US Election 2020: Battle for US Senate could last until January

The balance of power in the US Senate may not be decided until January, as Georgia may have to hold run-off elections for both its seats.

No candidate in either race has polled 50%, as required by state election law.

The run-off elections would take place on 5 January, two days after the new Senate is due to convene.

The Republicans currently have a 53 to 47 majority in the Senate and appear on course to retain control, with a loss so far of one seat overall.

The Democrats had high hopes of gaining the four seats they needed to take control, but many Republican incumbents held their seats.

If however the Democrats can gain both seats in Georgia, a traditionally Republican state, this would lead to a 50-50 tie in the Senate.

In one of Georgia’s Senate races, incumbent Republican David Perdue is falling just short of 50% of the vote in his battle against Democrat Jon Ossoff and Shane Hazel from the Libertarian Party, with 98% of the ballots counted.

“If overtime is required when all of the votes have been counted, we’re ready, and we will win,” said Mr Perdue campaign manager Ben Fry.

But the Ossoff campaign predicted that “when a runoff is called and held in January, Georgians are going to send Jon to the Senate”. He currently trails Mr Perdue by 2 percentage points.

In Georgia’s other Senate race, Democrat Raphael Warnock won 32.8% and will go into a run-off against Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, who trailed him with 26%.

Ms Loeffler was appointed to the Senate last year to fill a seat left vacant when her predecessor retired.

Of the 35 Senate seats being contested, 23 were Republican-held and 12 were Democrat.

The Democrats had hoped to gain several seats, but one of only two wins came in Colorado, where former Governor John Hickenlooper defeated Republican incumbent Cory Gardner.

They also won a seat in Arizona, where former astronaut Mark Kelly defeated Republican incumbent and former fighter pilot Martha McSally. But this gain was cancelled out when Alabama Senator Doug Jones lost to Republican candidate Tommy Tuberville.

In Maine, the moderate Republican incumbent Susan Collins staved off a fierce challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon.

Democrats have not had control of the Senate for six years. – bbc.com