As of this Saturday, four days post the Nov. 8 midterm elections, the fate of the U.S. Senate remains in limbo. Prior to the elections, Republicans only needed to secure one seat to gain a majority capable of obstructing a significant portion of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
The Senate is presently deadlocked at 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, with Democrats holding the edge due to Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. Democrats are eager to expand their lead.
With Vice President Kamala Harris potentially tipping the scales, Democrats stand a chance to maintain Senate control by clinching the undecided Nevada race or the upcoming Georgia runoff next month. Following Kelly’s triumph in Arizona over Republican Blake Masters, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Republicans must now win both contests to seize the majority.
Kelly, a former NASA astronaut with four space missions under his belt, emerged victorious over Masters. He is married to ex-congresswoman Gabby Giffords, known for her remarkable recovery from a 2011 gunshot wound to the head during an assassination attempt that claimed six lives and injured 13 others.
In another Arizona race, Democrat Adrian Fontes secured the secretary of state position by defeating his Republican opponent. Fontes, who oversaw parts of Arizona’s election system in its most populous county, criticized Republican Mark Finchem, emphasizing the threat to democracy had Finchem prevailed.
The secretary of state, collaborating with the governor and attorney general, wields considerable authority in reshaping state election protocols and confirming results.
The Arizona election underscored the prevalence of Republican candidates endorsing conspiracy theories alleging fraud in Trump’s 2020 re-election loss. Kelly’s victory and Fontes’s win signify the Democratic Party’s growing influence in a state once predominantly Republican, suggesting a shift beyond mere opposition to the Trump administration.