Control of Congress hangs in balance as close races remain undecided

Judy Woodruff:

Control of the United States Congress still hangs in the balance tonight after the midterm elections of 2022. Republicans are closing in on a majority in the House of Representatives, but a smaller one than what was widely expected. And it may take another run-off to decide who runs the Senate.

Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins begins our coverage.

Lisa Desjardins:

The red wave that wasn't. So far, it has been largely Democrats…

Wes Moore (D), Maryland Governor-Elect: Thank you, Maryland!

Lisa Desjardins:

… not Republicans, celebrating wins.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA):

Thanks to your commitment and hard work, we have won this race.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Lisa Desjardins:

The election remains dramatic. Neither the fate of the House nor of the Senate is clear. What is clear, Democrats exceeded expectations, on the Senate side, a major blue victory in Pennsylvania.

John Fetterman (D), Pennsylvania Senator-Elect: We bet on the people of Pennsylvania and you didn't let us down.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Lisa Desjardins:

John Fetterman, the commonwealth's lieutenant governor, defeated television doctor Mehmet Oz, flipping a Republican-held post with a no-vote-left-unturned approached.

Scott Rykala, Pennsylvania Resident:

I really liked how aggressive on the ground campaign they ran, and I really think that, at the end of the day, that's what really won for the camp.

Lisa Desjardins:

Two other key Senate races are undecided in Nevada and Arizona. Both states have Democratic senators challenged by Trump-aligned Republicans. Also, in both, ballots could take days to count, this, as in Georgia, overtime.

Brad Raffensperger (R), Georgia Secretary of State: Good afternoon, everyone.

Lisa Desjardins:

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who himself just won reelection, announced the U.S. Senate race between Republican Herschel Walker and Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock is heading to a run-off in December.

Both candidates are asking supporters for patience.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA):

So, you all just hang in there. I'm feeling good.

Herschel Walker (R), Georgia Senatorial Candidate: If you can hang in, hang in there a little bit longer. Just hang in there a bit longer.

Lisa Desjardins:

Some Republicans had predicted a potential wave election, common in an unpopular president's first midterm, especially with widespread voter concern about the economy.

Mike Przybranowski, Michigan Resident:

We have got to do something to reverse the inflationary trend, that the Democrats are spending out of control. Congress is spending out of control. That needs to come back in line.

Lisa Desjardins:

But there were other forces at play.

Boaz Frankel, Pennsylvania Resident:

Well, I like to vote at every election, but I think, especially this time, it's about reproductive rights, it's about the environment, it's about ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to vote.

Lisa Desjardins:

Republicans did have a good night in many races, like in Ohio, where author J.D. Vance took the Senate seat over Democrat Tim Ryan.

But in U.S. House races, the Buckeye State was good for Democrats. They managed to oust 12-term incumbent Steve Chabot near Cincinnati and win a key toss-up open seat around Akron over a former Trump surrogate. Then, in Toledo, Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur beat J.R. Majewski, a Trump-endorsed Republican who participated in the January 6 rally and has been an election denier. This morning, he conceded his loss in a tweet, wishing his opponent the best.

Also accepting defeat was Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney, who oversaw his party's national House campaign and saw a message in the overall results.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY):

I don't think the American people have given up on democracy, and I think with all of the headwinds and all of the damage from the pandemic and the Trump years, there's still a beating heart to American democracy, and I think you saw it last night.

Lisa Desjardins:

Former President Trump himself reacted to the election with a rare acknowledgment, saying, in a statement that: "While, in certain ways, yesterday's election was somewhat disappointing, from my personal standpoint, it was a very big victory."

President Biden called an afternoon news conference and reflected on where things stand.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: While the press and the pundits were predicting a giant red wave, it didn't happen.

I'm prepared to work with my Republican colleagues. The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well.

Lisa Desjardins:

In gubernatorial races, voters gave the nod to many incumbents, among them, Democrats Tony Evers in Wisconsin and Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan. Both edged out their Trump-backed opponents.

In Texas and Florida, though, the Republican base showed up in droves to reelect their governors, Greg Abbott and possible 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL):

We fight the woke in the legislature. We fight the woke in the schools. We fight the woke in the corporations. We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Lisa Desjardins:

A major election with big races decided and some of the biggest still to be determined.