Results from the U.S. election on Tuesday, 8 November are still being tallied, with control of Congress at stake.
Predictions of a Republican sweep of the midterm elections, seen in part as a referendum on U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic leadership of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, did not materialize in early results.
Republicans needed to gain five U.S. House seats to take control of that chamber and one Senate seat. But with the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, John Fetterman, winning his race, Republican hopes to take the Senate diminished. And a few toss-up House races called on election night went for the Democrats, though the majority remain undecided with ballots still being tallied on Wednesday, 9 November.
Still, the Republican Party is expected to gain control of the U.S. House, having already picked up three seats formerly held by Democrats and several other races showing Republicans ahead.
Even though Biden is not up for reelection until 2024, Tuesday’s mid-term election was framed by Republicans as a referendum on the state of the U.S. economy, which has been buffeted by persistent inflation and high energy prices.
International trade topics, such as the war in Ukraine, an ongoing trade war with China, and currency fluctuations did not play as large of a role in this campaign cycle, which primarily focused on domestic and social issues.
Photo courtesy of Ron Adar/Shutterstock
