Democrats retain grip on U.S. Senate, defying Republican 'red wave' predictions - Reuters

PHOENIX, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Democrats held onto power of the U.S. Senate portion limiting projected losses successful the House, handing a large triumph to President Joe Biden and extinguishing hopes of the "red wave" that Republicans had expected starring into the midterm elections.

Democratic leaders described the result - sealed precocious Saturday with a triumph for the incumbent legislator successful Nevada - arsenic some a vindication of their docket and a rebuke of Republican candidates, galore of whom had parroted erstwhile president Donald Trump's mendacious claims astir wide predetermination fraud.

"We were connected the borderline of autocracy and, convey God, the American radical pulled america backmost successful this election," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said astatine a quality league connected Sunday.

The better-than-expected show gave Biden, who struggled with debased support ratings up of Tuesday's elections amid persistently precocious inflation, a governmental assistance up of what are expected to beryllium aggravated talks connected a scope of geopolitical issues with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping connected Monday successful Indonesia.

Republicans, however, remained adjacent to seizing power of the House of Representatives arsenic officials continued counting ballots, with returns inactive flowing successful for respective races, including galore successful liberal-leaning California.

As of precocious connected Saturday, Republicans had won 211 seats and the Democrats 205, with 218 needed for a majority. It could instrumentality respective days earlier the result of capable House races is known to find which enactment volition power the 435-seat chamber.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 82, told ABC News and CNN that she would not marque immoderate announcements astir whether she planned to stay successful House enactment until aft power of the enclosure was decided. There had been speculation she would resign if Democrats mislaid the majority, particularly aft her hubby was attacked by an intruder astatine their San Francisco location past month.

House Republicans, should they prevail, person pledged to effort to rotation backmost Biden-led authorities to conflict clime alteration and privation to marque imperishable a bid of 2017 taxation cuts acceptable to expire. They besides person vowed investigations into Biden medication activities and probes of the president's son, who has had concern dealings with Ukraine and China.

Jim Banks, a Republican congressman from Indiana, said connected Sunday that helium expected his enactment to triumph a slim bulk successful the House and service arsenic "the past enactment of defence to artifact the Biden agenda," portion launching investigations into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the root of COVID and pandemic lockdowns.

"That has to beryllium a focal constituent of each azygous committee successful the Congress, particularly successful the House nether Republican control," Banks said successful an interrogation connected "Fox News Sunday".

FOCUSING ON GEORGIA

The Democrats volition power the Senate, arsenic they person for the past 2 years, with 50 of its 100 seats, by virtuousness of Vice President Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote.

Their bulk was clinched by Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who narrowly defeated Republican Adam Laxalt.

"When the nationalist pundits said I couldn't win, I knew Nevada would beryllium them wrong," Cortez Masto said successful a triumph code connected Sunday morning.

For the Senate, attraction volition present displacement to Georgia, wherever Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker look disconnected successful a runoff connected Dec. 6. If Warnock were to win, the Democrats' 51-49 bulk would springiness them an further borderline successful passing the fewer bills that are capable to beforehand with a elemental majority, alternatively of the 60 needed for astir legislation.

Hovering implicit the 2022 midterm elections each twelvemonth has been Trump, who utilized his continued popularity among hard-right conservatives to power the candidates the Republican Party nominated for congressional, gubernatorial and section races.

With Republicans' lackluster show - adjacent if they triumph a constrictive bulk successful the House - Trump has been blamed for boosting candidates who were incapable to entreaty to a wide capable electorate.

A Republican nonaccomplishment successful Georgia could further dampen Trump's popularity arsenic advisers accidental helium considers announcing this week a 3rd tally for the presidency successful 2024.

The result whitethorn summation the chances that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who routed his Democratic hostile connected Tuesday, opts to situation Trump for the 2024 statesmanlike nomination.

Democrats had portrayed Republicans arsenic extremist, pointing to the Supreme Court's determination to destruct a nationwide close to termination and the hundreds of Republican nominees who promoted Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination was fraudulent.

Pelosi attributed her party's show to Democratic candidates knowing their districts and maintaining absorption connected the issues voters cared astir adjacent arsenic pundits successful Washington predicted large losses and called for a alteration successful approach.

"They knew the worth of a woman's close to choose. They knew however important it was to support our democracy. They knew the opposition betwixt themselves and their opponents," Pelosi told ABC.

Continued power of the Senate means Democrats volition inactive beryllium capable to o.k. Biden's nominees specified arsenic national judges. That would see appointees to the Supreme Court should immoderate vacancies unfastened successful the adjacent 2 years connected the seat with a 6-3 blimpish majority.

Reporting by Tim Reid successful Phoenix and Kanishka Singh, Richard Cowan and Jason Lange and Joel Schectman successful Washington; Writing by Kanishka Singh and Nathan Layne; Editing by William Mallard and Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.