Republicans one seat away from retaking House with slim majority

1668489857Republican representative Michelle Steel has won election for a second term in Orange County, the Associated Press declared.She defeated Democrat Jay Chen, a Taiwanese-American, in a district that was specifically drawn to give Asian Americans, who comprise the largest group in the district, a stronger voice on Capitol Hill.The race was being watched nationally for what it said about the preferences of the Asian community.The candidates initially made inflation and hate crimes against Asian Americans key issues. But the race took an ugly turn and most of it focused on accusation and recrimination.Mr Chen’s advertising depicted Ms Steel as an extremist who would threaten abortion rights, while Republicans accused Mr Chen of ‘racism’ after he told supporters an ‘interpreter’ was needed to understand the Republican’s remarks, arguing that the Democrat was mocking her accented English.Mr Chen said he was referring to ‘convoluted talking points’ that he said Ms Steel uses to sidestep issues.Shweta Sharma15 November 2022 05:241668489125Tech entrepreneur Brandon Williams has been elected to Congress in a district in central New York, becoming the 11th Republican to win a House race this fall in a state where Democrats usually dominate.Mr Williams defeated Democrat Francis Conole in the contest to pick a successor to US representative John Katko, a Republican who is retiring from office.He had declared victory last week, but the gap between the two candidates was small and a winner was not called until late Monday.Shweta Sharma15 November 2022 05:121668488924Democrat Andrea Salinas has won the US House seat in Oregon’s newly created 6th District.The state representative and former congressional staffer defeated Republican Mike Erickson, a businessman.Salinas was one of two candidates seeking to be Oregon’s first Latina congresswoman, along with Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the 5th District, who also won her race.Shweta Sharma15 November 2022 05:081668488631Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake has been mocked by her Republican colleague Liz Cheney after multiple news outlets called the race for the Democrats.Ms Lake, a pro-Trump firebrand who has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 US presidential election, had written to Ms Cheney last month sarcastically thanking her for running a TV advert against her, which Ms Lake claimed had actually galvanised support.’Thank you again for the huge boost to our campaign! Enjoy your forced retirement from politics,’ Ms Lake had said.Lake sarcastically ‘thanks’ dissident Republican for urging Arizonans to back her Democratic opponent Shweta Sharma15 November 2022 05:031668488509Republicans were on the cusp of retaking control of the House late Monday, just one victory shy of the 218 seats the party needs to secure a majority, narrowing the path for Democrats to keep the chamber and raising the prospect of a divided government in Washington.Democrats have already won control of the Senate, securing 50 seats with a runoff in Georgia next month that could give President Joe Biden’s party an additional seat. The GOP came into the election needing to gain a net of just five seats for House control.Nearly a week after the midterm elections, Republicans were closing in on the majority, giving conservatives leverage to blunt Mr Biden’s agenda and spur a flurry of investigations. But a slim numerical advantage will pose immediate challenges for GOP leaders and complicate the party’s ability to govern. The full scope of the party’s majority may not be clear for several more days – or weeks – as votes in competitive races are still being counted. Still, the party was on track to achieve 218 with seats in California and other states still too early to call.Shweta Sharma15 November 2022 05:011668487525Gustaf Kilander has the story.’Those primaries get very messy and very raw. We’ve experienced that before’ Oliver O’Connell15 November 2022 04:451668483925John Bowden explains why Nancy Pelosi is staring at an uncertain political future.Nearly a week after voters cast ballots, control of the lower chamber of Congress remains up in the air Oliver O’Connell15 November 2022 03:451668480325Oliver O’Connell15 November 2022 02:451668479247Arizona voters have elected Democratic candidiate Katie Hobbs as the state’s next governor, defeating Kari Lake and dealing a blow to Donald Trump’s campaign to install loyalists in positions of power over election administration across the country.The race was one of the most-watched contests in the country, as candidates who amplified Mr Trump’s false narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him – ahead of his assumed entry into the 2024 race – sought, and lost, critical state-level positions that could determine the outcome of those results.Ms Lake, a former news anchor, was among Republican nominees running for the three crucial statewide offices in Arizona, including secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem and attorney general candidate Abraham Hamadeh – all of whom baselessly stated that the 2020 election was compromised. All received Mr Trump’s endorsement.Mr Finchem has been defeated, and Mr Hamadeh is trailing in unofficial results.Trump loyalist Kari Lake blocked from office in major blow to election denialist movement Alex Woodward15 November 2022 02:271668476725Donald Trump sought to escape blame for the poor showing of his party in the 2022 midterms on Sunday and escalated his racist attacks against the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, his former secretary of Transporation, Elaine Chao.John Bowden has the latest grievance from the former president.Ex-president reacts after conservative media turns on him Oliver O’Connell15 November 2022 01:45