Democrats retained their majority in the Senate after Democratic Senator Katherine Cortez Masto of Nevada was declared the winner of Adam Laxalt, the nominee backed by former President Donald Trump.
Biden, from Cambodia, where he attends the ASEAN summit, hailed the result, saying he is in a stronger position ahead of important talks with his Chinese counterpart.
Biden said on Sunday in Phnom Penh as part of the ASEAN summit that the unexpected success of the Democrats in the midterm elections raised his position for critical talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
“I feel good and look forward to the next two years,” he added.
According to American television channels, the midterm elections disappointed the Republicans. With the re-election of Democratic Senator Kathryn Cortez Masto in Nevada to replace Adam Laxalt, the candidate backed by former President Donald Trump, the number of Democrats elected to the Senate rises to 50 out of 100, allowing Biden’s party to control that chamber, given that the vote is likely for Republican President Kamala Harris.
Democrats can still get a seat in Georgia, where the second round will be held on December 6.
In the House of Representatives, the Republicans look set to win the majority of seats, making the remainder of Biden’s term more difficult, but their victory looks less than declared.
On Saturday morning, NBC News was expecting a shaky five-seat majority for Republicans, who would gain 220 seats compared to 215 for Democrats.
This comes at a time when the count has not yet been completed in about twenty polling places, mostly in California.
Republicans have long believed they have a good chance of winning back seats from their Democratic rivals, promising a “red wave” or even a “tsunami” that ultimately did not materialize.
Their disappointing results have sparked outrage among elected officials in Congress, which portends the possibility of settling scores.
In a letter released by Politico, a number of pro-Trump senators have demanded a postponement of their leader’s Senate vote, challenging current leader Mitch McConnell.
“We are all disappointed that the red wave did not materialize, and there are several reasons for this,” they said.
