Hannah Walton-Hughes
The Democrat Party of the United States, led by President Joe Biden, has won the upper chamber of Congress, as a result of the run-off election in the state of Georgia. Impact’s Hannah Walton-Hughes reports.
Republican candidate, Herschel Walker, was narrowly beaten by the Democrat’s Raphael Warnock, in a ‘bitterly fought’ contest for the seat in Georgia. The final result in the state was 51% to the Democrats and 49% to the Republicans, rounded up and concluded by Edison Research. Joe Biden and his party now hold the upper chamber of Congress, and “projections” conclude that he now has control of the Senate.
This outcome will mean that appointments of members of administration and judges will be easier for the President. Despite this, most of his legislation will still need Republican support to be passed.
Congress’ lower chamber is marginally controlled by the Republicans, but not to as greater an extent as predicted.
The run-off election came as a result of neither candidate reaching the 50% level needed for election in November’s midterms. Even then, however, Warnock led by 37,000 votes.
The voting numbers reached a “record turnout”
The voting numbers reached a “record turnout”. Mr. Warnock told his party that “the people have spoken” and described it as his “honour”. When he won his seat initially in January 2021, he became the first black senator in Georgia’s history. He is originally a Baptist preacher, whose Church was formerly led by Martin Luther King.
The losing Republican candidate, 60-year-old Herschel Walker, is relatively new to politics, having formerly been a “football legend”. He joins a number of rejected candidates endorsed by Donald Trump, former President vying for the White House again in 2024. Mr. Walker commented that he and his team had put up “one heck of a fight”, and encouraged his supporters to continue believing in America.
The defeat follows a series of disappointing midterms for the Republicans. Mr. Walker represented the last chance for the party to “flip” a Senate seat. Candidates supported by Trump lost in a number of states such as Nevada, New Hampshire and Arizona. Republican candidates succeeded in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Ohio.
Mr. Walker has faced huge controversies during his campaign; he has been accused of paying for two former girlfriends to undergo abortions, despite coming out against the procedure. He has also confessed to fathering three children that he had not previously admitted, despite his critical stance on “absentee” fathers.
Mr. Warnock has not been without his own controversy, however. Republicans produced an aggressive “ad”, presenting to voters the allegation by Warnock’s wife of his running over her foot, during a domestic argument in March 2020.
These results, whilst marginal, will no doubt deliver a blow to Donald Trump, and his hopes of returning to the White House.
Hannah Walton-Hughes
Featured image courtesy of Dyana Wing So via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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