WASHINGTON: The final undecided contest of the United States midterm elections could have big implications for the Democrats as they look to solidify their Senate majority, and possibly shape the next two years for US President Joe Biden.
The Democrats currently hold 50 seats in the 100-seat Senate, against the Republicans’ 49.
Tuesday’s (Dec 6) high-stakes run-off election will decide whether incumbent Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock or Republican and Donald Trump-endorsed rival Herschel Walker takes the Georgia Senate seat.
Their battle went to a second round after neither candidate got the required 50 per cent of votes at the Nov 8 midterms.
Polls show that Mr Warnock, a pastor of Martin Luther King’s former church, has a narrow lead over Mr Walker, a former American football star.
EVERY SEAT COUNTS IN CLOSELY-DIVIDED SENATE
Regardless of the outcome, the Democrats will still control the upper house of Congress for the next two years. But in such a closely-divided Senate, every seat counts.
“With a 50-50 tie, the Democrats cannot lose a single senator,” said Dr Mark Rom, associate professor of government and public policy at Georgetown University.
“So, on any piece of legislation, they have to find something that satisfies all 50 senators, including two senators, the senator from Arizona and the senator from West Virginia who have often said, ‘Wait, we won’t vote for this bill unless you give us exactly what we want.’”
A win for Mr Warnock would strengthen the Democrats’ hand, making it tougher for those moderate Democrat senators to hold up legislation, as they often have since Mr Biden took office.
At the other corner, Mr Walker has not held public office, and Mr Warnock has attacked his Republican challenger for barely understanding his party’s policies.
Despite running on a pro-life platform, two ex-girlfriends of Mr Walker have claimed that he paid for them to have abortions, something he has denied.
Those allegations, along with the Supreme Court decision that took away abortion access, could be enough to influence Republican female voters, some analysts believe.
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