Catherine Cortez Masto, the Democratic Party Senator from Nevada, has won against the GOP’s Adam Laxalt. This win will be a crucial one for the Democrats, and will help them retain their control over the US Senate in the tightly fought 2022 midterm elections.
The newly re-elected Senator has thanked the people of Nevada on Twitter. Check it out right here:
After Cortez Masto’s win, the Democrats now have a majority of 50-49 over the Republicans in the US Senate. The clash between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia is one that is looking towards a runoff in December. However, even if the GOP manages to bag the seat, the Senate will be divided equally between the two parties, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to cast her vote and break the tie.
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The victory was possible for the Democrats since Lt. Gov. John Fetterman won his crucial battle in Pennsylvania against Donald Trump-endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz. The seat was earlier held by the GOP’s Sen. Pat Toomey.
Democratic control of the Senate ensures a smoother process for Biden’s Cabinet appointments and judicial picks, including those for potential Supreme Court openings. The party will also keep control over committees and have the power to conduct investigations or oversight of the Biden administration, and will be able to reject legislation sent over by the House if the GOP wins that chamber.
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If Democrats manage to pull off a win in the House, it would mean full control of Congress for Democrats — and another chance to advance Biden priorities, which he has said include codifying abortion rights. The party still lacks the 60 votes in the Senate needed to move many kinds of major legislative changes.
Cortez Masto is the first-ever Latina Senator of the United States. She had replaced former Democratic Sen. Harry Reid in 2016.