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U.S. House control hinges on tight races after Democrats take Senate
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives hinged on Monday on several tight races that could secure a majority for Republicans following midterm elections that saw President Joe Biden's Democrats beat expectations and retain the Senate. | Republicans were closer to winning the House, having secured 211 seats compared to Democrats' 206, with 218 needed for a majority. But the final outcome might not be known for days as officials continue counting ballots nearly a week after Americans went to the polls. ● Democrats portrayed their better-than-expected performance as vindication of their agenda and a rebuke of Republican efforts to undermine the validity of election results. ● Other high-profile uncalled races include the Arizona governor contest, in which Republican Kari Lake, who promoted former President Donald Trump's baseless 2020 election fraud claims, was trailing her Democratic opponent. ● There are still some 18 outstanding House races, including 13 considered closely competitive, according to a Reuters compilation of the leading nonpartisan forecasters. Ten of the remaining contests were in liberal-leaning California. ● A Republican victory in the House would set the stage for two years of divided government while giving Biden's opponents the power to limit his political agenda and launch potentially damaging probes into his administration and family. Jim Banks, a Republican congressman from Indiana, said he expects his party to win a slim majority in the 435-seat chamber and serve as "the last line of defense to block the Biden agenda," while launching probes into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the origin of COVID and pandemic lockdowns. ● Even if Republicans win a narrow majority in the House, Democrats' performance suggests they had success in portraying their opponents as extremists, pointing in part to the Supreme Court's decision to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion following conservative appointments to the bench.
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