Heavyweights and big money from both national parties have been pouring in Into Georgia for a game that will decide everything The balance of power in the Democratic-controlled Senate next year.
If Republican Herschel Walker wins, the parties will split again senate 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris delivering the tie-breaking vote, with Democrats gaining the smallest margin.
Democrats take control of Senate after party incumbents hold their ground John Fetterman of Pennsylvania Gained the seat of retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
But it’s still a game fraught with consequences.
In the short term, a victory for Sen. Raphael Warnock would bring more power to Democrats as they seek a firmer grip on procedural life in the Senate, which could help them quickly confirm more Joe Biden for President nominees. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin would also lose some clout if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has more votes, which could be even more significant given that Manchin faces re-election in 2024.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, made the stakes last week.
“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 a majority if Walker can fill in their support now, perhaps an important one. seats.