When Democrats were in charge, they lowered prescription drug prices, lowered medical costs, helped people out who were struggling with evictions and did the kind of commonsense bread-and-butter things that were fighting for working people. Second, I think that there was a significant Republican overreach on issues that the majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle support, like the ability to control your own body and as well as things that they were openly talking about taking away - privatizing Social Security, cutting Medicare.Īnd then the final thing at least I tried to do on the campaign trail, which I thought was really resonant, was we are in an economic crisis, and which party would have your back the most? When the Republicans were in charge, when Donald Trump was there, their signature bill was a massive tax cut to the wealthiest amongst us who just didn't need it. First and foremost, that this idea of protecting our democracy was salient, and the fact that the Republicans fielded literally hundreds of candidates that were denying elections and even saying things as outrageous as we saw with the gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, that if I win, Republicans will never lose again in the state. And I think there are a few things to note. INSKEEP: What do you think the country was telling you on Tuesday?īOOKER: Well, obviously, we're still counting votes in many places, but as you said, this bucks a significant historical trend, not only about the party in power during midterms, but also, when inflation has been this high, the party in power usually gets decimated. Senator, welcome back.ĬORY BOOKER: It's really good to be on.

And that is the state of play, as Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey joins us. Republicans, overall, did worse than expected and worse than the party out of power normally does in a midterm election, yet the chambers are so closely divided, they may still capture the House or the Senate. Whichever party wins two of those three - Nevada, Arizona, Georgia - gets a Senate majority. So this is almost like a sports playoff series. Vote counting continues in Nevada and Arizona, and a runoff is coming in Georgia. Democrats in Pennsylvania flipped a seat to their side. Two days after the voting ended, we still do not know who will control the United States Senate.

Senate midterm results