There are just days left until the Democratic Senate runoff in Georgia. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker, along with heavyweights and big money from both national parties, are pouring into the state for a race that will determine next year’s Democratic race. A race to control the balance of power in the Senate.
If the Republicans win, the two parties will once again split the Senate 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie-breaking vote and Democrats gaining the tiniest margin.
Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives after party incumbents hold their ground and Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman takes a seat held by a retired Republican senator. Pat Toomey.
But it’s still a game fraught with consequences.
In the short term, a Warnock victory would bring more power to Democrats as they seek a firmer grip on procedural life in the Senate, which could help them confirm more of Biden’s nominations in a more expeditious manner people. West Virginia senator Joe Manchin would also lose some leverage if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has more votes, which could be even more significant given that Manchin faces re-election in 2024. meaning.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, made the stakes Monday.
“Having an evenly divided Senate means you get equal representation on committees,” Thune said. “We’ve been successful at shutting down some bad nominees at the committee level. So (the Georgia race) had real consequences.”
Thune also acknowledged that his party could be getting a morale boost after a poor performance in the midterms despite narrowly gaining control of the House of Representatives.
“It’s good to have a win on the books, especially in a state like Georgia, where frankly we think we deserve to win,” Thune said.
Beyond that, looking ahead to the next election in 2024, Republicans — who already have a more favorable map than they did this year — will be better positioned to win back their majority if Walker can fill in their support now, perhaps an important one. seats.