US Midterms 2022: Democrats withstand the Red Ripple but key states’ results remain pending

Democrats have fared surprisingly well in the US midterm elections, holding off the “Red Wave” many had anticipated.

The final makeup of the legislature continues to take shape however and certain key battleground states have yet to call the race either way.

At present, 31 out of the 35 Senate races have been called.

Control of the upper chamber of the US Congress hangs in the balance with 48 seats under the control of the Democratic* Party and 48 seats controlled by the GOP. The threshold for control in the upper chamber is 51 Senators.

Since the 2020 elections, Democrats have controlled Congress as the 50/50 split in the chamber means Vice President Kamala Harris casts a tie-breaking vote.

Of the four remaining Senate races to be called, Democrats would need to win two of them to maintain that balance.

Three of those races, in Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona, are seen to be within reach of the party.

However, Republicans are on track to make ground elsewhere.

All 345 seats in the House of Representatives were up for grabs. The Democratic majority that had existed before the midterms looks set to be overturned.

Republicans have so far secured 207 seats of the required 218 needed for a majority in the chamber.

Of the races deemed competitive, election trackers such as FiveThirtyEight predict the GOP will secure enough seats in order to meet that threshold.

Gubernatorial races were also held in 36 states.

Other states like South Dakota used the opportunity to hold referendums on issues like the expansion of Medicaid or the codification of abortion into law, as was the case in 5 states including Michigan.

The elections could have significance beyond the borders of the US as Republicans have indicated that should they gain control of Congress they would block legislation to provide further spending and support for Ukraine.

Highly divisive issues like access to abortion are also viewed as being indirectly on the ballots.

Ahead of the midterms US President Joe Biden promised to legislate for abortion if the Democratic party was given sufficient legislative control.

Access to abortion had been a right in the US until the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade this Summer, meaning states could individually legislate to outlaw the procedure.

*included 2 Senators who caucus with the Democratic Party