Republicans have regained control of the US House of Representatives.
After two years of Democratic control of both the House and the Senate, the power dynamic in Washington will change.
It means Joe Biden’s administration may struggle to implement parts of its legislative agenda.
The Democrats succeeded maintain control of the Senate after a key victory in the state of Nevada.
But Republicans garnered enough seats to reach the 218-seat majority needed to win the House, NBC projections show. However, Democrats’ fear of a “red wave” of victory has been averted.
The expected surge of support for the Republican Party, many of whose candidates Donald Trump endorsed, has failed to materialize and leaves them with a slim majority.
Senator Mitch McConnell was also re-elected as Republican leader, overruling a challenge by Senator Rick Scott of Florida.
Mitch McConnell
Speaker Joe Biden congratulated him on the party’s control of the House and said he was “ready to work with House Republicans to get results for working families.”
He added: “In this election, voters have clearly expressed their concerns: the need to reduce costs, protect the right to choose and preserve our democracy.
“As I said last week, the future is too promising to be trapped in political warfare.
“The American people want us to do things for them. They want us to focus on the issues that matter to them and making their lives better. And I will work with anyone – Republican or Democrat – who is willing to work with me to deliver results for them.”
The ruling party almost always suffers losses in the first midterm elections for a president, and rising inflation and worries about the economy have been major factors in Biden’s low approval rating.
