Reuters
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
In the US state of Georgia, the second and decisive round of elections for a seat in the Senate was won by Democrat Raphael Warnock. He defeated Republican Herschel Walker, a former soccer player supported by former President Trump.
Early last month, none of the candidates managed to win an outright majority, so a second round was needed. It was the only seat left vacant after the midterm elections, the congressional midterm elections, over a month ago.
It was already certain that the Democrats would keep a majority in the Senate. Before Georgia’s result, Democrats versus Republicans had a 50-50 split, but the vice president — in this case, Democrat Kamala Harris — has the casting vote in those cases.
Little push
Still, Warnock’s win is a big boost for the party. With a 50-50 split, the Democrats would have had to line up all the senators for a majority. As a result, a single Democrat threatening to vote with Republicans could have gained a lot of power.
Another benefit for Democrats is that they also have more power in subcommittees with a clearer majority in the Senate. The Republicans are seeing their power diminish and, for example, can no longer so easily block the appointment of a new judge to the Supreme Court.
Republicans in the House of Representatives, where they are in the majority in the new composition, are also expected to be able to initiate impeachment proceedings against Biden. The Senate should eventually vote on this. For Biden and the Democrats, a majority in the Senate is therefore of great importance.
