Schumer hails Democratic retention of Senate as he condemns GOP’s violent rhetoric

Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada clinches Democrats’ majority as both parties prepare for a runoff election in Georgia

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Democrats’ retention of the Senate majority a vindication, and said that the American people rejected the violent rhetoric from the Republican Party.

Mr Schumer made the remarks shortly after Senator Catherine Cortez Masto clinched her re-election in Nevada late Saturday evening after mail-in ballots moved the race in her favour.

“Democrats will once again have a majority in the Senate and I will once again be majority leader,” he said. “This election is a victory, a victory and a vindication for Democrats, our agenda and for the American people.”

Democrats now have 50 Senate seats as incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock heads into a runoff with Republican nominee and former University of Georgia football player Herschel Walker. Neither candidate received a majority of the vote and Georgia law stipulates a runoff must take place on 6 December.

In addition, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona won his race late on Friday night, while Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire overwhelmingly won re-election. Furthermore, John Fetterman flipped Pennsylvania’s Senate seat.

Mr Schumer also said that Democrats’ victory was a refutation of violent Republican rhetoric that former president Donald Trump ignited through his lies about the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

"The American people rejected – soundly rejected – the anti-democratic, authoritarian, nasty, and divisive direction that Maga Republicans wanted to take our country in," he said. Mr Schumer cited not only the violent riot at the US Capitol on 6 January of last year, but also threats against poll workers and the electoral process.

“All of that bothered the American people,” he said. “And another thing that bugged him just as much too many of the Republican leaders went along with that didn't didn't rebut that violence, and some of them even aided and abetted the words of negativity and other things.”

Mr Schumer said that he feared for the wellbeing of the United States and whether Republicans would win.

“America showed that we believe in our democracy, that the roots and democracy are deep and strong and we will prevail as long we fight for it,” he said.

Throughout the most recent Congress, Mr Schumer has had to manage a fragile coalition that comprised everyone from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent socialist, to Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the most conservative Democrat.

Vice President Kamala Harris, in her role as president of the Senate, often broke ties as Democrats attempted to pass much of President Joe Biden’s agenda as long as Democrats also held the House.

Mr Schumer’s party’s victory bucks the historical trend when the president’s party typically loses large amounts of Senate seats in the midterm elections, as was the case with the last three out of four presidents in their first midterm.

But the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v Wade, bolstered many female voters at a time when Mr Biden’s approval rating remains low.

“Because the American people turned out to elect Democrats in the Senate, there is now a firewall against the nationwide abortion ban threat that so many Republicans have talked about.”

The victory in the Senate comes as Democrats and Republicans wait to hear about results of remaining House races to determine who will have a narrow majority in the lower chamber.