Congressional elections are underway in the United States that could cost Democrats under President Joe Biden a majority in one or both houses. Initial results are known, but final majority ratios may not be certain for a few weeks. Important developments in our newsletter:
14:00: The evangelical synod does not commit itself to deliveries of arms
The Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) concluded on Wednesday with a declaration of solidarity for Ukraine. At the end of its annual meeting, however, the church’s parliament shied away from committing to German arms deliveries, which were controversial within the church.
In a resolution, the 128 members of the synod said there was a heated debate within the Church about “which concrete means to support Ukraine are suitable and ethically justifiable”. “We are united in the knowledge that this war must end as quickly as possible through negotiations,” the synod said. At the end of the day, there should be negotiations “aimed at the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty”.
13:42: Political expert sees no change in US foreign policy
According to US expert Michael Werz, US foreign policy is so far not at stake in the election results. Regarding US aid to Ukraine, the political scientist said in an event organized by the Progressives Zentrum in Berlin: “Even if the majority of the Senate moves in a republican direction, it can be assumed that there should be no aversion.”
In the Republican election campaign, there was “a lot of grassroots pressure to focus more on isolationist politics”. However, even with a close election result, it can be assumed that President Joe Biden’s government will find majorities in Congress to release aid budgets for Ukraine.
12:07: Kremlin: Relations with the US remain bad even after the congressional elections
Even after the congressional elections in the United States, relations between Russia and the United States will remain “poor”, according to the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday in Moscow ahead of the mid-term elections in the United States: “These elections cannot really change anything. Our relations at the moment are very bad and will remain bad.” Relations between the two countries are currently at a weak point due to the conflict in Ukraine.
11:15 am: Trump’s power, Trump’s limits
The course of election night so far shows Donald Trump’s influence as king for other borders. While Trump’s fiercest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, scored a convincing victory, they are losing some particularly dazzling and sometimes radical candidates he has offensively backed: controversial TV doctor Mehmet Oz, for example, who attended. in a sensational race against the Democrat John Fetterman ran for a seat in the Senate in Pennsylvania. Or Pennsylvania candidate for governor Doug Mastriano – a fervent Trump supporter who spread his fantasies of electoral fraud and who could have been dangerous as an electoral denier in the 2024 presidential election: US governors are involved in confirming the presidential results.
However, Republicans have presented hundreds of mid-term candidates who share Trump’s narrative of the 2020 “stolen election” and spread doubts about the course of the election. More than 150 of these electoral deniers have already prevailed.
10:40 am: Voters in at least two US states vote for marijuana legalization
Parallel to the mid-term elections, voters from several US states also voted to legalize marijuana for personal use. Majorities in both Maryland and Missouri voted in favor on Tuesday, while Arkansas and North Dakota voters voted against. The outcome of the vote in South Dakota is still unclear at the moment.
9:43 am: Georgia Senate seat could be decided in a ballot
No decision has yet been made in the race for the important Senate seat of the US state of Georgia. Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker were so close to the vote count that there was no telling who won the election. The result may take some time to arrive, Warnock said. There may also be a ballot.
Former football player Walker was optimistic. “I didn’t come to lose,” he said. Since there was a third candidate, there was a chance that neither Warnock nor Walker would get an absolute majority of the votes. In this case, like two years ago, a special rule of the state of Georgia would apply and there would be a ballot on December 6.
8:37: Republicans are already running for a majority in the House of Representatives
Despite the absence of a major wave of success, Republicans see themselves well on their way to winning a majority in the US House of Representatives. Even before the results were known in numerous constituencies, former Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy had already declared his party the winner.
“It is clear that the House of Representatives will bring us back,” McCarthy said during an appearance in Washington. He was convinced that the count would bring clarity overnight. “If you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority,” McCarthy assured party supporters. US broadcasters have not yet made a prediction as to who will win the majority in the House of Representatives.
8:12: Republican candidate admits defeat in Wisconsin
In the US state of Wisconsin, the Republican candidate for governor has admitted defeat to Democratic incumbent Tony Evers. Michels spoke the morning after he was counted over 90 percent of the vote. At this point, Evers was three percentage points ahead. After the count, the AP news agency said the bidding had not yet been decided.
7:59 am: Democrat Evers re-elected governor of Wisconsin
Democrat Tony Evers was re-elected governor of the besieged US state of Wisconsin. According to forecasts by television stations NBC, ABC and CBS, the 71-year-old defeated his Republican opponent Tim Michels in the voting. Evers had positioned himself in the election campaign as a guarantor of the right to abortion and democracy. The very wealthy businessman Michels started out as a supporter of former President Donald Trump and promised lower taxes.
7:43 am: Democrat Whitmer remains governor of Michigan
According to forecasts, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer was re-elected governor of the US state of Michigan. The US news agency AP reported on the basis of the vote count and voter polls. The 51-year-old defeated candidate Tudor Dixon (45), backed by former President Donald Trump.
Whitmer was selected for Joe Biden as his running mate ahead of the 2020 election. For many Republicans he is seen as an enemy. Among other things, they accuse her of damaging the economy with the measures of the crown.
7:22 am: Abortion remains legal after Michigan referendum
According to projections, the right to abortion will be included in the US state of Michigan through an amendment to the constitution. In the mid-term elections in the US, the necessary majority for a corresponding referendum was reached, as reported by the ABC and NBC TV stations. The outcome of the decision was considered to be uncertain. In late June, the Washington Supreme Court revoked the national right to abortion.
The states of California, Vermont and Kentucky also voted on whether the right to abortion should be enshrined in their respective constitutions. There were initially no clear results from the states.
7:11 am: Democrat Fetterman wins major Senate race in Pennsylvania
The US Democrats achieved a major success in the midterm elections: in the race for a seat in the Senate in the state of Pennsylvania, broadcasters NBC and Fox News proclaimed Democrat John Fetterman the winner. The former deputy governor of the east coast state won against his Republican rival Mehmet Oz. A Republican had previously held the seat in the Senate. Winning President Joe Biden’s term could allow Democrats to defend their slim majority in the Senate.
7:06: Pelosi re-elected deputy
The president of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, defended her mandate. CNN and the AP news agency declared the 82-year-old Democrat the winner of the vote in her constituency in the US state of California. In 2018 you took over the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies for the fourth time. She has represented her constituency in Parliament since 1987.
