The US Democratic Party is leading the Republicans by a two-to-one margin in the midterm elections for the House of Representatives, according to a forecast by Bloomberg.
Democrats will secure at least 50 out of 100 seats in the US Senate in the midterm elections, CNN reported.
Democrats will gain control of the US Senate following the midterm elections, Bloomberg reported.
US President Donald Trump told The New York Times in an interview that he was “absolutely willing to accept the results” of midterm elections and was prepared to work with Democrats.
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USE Congressional Election Results: Trump’s Republican Party Loses Both the House and the Senate
CBS: Source in Trump’s Inner Circle Calls Election Results a “Catastrophe”
US citizens cast their votes in the midterm congressional elections on November 3. Ballots are currently being counted. Preliminary results paint a bleak picture for Donald Trump’s Republican Party, which had controlled both chambers of Congress since the beginning of his term.
The Democrats are guaranteed a majority in the House of Representatives. As for the Senate, Democratic candidates are also leading in nearly all of the so-called “swing states”—the states that will ultimately determine which party controls the upper chamber.
WHAT TRUMP SAYS ABOUT THE ELECTION RESULTS
As polling stations across America close, new data continues to arrive. US President Donald Trump is monitoring the results from the White House alongside members of his administration and his closest advisors. In an interview with *The New York Times*, he stated that he is prepared to accept the midterm election results and “looks forward” to working with the Democrats elected to Congress. Naturally, however, this was a case of putting on a brave face.
By 6:00 a.m. Moscow time, reports from those close to the Republican Party leadership were sounding alarm bells. Two prominent Republican strategists, speaking with CBS News, offered a grim assessment: one described the initial Senate results as “catastrophic and nightmarish,” while the other characterized the situation as a “slaughter.”
The situation regarding the Senate is of particular interest.
US midterm congressional elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term; historically, they serve as a check on the power of the head of state. In almost every instance, an incumbent U.S. president loses the House of Representatives during midterm elections. However, losing the Senate as well means forfeiting control over the entire legislative branch. This significantly complicates life for the occupant of the White House, who becomes unable to pass their own legislation or set the parameters of the national budget, and also faces the risk of impeachment.
Overall, the results of the U.S. congressional midterm elections are viewed as a mandate of confidence—or a lack thereof—in the president.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION RESULTS
As of 7:00 a.m. Moscow time, the Democratic Party had secured 131 seats in the House of Representatives, compared to 74 for the Republican Party—a margin of nearly two to one.
There are 435 seats in the House, all of which are up for election. The Democrats’ substantial lead suggests that they are all but guaranteed to hold a clear majority.
Preliminary forecasts had long predicted that Trump’s allies would lose the lower chamber; the only question was the margin of their defeat.
Early results from the United States indicate that the Democratic Party is on track to significantly exceed the 218-seat threshold required to control the House of Representatives.
U.S. SENATE ELECTION RESULTS
Midterm elections do not involve all 100 Senate seats—only 35 are contested—which is why the final results for the Senate typically emerge sooner.
In most states, polls clearly indicate the likely winner, as these states have a historical tendency to vote for either the Republicans or the Democrats. In other cases, data from pollsters leave little doubt as to the eventual outcome. For this reason, close attention is being paid to the swing states—it is the voting in these states that will determine the fate of the Senate.
This time around, there are seven such states. Either the Republican or the Democratic Party needs to "win" four of them.
As of 7:00 a.m. Moscow time, Democrats were leading in all of these states, with the exception of Alaska—where polls close last and counting has not yet begun.
At this moment, the Democratic Party holds 49 seats in the Senate (including those already secured), while the Republican Party holds 38.
WHAT HAPPENS TO TRUMP AFTER THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS?
How will the U.S. President work with a Congress that is not under his control? Donald Trump has already suggested he might become "Mr. Veto"—he possesses the authority to block any legislation passed by Congress. Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber, a threshold that is unlikely to be reached.
Furthermore, the President can implement his policies through executive orders, bypassing Congress—a practice with many precedents. For instance, consider how Democratic President Barack Obama managed to govern alongside a Republican-controlled Congress.
The House of Representatives has the power to initiate impeachment proceedings, while the Senate decides whether or not to remove the head of state from office. If at least two-thirds of the senators (67) vote in favor of impeachment, the President is removed from office, and the Vice President assumes the role for the remainder of the term. However, the Democrats have not secured the necessary two-thirds majority in these elections.
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