Nov. 9 (UPI) — Considered the most vulnerable Republican senate seat heading into the midterms, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was re-elected while races in Georgia, Nevada and Arizona remained too close to call on Wednesday afternoon.
Johnson, 67, was ahead by roughly 25,000 votes as of noon Wednesday, with 98% of the vote counted and was projected to win a third-consecutive term, defeating Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes, the state’s current lieutenant governor who was attempting to become Wisconsin’s first Black senator, according to NBC, CNN and The Washington Post.
Johnson is a controversial Republican and a firm ally of former President Donald Trump, who encouraged Johnson to run as early as April 2021. He also challenged the results of the 2020 election, falsely claiming President Joe Biden won the election because of voter fraud, and has repeatedly made false claims about COVID-19 and questioned the efficacy of vaccines.
Democrats and Republicans remained tied with 48 Senate seats apiece as of 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, with votes still being counted, meaning the Georgia, Nevada and Arizona races will decide which party takes control of that chamber.
Senate races in Arizona and in Nevada were still being tallied on Wednesday afternoon, while the race between Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker seems destined for a runoff election. Neither man is poised to get the necessary 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff under Georgia law.
With 98% of votes counted, Warnock led Walker by a slim 49.4% to 48.5% margin at 12:49 p.m. EST Wednesday.
Nevada is reporting 80% of votes have been counted as of Wednesday afternoon in that state’s senate race, which could tip the balance of power in the upper chamber. Incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., was viewed as vulnerable heading into the election. Former president Barack Obama campaigned on her behalf in the days leading up to the election, in an attempt to drum up support.
The state’s senior senator trails Republican challenger Adam Laxalt, a former Nevada Attorney General. Laxalt had captured 49.9% of the vote compared to Cortez Masto’s 47.2% as of 1:03 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
In another key race, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., remained ahead of Republican challenger Blake Masters for that state’s junior senate seat. Kelly, the former astronaut, held 51.4% with Masters holding 46.4% on Wednesday afternoon. However, only 69% of that state’s votes have been counted and reported as of 12:55 p.m. EST, leaving the race open.
In Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman held off Republican challenger and TV host Mehmet Oz for that state’s senate seat on Tuesday night. The pivotal race was expected to be close, with Oz, the preferred candidate of Trump, squaring off against Fetterman, who is still recovering from a recent stroke.
The result flips the state from red to blue after Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., decided not to run for a third term.
Republican incumbents Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also had victories Tuesday night.
Republican venture capitalist J.D. Vance, won in Ohio where he defeated 10-term Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan.
Incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Sen. Micahel Bennetheld, D-Col., also held on to their seats in closely-watched races.
