Two weeks before the Joe Biden era begins, the battle for the future of the United States Senate will be decided today (Wednesday), and with it the future of Joe Biden’s presidency, although it is not yet clear what the future will be. Two races were held tonight in the southern state on its two seats in the Senate. In the first race, Republican Sen. David Paradio faced Democratic John Osoff, while in both Republican Sen. Kelly Laufler and Democrat Rafael Warnock.
President Donald Trump alleges election fraud. Photo: Reuters
A Republican victory in one of the two contests will guarantee them another two years of majority in the upper house of the US Congress. Conversely, if the two Democratic candidates win, there will be a 50-point tie between the two parties and then the decisive vote will be that of Vice President-elect Kamela Harris, who will also chair the Senate.
Top left: David Paradio, John Usoff, Rafael Warnock, Kelly Laufler (Photo: Reuters)Right now, after counting 97% of the votes, it seems that the two races are very close. According to media reports in the US, in a confrontation between Fredo and Usoff, the former leads by only 1,100 votes, but that may not be enough for him because as in the November presidential election, the votes from the “democratic” counties are counted later.
In the contest between Leopler and Warnock, the Democratic candidate is now leading by 0.8% which is about 36,000 votes. Despite the slim chances of winning, Leopler’s camp is optimistic. The candidate refused to declare victory or admit loss, saying “it’s going to be another long night. There are many more votes to count and we have a path to victory.”
But it is not just the Georgia election that is on the agenda. Washington, D.C., is preparing for a stormy day on Capitol Hill and city streets, when members of Congress will gather to confirm the victory of President-elect Joe Biden, along with a large demonstration by outgoing supporters of Donald Trump against “election theft.” Also, the U.S. is awaiting the results of yesterday’s vote in Georgia, which will determine the identity of the major party in the Senate.
At 12 noon (7 p.m. Israel time), members of the House of Representatives and Senate will convene for a joint sitting chaired by Vice President Mike Pence to ratify last month’s vote in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Twelve Republican senators and more than 140 Republican congressmen have announced they will oppose results from key states, most notably Georgia. Due to the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, and since many Republican senators have come out against the intention to oppose the results, the Electoral College decision will win a majority and a flashlight will announce Biden as President-elect and Kamla Harris as Vice President.
In parallel with the congressional hearings, there will be demonstrations in the city by Trump supporters who oppose the election results on the grounds of mass forgery and disorder. Trump has announced that he intends to attend one of the rallies, where he is expected to revisit conspiracy theories. The fear is that the protesters, including members of militias and extremist organizations, will riot in the city and confront police forces, as was the case at a previous rally last month.