With a projected victory in Arizona following the midterm elections, President Joe Biden’s Democrats have inched closer to retaining control of the Senate.
The BBC’s US partner CBS estimates that Democrat Mark Kelly defeated Republican challenger Blake Masters three days after the election.
That would leave 49 Democratic seats and 49 Republican seats in the Senate.
Only Nevada and Georgia remain undecided.
The vote count in Nevada is extremely close, whereas the race in Georgia will be decided by a runoff election next month.
If either of the two remaining races is won by the Democrats, they will retain control of the Senate because the vice president can cast a tie-breaking vote on their behalf.
As votes continue to be counted from a handful of districts following Tuesday’s elections, the Republicans could still win the House of Representatives.
If the Republicans win one or both chambers of Congress, they could derail a significant portion of Mr. Biden’s agenda.
Mr. Kelly, a former astronaut whose wife, Gabby Giffords, survived an assassination attempt when she was a US lawmaker, was elected to fill the remainder of the late John McCain’s Senate term two years ago.
Mr. Kelly stated in a statement, “From day one, this campaign has been about the numerous Arizonans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – who believe in working collaboratively to address the significant challenges we face.
This is precisely what I have done during my first two years in the office and will continue to do as long as I am in the office.
Mr. Masters, a 36-year-old venture capitalist without political experience, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. He refused to accept the results of the 2020 election and repeatedly made false claims of election fraud.
The Master’s campaign did not immediately concede defeat, and several Republicans have claimed that vote counting was marred by fraud and incompetence.
However, Republican election official Bill Gates called for everyone involved to “calm a bit and tone down the rhetoric.”
The outcome is a further setback for the Republicans, who had hoped for a “red wave” – an electoral rout that would deliver a stinging rebuke to President Joe Biden and the Democrats.
While the Republicans have made small gains and remain the favorite to win the House of Representatives, the Senate remains fiercely contested, and the Democrats have done better than anticipated.
The election, according to Mr. Biden, was a “wonderful day” for American democracy.
Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, is up for election in the midterm elections.
Congress enacts national statutes. The House determines which bills are put to a vote, while the Senate can prevent or approve them, confirm presidential appointees, and, less frequently, investigate them.
These elections occur every two years and in the middle of the president’s four-year term of office.
Each state has two senators who serve for a tenure of six years. Representatives serve for two years and represent districts with a smaller population.
In the midterms, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate were up for election.
Additionally, several significant states hold elections for their governors and municipal authorities.
