Key races in three states will determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds a news conference in Atlanta on Nov. 9, 2022 © AP / Stephen Smith
The US Senate remains up for grabs as the 2022 midterm elections draw to a close, with several races still undecided and a runoff vote likely set next month in Georgia, which could become the tie-breaker that hands a majority to one of the two major parties.
Though the Democrats gained a Senate seat in Pennsylvania after Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman beat Republican Mehmet Oz, three states will now decide the fate of the upper house: Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia.
Republican candidate Adam Laxalt currently holds the lead in Nevada, while Democrat Mark Kelly is ahead of the pack in Arizona. However, with many more votes left to count, both races have been deemed too early to call.
Georgia, meanwhile, is headed for a runoff contest on December 6, as both Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker failed to reach the 50% threshold needed to win outright.
Should members of both parties each take Nevada and Arizona, Georgia’s runoff would then decide whether Republicans or Democrats hold a majority in the Senate. The chamber was evenly divided before the midterms, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris – who presides over the Senate – to break ties on split votes.
