By Kaitlan Collins
After nearly a week of uncertainty, Democrats finally breathed a collective sigh of relief as they received confirmation they would retain control of the Senate for the next two years. The announcement of Senator Cortez Masto’s win on Saturday night brought the long-awaited question to a final conclusion last week.
It is clear to say Republicans did not see the outcome they were hoping for. After theorizing a ‘red wave’ and Senator Cruz theorizing a “red tsunami” in the midterm elections, Democrats attaining Senate control and flipping one seat was a major shocker for the Republican party.
As Republicans teeter on the edge of taking the House, tensions have risen as Kevin McCarthy tries to solidify his claim to Speaker of the House. The House isn’t the only place tensions have risen about leadership in Congress, some Republican senators have expressed concerns about the Republican leadership in the Senate.
When asked his reaction to Democrats winning another two years of control in the Senate, Senator Lindsey Graham stated, “It calls into question some of the decisions of our existing leadership… It calls for some reconsideration regarding Republican strategy, I can say that much.”
Whether or not Graham was proposing himself as a potential new Minority leader is unclear, however, another Republican Senator Rick Scott was more clear on his position. Senator Scott confirmed in a press release Tuesday night that he would be running for Minority leader citing that the “nasty surprise” of the midterm elections revealed “a harsher truth: that Senator McConnell is no longer fit in his capacity as the leader of the Republican Senate.”
When asked about his response to the Democrats’ shocking win, current Minority leader Mitch McConnell stated, “I mean it’s obviously the statistics would have suggested that a different reality would’ve happened but we will continue the legislative process and we will continue to advocate for our constituents who are counting on us.”
Democratic leadership was obviously more excited about the election results than Republican leadership. Here’s what they had to say:
King, President Pro Tem: “I’m incredibly glad to know that my colleagues in the Democratic party are going to remain able to continue enacting good legislative change and was definitely worried for a little bit there until it pulled through for us and I congratulate Senator Cortez Masto specifically for her last victory at the end there to secure us over the line. I think that the Democratic party obviously being the party of my choosing, I’m glad that we have two more years.”
Hirono, Majority leader: “I am very proud of all my colleagues who fought very hard to win their re-election, especially in tight states such as Masto’s state. I'm excited for the runoff in December, Warnock to come out and once again win for Georgia. And I hope that with our power in the Senate and the Executive and hopefully the House we will just continue making great change like we have been in the past two years.”
Senator Cortez Masto’s race in Nevada was the deciding race for control of the Senate. After announcing her win, Cortez Masto stated in a press release, “We celebrate this victory, but the work isn’t done. We still need to protect and support our most vulnerable communities. Thank you, Nevadans, for believing in me once more. It is an honor to serve and represent you.”
Democrats are still waiting on Warnock’s runoff race to decide the ultimate makeup of the Senate. Even with the added votes from Georgia citizens who voted third party, Warnock’s re-election against Herschel Walker will still be an extremely narrow race. What Warnock and Walker do in the next month will be a large deciding factor for many third-party voters who are still unsure who will get their vote.
Leadership positions in the Republican party will be decided this Wednesday during the Republican party caucus. Stay tuned for more.
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