Tight U.S. midterm races leave control of Congress up in air as Republicans seek gains

Both parties notched victories in some of the most competitive races across the country, as Democrats sought to beat back a Republican backlash to President Joe Biden's agenda.

Republicans appeared poised to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives following Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to projections from the Associated Press, but the night ended without a final result as several races remained too close to call.

Both parties notched victories in some of the most competitive races across the country, as Democrats sought to beat back a Republican backlash to President Joe Biden’s agenda that could be stalled in the final two years of his term with a divided Congress. But the anticipated Republican sweep predicted by multiple polls did not appear so strong as Tuesday drew to a close.

Control of the Senate, meanwhile, also remained up in the air due to a number of tight races that may take days to decide.

A high-profile race in Georgia between Republican Herschel Walker and Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock is expected to head to a runoff in December, after neither candidates won more than 50 per cent of the vote.

In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman was in a neck-and-neck race with Republican candidate and celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who was trailing by less than one per cent by early Wednesday morning. The Associated Press had still not called the race as of 1:30 a.m. ET, with thousands of ballots left to be counted.

The outcome of races for House and Senate will determine the future of Biden’s agenda and serve as a referendum on his administration as the nation reels from record-high inflation and concerns over the direction of the country. Republican control of the House would likely trigger a round of investigations into Biden and his family, while a GOP Senate takeover would hobble Biden’s ability to make judicial appointments.

Some populist members and candidates aligned with former president Donald Trump have gone even further by threatening to launch impeachment proceedings against Biden himself, claiming he has failed to execute his duties as president amid an influx of illegal migrants, rising crime, stalled domestic energy production and other issues.

Republicans have also indicated they may reduce or even freeze U.S. military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as the European nation continues fighting off Russia’s invasion more than eight months after it was launched. That would severely limit Washington’s ability to help the Ukrainians, who have credited U.S. weapons for gaining territory back from the Russians in recent weeks.