Republicans gain edge as vote counting underway

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More than 100 Republicans won midterm elections, winning seats in Congress and crucial statewide offices.

Meanwhile, the struggle for power is getting tighter, with the balance of the House and Senate coming down to a handful of critical states. Ballots are being counted across the United States, and the results could have a significant impact on the political landscape as Republicans attempt to steal control of Congress from President Biden's Democrats.

The results of the midterm elections are expected to bring in a period of split governance in Washington amid a mounting economic crisis.

Thirty-five Senate seats and all 435 House of Representatives seats were up for grabs. Republicans needed five seats to control the House.

The Senate, which is presently split 50-50 with Democrats holding the tie-breaking vote, might be decided by four close elections in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona.

US national debt exceeds $31 trillion

According to the US Election Project, more than 46 million Americans voted by mail or in person, and state election officials warn that counting all of those ballots will take time. Control of the Senate may not be determined until a possible runoff election in Georgia on December 6.

Voters have expressed dissatisfaction with crime and rising inflation, which is at 8.2%, the highest in 40 years.

US national outstanding debt exceeds $31 trillion for the first time in its history according to the US Treasury. This comes at a time when the US is faced with all-time high inflation coupled with high-interest rates, all of which deepen the economic uncertainty problem that the government, businesses, and people are all facing.

Fears of increased crime also play a role in New York, where incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul faced a strong battle from Republican Lee Zeldin.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that the number of hate crimes in the United States has increased to its highest level in 12 years in 2020, driven by an increase in assaults on Black and Asian people.

Neck-and-neck battle

Roughly 300 Republicans on the midterm ballot questioned the legitimacy of the last presidential election, as per a Washington Post analysis.

More than 140 of those had won their campaigns by late Tuesday, most notably House and Senate seats, in addition to state-level battles.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Katie Britt, who ran for Alabama's open US Senate seat, were among the 2020 election doubters who won on Tuesday.

Trump, who voted in Florida, has repeatedly hinted at a third presidential run. On Monday, he stated that he would make a "major announcement" on November 15.

Democrats were disappointed in Ohio, where writer J.D. Vance, a Trump supporter who chronicles working-class white life, gained a Senate seat.

Despite big Republican victories, there were disappointments for followers of former President Donald Trump, such as Doug Mastriano, a far-right conspiracy theorist who lost his attempt to become governor of Pennsylvania. He was defeated by Democrat Josh Shapiro.

Vote counting is still underway in Arizona, the southwestern state that has been the epicenter of election denial and has numerous critical races.

Republican candidates for the US Senate and Secretary of State in Arizona have also stated that they would not have certified Biden's victory in the state.

Trump had backed more than 200 Republican candidates in their primaries on Tuesday.

Stay Updated: US Midterm Elections 2022