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Republican Herschel Walker (L) is challenging Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, for a US Senate seat in Georgia.

Republican Herschel Walker (L) is challenging Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, for a US Senate seat in Georgia. © Alex Wong (L) and Brendan Smialowski, AFP

The Georgia Senate race goes to a run-off on December 6 after neither Republican Herschel Walker nor Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock garnered more than 50 percent of the vote. Republicans were favoured to win control of the House going into the midterms but key races in both chambers remain too close to call. Review events as they unfolded on our liveblog below (all times are Paris time, GMT + 1).

FRANCE 24’s live blog of the 2022 US midterm election day is now closed. Click here for more articles and videos about the vote as results continue to come in.

>> Click here for live results on the US midterms

  • The outcome of the midterm elections is set to shape the next two years of Joe Biden’s presidency, potentially derailing his legislative agenda.
  • The Georgia Senate race is going to a run-off vote on December 6, as required by state law, after neither candidate surpassed 50 percent of the vote; the final result could determine control of the Senate.
  • Republicans were favoured to win control of the House of Representatives but key races in both chambers remain too close to call. Going into the vote, Republicans occupied 212 House seats to 220 for the Democrats (there are three vacancies); 218 seats are needed to take the majority.
  • Governor Ron DeSantis – seen as a possible 2024 GOP presidential candidate – won re-election in Florida while Republican Governor Brian Kemp fended off a challenge from Stacey Abrams in Georgia. GOP Governor Greg Abbott of Texas won a third term over challenger Beto O’Rourke. Democratic governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Kathy Hochul of New York held on to their seats.
  • Among the closely fought Senate races, John Fetterman (D) beat Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania; Mike Lee (R) won re-election in Utah by beating Independent Evan McMullin; and Republican JD Vance defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in Ohio. It remains too early to call other critical Senate seats, including Arizona and Nevada.
  • Biden hailed the Democrats’ better-than-expected results as a “good day for democracy” in a televised address from the White House.