US President Joe Biden said he was "strengthened" by the mid-term elections as his Democratic party won the seat it needed to retain control of the US Senate on Saturday.
Four days after the mid-term elections, the US media declared the victory of Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in the key state of Nevada.
The good result confirms the party’s unexpected success in the mid-term elections, which traditionally result in a rejection of the party in power. The result means that Biden’s party retains control of the US Senate, even gaining a relative majority of at least 50 seats out of 100. The vote of Vice-president Kamala Harris breaks the deadlock in the Senate, giving Democrats control.
"I know I’m coming in stronger," Biden said in Phnom Penh, where he is meeting leaders at an East Asia summit. "I feel good and I look forward to the next two years," he said after the Democratic victory in Nevada.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans gained seven seats, while the Democrats lost six, giving the Republicans a razor thin majority. Most pundits and party officials were expecting a much more resounding flip of the house.
With Republicans railing behind candidates picked by Donald Trump, issues such as the right to abortion and a democratic backslide in the country took centre stage, and the much-anticipated "red wave" never materialised.
It also puts the Democrat president in a stronger position for the crucial talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled to take place in Bali on Monday on the sidelines of the G20.
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“I know Xi Jinping, he knows me,” he added, saying they have always had "frank discussions." The two men have a relationship that dates back more than a decade to when Joe Biden was vice president, but Monday will be the first time they have met face to face in their current roles.
"We have very few misunderstandings. We just have to figure out what the red lines are," the US President said.
In the 22 midterm elections from 1934 -2018, the President's party has averaged a loss of four Senate seats and 28 House seats.
