Republican 'red wave' turns into a ripple, Georgia Senate headed to runoff - Reuters

ALPHARETTA, Ga./PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov 9 (Reuters) - Republicans made humble gains successful U.S. midterm elections but Democrats performed amended than expected, arsenic power of the Senate hinged connected 3 races that remained excessively adjacent to telephone connected Wednesday afternoon.

The Georgia U.S. Senate contention betwixt Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker volition spell to a Dec. 6 runoff, Edison Research projected. That means it could beryllium weeks until power of that enclosure is known, unless Democrats clasp disconnected challengers successful Nevada and Arizona.

Republicans picked up astatine slightest 7 seats successful the U.S. House of Representatives, Edison Research projected. That would beryllium 2 much than needed to wrest power of the enclosure from Democrats, though with 45 races inactive uncalled, the Republican borderline could spell up oregon down.

Even a slim bulk successful the House would fto Republicans hem successful Democratic President Joe Biden during his adjacent 2 years successful office, blocking authorities and launching perchance politically damaging investigations.

But they appeared to beryllium acold abbreviated of the sweeping "red wave" triumph they had sought, arsenic Democrats were avoiding the benignant of dense midterm decision that often plagues sitting presidents of either party.

The results appeared to amusement voters punishing Biden for presiding implicit an system deed by steep inflation, portion besides lashing retired against Republican efforts to prohibition termination and formed uncertainty connected the nation's vote-counting process.

Poor performances by immoderate candidates backed by Donald Trump -- including Walker -- indicated exhaustion with the benignant of chaos fomented by the erstwhile Republican president, raising questions astir the viability of his imaginable tally for the White House successful 2024.

"I deliberation his ego is conscionable excessively large to handle," said Yvonne Langdon, 75, arsenic she formed her ballot for Republican candidates successful Michigan connected Tuesday.

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

A fig of predetermination deniers who backed Trump's claims were elected to bureau connected Tuesday, but galore of those who sought positions to oversee elections astatine the authorities level were defeated.

Fears of unit oregon disruption by far-right canvass watchers astatine voting stations did not materialize.

DEMOCRATS WIN PENNSYLVANIA

Control of the Senate would springiness Republicans the powerfulness to artifact Biden's nominees for judicial and administrative posts. But successful a captious triumph for Democrats, John Fetterman flipped a Republican-held U.S. Senate spot successful Pennsylvania, beating retired personage surgeon Mehmet Oz and bolstering his party's chances of holding the chamber.

The White House seized connected the lighter-than-expected losses. "Never underestimate however overmuch Team Biden is underestimated," White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said connected Twitter.

Democrats besides had their stock of embarrassments, arsenic New York Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, the president of the committee charged with reelecting House Democrats, conceded helium had mislaid his ain race.

If the Republicans bash instrumentality power of Congress, they program to question outgo savings successful the Social Security and Medicare safety-net programs and marque imperishable taxation cuts enacted successful 2017 that are owed to expire.

Republicans besides could technologist a showdown implicit the indebtedness ceiling to extract large spending cuts, and could pare backmost assistance to Ukraine.

Only 26 of the 53 astir competitory races, based connected a Reuters investigation of the starring nonpartisan forecasters, had been decided arsenic of Wednesday morning, raising the imaginable that the last result whitethorn not beryllium known for immoderate time. Democrats won 20 of those 26 contests.

The enactment that occupies the White House astir ever loses seats successful elections midway done a president's archetypal four-year term, and Biden has struggled with debased nationalist approval.

"In this clime we should person done better," said Rob Jesmer, a erstwhile caput of the Republicans' Senate run arm.

U.S. banal indexes fell connected Wednesday arsenic the uncertainty weighed connected traders' mood.

MIXED DAY FOR TRUMP

Trump, who took an progressive relation successful recruiting Republican candidates, had mixed results.

He notched a triumph successful Ohio, wherever "Hillbilly Elegy" writer J.D. Vance won a Senate spot to support it successful Republican hands. But Oz mislaid his Pennsylvania Senate contention and Doug Mastriano, different Trump ally, was handily defeated successful the state's governor's race.

"While successful definite ways yesterday's predetermination was somewhat disappointing, from my idiosyncratic standpoint it was a precise large victory," helium said connected Truth Social, his online platform.

Meanwhile Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who could situation Trump successful 2024, won re-election by astir 20 percent points, Edison projected.

Thirty-five Senate seats, each 435 House seats and 3 twelve governors' races were connected the ballot.

(Live predetermination results from astir the state are here.)

The superior contented weighing connected Democrats was stubbornly precocious yearly inflation, which astatine 8.2% stands astatine the highest complaint successful 40 years.

Voters successful California, Michigan and Vermont approved referendums enshrining termination rights successful their authorities constitutions. Deeply blimpish Kentucky looked poised to cull a law amendment that would person declared determination was nary close to abortion.

Reporting by Joseph Ax, Jason Lange, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Moira Warburton, Gram Slattery, Makini Brice and Trevor Hunnicutt successful Washington, Gabriella Borter successful Birmingham, Michigan, Nathan Layne successful Alpharetta, Georgia, Masha Tsvetkova successful New York, Tim Reid successful Phoenix and Ned Parker successful Reno, Nevada, and Lucy Raitano and Amanda Cooper successful London; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Richard Cowan; Editing by Ross Colvin, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Daniel Wallis

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