Democrats hold out hope for both chambers, 19 seats too close to call

As counting continued into the fifth day, Republicans had 212 seats in the House of Representatives to Democrats’ 204, with 19 still too close to call.

Joe Biden smiles as he speaks about the US midterm election results while attending the East Asia Summit. Picture: AFP.

Democrats held out hope of keeping control of both chambers of the US congress on Sunday evening (Monday AEDT) after a better than expected performance in last week’s midterm elections, as Republicans lashed out at former president Donald Trump, expected to announce third presidential campaign this week.

As counting continued into the fifth day since Tuesday’s knife-edge elections, Republicans had lost hope of achieving a majority in the Senate but had won 212 seats in the House of Representatives compared to Democrats’ 204, with 19 seats still too close to call.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who left open the possibility she could stay on as Democrat leader in the House, said she “hadn’t given up” on maintaining her slim majority in the lower house, a feat all but unthinkable a week ago when polls pointed to significant gains for Republicans.

“The pundits in Washington said we couldn’t win because ‘history, history, history.’ Elections are about the future,” she said.

NBC News last night was projecting Republicans would win 219 seats in the lower house, compared to the Democrats’ 216, attaching a margin of error of +/- 4 seats.

Of the 19 seats yet to be called, most of them in California, Democrats were ahead in 10, but analysts said Democrats’ had a small chance of retaining power in Congress.

“Why would I make a judgment about something that may or may not ever happen?” Pelosi said, when asked to comment on a potential Speakership of Republican Kevin McCarthy.

“This is such a cause for celebration … I personally know it’s a joy to Harry Reid in heaven that his state came through,” she added, referring to the party’s late former Senate leader, who hailed from Nevada.

Incumbent Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto defeated Republican Adam Laxalt in Nevada on Saturday, clinching the 50-seats the party needed for an effective working majority given Vice President Kamala Harris’s casting vote.

Recriminations within the Republican party continued in earnest over the weekend as party elders sought to pin some of the blame for the surprise loss, against a backdrop of high inflation and rising crime, on Mr Trump.

Larry Hogan, outgoing, term-limited Republican governor of Maryland, said it was the “third election in a row” that the former president had cost Republicans the race.

“He kept saying, ‘we’re gonna win so much we’re gonna get tired of winning.’ I’m tired of losing. I mean, that’s all he’s done,” he told CNN on Sunday

“This should have been one of biggest red waves we’ve ever had,” he added, pointing to the president’s low approval ratings

Republican senator from Louisiana Bill Cassidy said candidates aligned with Mr Trump had “underperformed”.

“We as a party need to have a debate about ideas. In that debate, we need to explain to the American people exactly where we think our country should go.”

Mr Trump, who married his daughter Tiffany at Mar-A-Lago on Sunday, posted a fresh video endorsement of himself by American actor Jon Voigt, and a series of criticisms of Republican senate leader Mitch McConnell, and election officials in Arizona and Nevada, where results have been slow to emerge.

“It’s Mitch McConnell’s fault … and everyone despises him and his otherwise lovely wife Co Co Chow,” he posted on social media.

In the lead up to polling day Mr Trump repeatedly signalled a “big announcement” on Tuesday next week where he is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid.

Mr Trump may decide to campaign for Hershel Walker, the Republican candidate for senator in Georgia that he strongly supported, who will face a run-off election against Democrat incumbent senator Raphael Warnock on December 6th after neither candidate achieved 50 per cent of the vote.