on household budgets.
The midterm elections are also important in terms of showing voters' assessments of the first two years of Donald Trump's second presidential term.
If the Democrats take control of the Senate or the House of Representatives, a new political landscape could emerge regarding the Trump administration's legislative activities and Congress's oversight mechanisms over the executive branch.
The completion of vote counting in critical states is awaited for the final results that will determine which party will take control of Congress.
News Source: 12punto
