U.S. Midterm Elections: Republicans Projected to Win House, Senate Too Close To Call

In the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, the Republicans are projected to win the House of Representatives. The Senate is too close to call.

Still, the Democrats may lose some seats but have done much to strengthen their hold on the Senate majority. They stood their ground in the suburbs, however.

In House races, the Democrats have so far fared better than many predicted against Trump-backed Republicans.

Democrats stand their ground in the midterm elections

Republicans have a lead in the House of Representatives. Kevin McCarthy (R) is poised to become speaker of the house, taking over from Nancy Pelosi (D).

Yet it seems that they have so far failed to deliver an anticipated wave election at the midway point of President Biden’s term.

At a time when inflation spiked, food prices have skyrocketed, the stock market dipped and Joe Biden’s approval ratings hover in the low 40s, Republicans were expected to have done better.

Midterm House Races

There are certain states in the U.S. that are often seen as electoral faultlines. Often up for grabs, how voters decide in these swing states often determines national trends. Michigan, Virginia, and Ohio are among those states.

Hillary Scholten (D), an immigration lawyer, beat her challenger John Gibbs (R). In the primary, Gibbs had defeated Congressman Peter Meijer (R), one of a handful of Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) held onto her seat in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., a district that was widely seen as an early predictor of a Republican wave.

In Ohio, there are two key suburban wins: Greg Landsman (D) defeated Rep. Steve Chabot (R) in a district that includes Cincinnati and some of the surrounding suburbs.

Understanding the Republican Defeats

Many believe it is the Republican defeats that stand out. For it was predicted those running would tap into discontent with the Biden administration.

Democrats held seats in two Virginia districts Biden won in 2020. Jennifer Wexton (D) won her reelection bid in Virginia’s 10th District. Republicans were hoping Wexton could fall on Tuesday if the night was particularly bad for Democrats.

In other states, these were some of the key campaigns.

In a district made up of the Kansas City suburbs, Sharice Davids (D) was reelected. This campaign was in Kansas. There is also a Kansas City, Missouri across the border.

In Illinois, Lauren Underwood (D) will win reelection against Scott Gryder (R) in the Chicago suburbs.

Republicans did score some suburban victories. Brandon Ogles won in a district around Nashville. Tom Kean Jr. is the victor in a suburban New Jersey district. Rich McCormick, was the winner in a district that included Atlanta’s northern suburbs.

Senate Races in the Midterm Elections

The Florida Senate race saw incumbent Marco Rubio (R) defeat Val Demings (D) to hold his office.

In Ohio, Trump’s favored Senate candidate, J.D. Vance (R), defeated Rep. Tim Ryan (D).

In Pennsylvania, Lt. Governor John Fetterman (D) defeated celebrity candidate and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) for a senate seat.

Senator-elect Katie Britt (R) cheered her supporters following her victory speech on election night. She is the first woman ever elected to the Senate from her state. Britt defeated Will Boyd (D).

Incumbent New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan (D) clinched her seat in an election the GOP had hoped would bring Republicans closer to Senate control. Hassan defeated retired Army Gen. Donald Bolduc (R) during a race in which both parties’ strategists viewed her seat as vulnerable.

Republicans had long had their eye on the seat as the one needed to control the Senate. However, Bolduc emerged as the frontrunner. His radical views stirred concern among party officials.

Midterm elections to close to call

In Wisconsin in a race that is too close to call, between Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D) and Ron Johnson (R), votes are still being counted. Though Johnson argues the race is over. He has a 1.5% lead.

In Georgia, neither Senator Raphael Warnock (D), nor challenger Herschel Walker (R), are expected to break the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright. The count is too close to call; they are one percent apart. A third candidate Chase Oliver, a libertarian, holds 2%.

The Nevada Senate race also is a toss-up. The Arizona Senate race count continues as there were troubles with voting machines.

Governor Races

In crucial races for Governor, some Republicans did very well. Ron de Santis (R), the current governor of Florida, won re-election by a wide margin over Charles Crist (D).

In a rematch, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia defeated Stacey Abrams. The Republican Kemp kept his office with a wider margin than he initially won it. Abrams, the well-funded African American Democratic challenger, many thought was robbed in their first close election.

Greg Abbott (R), the incumbent governor of Texas, weathered a challenge from the perennial progressive Texas candidate Beto O’Rourke (D), who has lost many elections now.

In the very close campaign for governor in New York State, the incumbent Kathy Hochul (D), who emerged after the demise of Andrew Cuomo, has claimed victory. But Lee Zeldin (R) will not concede. Zeldin ran a surprisingly strong campaign. Very rarely do Republicans run even competitive campaigns for governor in New York.