Biden pleased with election turnout, says reflects quality of party's candidates - Reuters

PHNOM PENH, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Joe Biden said connected Sunday helium was "incredibly pleased" with the turnout successful the U.S. predetermination aft Democrats clinched power of the Senate, a large triumph for the president arsenic helium looks to his adjacent 2 years successful office.

Speaking to reporters successful Cambodia up of an East Asia Summit, Biden said the turnout was a reflection of the prime of candidates his enactment was fielding, aft Senator Catherine Cortez Masto was projected to triumph re-election successful Nevada, narrowly beating Republican challenger Adam Laxalt.

A Democratic triumph successful a Georgia runoff adjacent period would past springiness the enactment outright bulk power of a 51-49 Senate, portion a Georgia decision would inactive support Democrats successful complaint of a 50-50 Senate, with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris capable to interruption necktie votes. The further spot would mean Democrats could spare a ballot connected cardinal nominations and bills.

"We're focusing present connected Georgia. We consciousness bully astir wherever we are. And I cognize I'm a cockeyed optimist. I recognize that," Biden told reporters. "Again, I'm not amazed by the turnout. I'm incredibly pleased. And I deliberation it's a reflection of the prime of our candidates."

Control of the House of Representatives has inactive not been decided. Biden acknowledged specified a triumph would beryllium "a stretch" for the Democrats, but Republicans person fallen good abbreviated of predictions they would expanse to powerfulness successful Washington.

Biden had framed the midterm predetermination arsenic a trial of U.S. ideology astatine a clip erstwhile hundreds of Republican candidates embraced erstwhile President Donald Trump's mendacious claims that the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination was stolen.

Trump has repeatedly utilized his entreaty among hard-right conservatives to power candidates nominated by the Republican Party for congressional, gubernatorial and section races.

He has, however, been blamed for boosting candidates who were incapable to entreaty to a wide capable electorate, resulting successful a lacklustre show for the Republicans.

The results person besides signalled exhaustion with the benignant of chaos fomented by the Republican erstwhile president, raising questions astir the viability of his imaginable 2024 White House run.

Laxalt, who mislaid successful Nevada, was a erstwhile authorities attorney-general endorsed by Trump.

Biden told reporters the elections showed the Republican Party "is going to person to determine who they are".

Some Republicans expressed discontent arsenic they faced astatine slightest different 2 years successful the minority. "The aged enactment is dead. Time to hide it. Build thing new," Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted.

Reporting by Nandita Bose; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Ed Davies and William Mallard

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