Democratic President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Republicans to work together to advance domestic and foreign policy goals, including providing support to Ukraine to help repel Russia's invasion, amid increasingly tight midterm elections.
The results of Tuesday's races were not clear enough to project who will control Congress from January. Republicans were viewed as closer to retaking the House of Representatives, while Democrats have shown surprising strength and scored a win in a race deemed crucial to holding the Senate.
Speaking at a post-election press conference, Biden hailed his party's performance, saying "a giant red wave" of sweeping Republican victories, as suggested by some pundits, "didn't happen."
But with a looming divided government apparently in mind, the president said, "I'm prepared to work with my Republican colleagues. The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well."
"In the area of foreign policy, I hope we'll continue this bipartisan approach of confronting Russia's aggression in Ukraine," he added.
Concern has been growing that a Republican-controlled House could complicate the Biden administration's efforts to support Kyiv, after House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly warned that his party will not write a "blank check" for Ukraine if it wins back a majority in the chamber.
Questions over the ballooning price tag have also been voiced by Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump, who pursued a unilateralist "America First" foreign policy during his four years in power through January 2021.
A Republican-controlled House would likely dampen the prospects of the remaining two years of Biden's presidency, as the chamber could block the passage of big spending bills and ramp up oversight of the administration. A Republican-led Senate would also have the power to block the president's Cabinet picks and judicial nominees.
The party of the president typically loses U.S. House seats in midterm elections, which usually serve as a referendum on the sitting president. The average loss has been 23 seats since 1974, according to Gallup.
The Democratic Party entered the final stretch of this year's midterm election campaign with voters increasingly concerned about high inflation. Biden's popularity has also remained low, dampening the Democrats' chances of retaining a House majority.
During campaigning, Biden sought to focus attention on Trump and his "extremist" wing of the Republican Party, warning that they threaten democracy and basic rights, including through their denial of the results of the 2020 presidential race.
The Democrats also campaigned for abortion access, banking on the strong public backlash triggered by a Supreme Court decision in June that overturned a landmark 1973 ruling guaranteeing the constitutional right to abortion.
In Tuesday's contests, all 435 seats in the House and about one-third of the 100 seats in the Senate were on the ballot. In addition, 36 out of 50 states had races for governor.
The Democratic Party currently holds a slim majority in the House. The Senate is evenly divided, but Democrats hold the majority due to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Control of the Senate has come down to a few close races.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman, the eastern state's lieutenant governor known for his tattoos and trademark hoodies, beat Republican TV personality Mehmet Oz, who was backed by Trump.
In the hotly contested race in the southern state of Georgia, a runoff is expected on Dec. 6 between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican former college football star Herschel Walker, endorsed by Trump, according to U.S. media.
The midterm election outcomes will likely affect a potential 2024 re-election bid by the 79-year-old Biden and the political career of Trump, 76, who has actively rallied for Republican candidates in the midterm cycle and appears eager to take back the White House following his defeat to Biden in 2020.
Biden reiterated on Wednesday that his "intention" is to run again. But he added that he is "a great respecter of fate" and the move is "ultimately, a family decision."
He also said he may make a judgement early next year.
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