The Democratic Party led by President Joe Biden will retain control of the U.S. Senate in the midterm elections, local media projected Saturday, following days of vote-counting in tight races in a few states.

Control of the House of Representatives still hangs in the balance, though Republicans are thought to be closer to securing a majority in the chamber. The Democrats' win in the Senate race is a boost for Biden and his party who were navigating strong headwinds heading into Tuesday's elections.

"I feel good," Biden told reporters in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, as news broke that the incumbent Democratic senator won the race in the western state of Nevada, giving the president's party the 50 seats needed to hold the Senate.

The latest outcome underscored how the Democrats have performed above expectations in the midterm elections, despite high inflation and the flagging popularity of 79-year-old Biden.

While the midterms usually serve as a referendum on the incumbent leader, Biden has sought to make the elections about his predecessor Donald Trump and "extremist" Republicans aligned with him, warning they threaten democracy and basic rights, including through their ongoing 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 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate were on the ballot. In addition, 36 out of the 50 states had races for governor.

With the latest Democratic victory projected in the Senate race in Nevada, the Democrats hold 50 seats and the Republicans 49, according to CNN. The remaining Georgia race is set for a runoff on Dec. 6.

For Democrats, 50 seats are enough to secure control of the chamber because Vice President Kamala Harris holds a tie-breaking vote.

The Democrats' holding on to the Senate will mean that among other issues they will not have to worry about the president's Cabinet picks and judicial nominees being voted down by Republicans.

If the Republicans take the House, however, that would allow the chamber to block the passage of big spending bills, ramp up oversight of the administration, and trigger investigations into issues potentially damaging to the Biden administration.

During the election campaign, Republican Party members accused the Biden administration of creating decades-high inflation through what they view as "wasteful" government spending. They also slammed Democrats with claims they are soft on crime and illegal immigration.

This year's midterms were the first major election in the United States since a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in January 2021 in an attempt to stop the certification of Biden's win in the presidential election. Trump called that election "rigged" and continues to repeat the claim without evidence.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted Saturday, "The American people rejected the anti-democratic, authoritarian, nasty, and divisive direction the MAGA Republicans wanted to take our country."

MAGA refers to Trump's "Make America Great Again" election campaign slogan and has become a label and rallying cry for those who support him.

One of the key victories Democrats scored in the Senate contest was in Pennsylvania, in which John Fetterman, the eastern state's lieutenant governor, beat Republican TV personality Mehmet Oz, who was backed by Trump. The Nevada race was also a battle waged by a Trump-endorsed candidate.

The outcome is expected to affect Biden's potential re-election bid in 2024 while also shaping the political calculations for Trump, 76, who has actively rallied for Republican candidates in the midterm cycle and who has appeared eager to run for president again.

During his four years in office, Trump pushed ahead with unilateralist "America First" foreign and trade policies, which were criticized for undermining long-standing alliances, multilateralism and international organizations.

Biden, who became the oldest-ever U.S. president at the time of his inauguration and will turn 80 this month, reiterated on Wednesday that his "intention" is to run again, but that he has not made a final decision.

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