WASHINGTON (AP) — Razor-thin margins around the country left control of Congress still undetermined, but Democrats showed surprising strength in the midterm election. They defeated Republicans in a series of competitive races, defying expectations that high inflation and President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings would drag his party to key defeats. In the most heartening news for Democrats, John Fetterman flipped a Republican-controlled Senate seat. It is too early to call critical Senate seats in Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia and Arizona that could determine the majority. In the House, Democrats kept seats in districts from Virginia to Kansas to Rhode Island, while many districts in states like New York and California have not been called.

Election takeaways: No sweep for the Republicans after all

WASHINGTON (AP) — For weeks, Republicans predicted a “red wave” would carry them to power in Congress, as voters repudiated majority Democrats for failing to tame skyrocketing inflation and address worries about rising crime. The reality appeared far different early Wednesday. Rather than a wholesale rejection of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, the results were far more mixed as returns from Tuesday’s midterms trickled in. Many Democratic incumbents proved surprisingly resilient, outperforming their party’s expectations. It appears that likely Republican gains in the House will come on far less favorable terms than the party anticipated.