By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
As tentative election results start to come in, Republicans have begun to take the first steps in their battle to gain control of the highly coveted U.S. Senate.
Republican Mitch McConnell has been projected to win what was supposed to be a tightly contested Senate race in Kentucky against Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes.
In West Virginia, Republican Shelley Moore Capito is also projected to defeat Republican Natalie Tennant. Capito was the first Republican to take a Senate seat in West Virginia in nearly 60 years. And in Arkansas, incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor is projected to fall to Republican challenger Tom Cotton.
Each of those races will prove decisive as the parties vie for control of the legislature.
Based on results so far, Republicans need a net gain of four seats to gain control of the chamber. They needed six before polls opened Tuesday morning.
Republicans already have control of the House, and are widely expected to maintain it. If they are also able to wrest control of the Senate from the Democrats, they will have full control of the legislature, further complicating Democratic President Barack Obama's efforts to drive U.S. policy.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, while a little more than a third of Senate seats are being contested. Each of the U.S.'s 50 states have two Senate seats.
Three dozen state governorships are also up for election.
A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll showed Obama’s favorability ratings hitting an all-time low. Just 44 percent of respondents said that they viewed the American president favorably.
The downward spiral in Obama’s popularity has fueled a Republican charge to increase its hold in Congress, and has led some Democrats running for office to distance themselves from the once-popular leader as they vie to gain or maintain their seat in highly competitive elections.
Chris Lowery, a resident of McLean, Virginia, said that Obama has not gotten enough credit for what he has accomplished, especially from his party.
“I feel the president isn’t getting enough credit – particularly other Democratic candidates aren’t recognizing him for what he has accomplished despite huge obstacles," he said. "Even if the Republicans prevail in controlling the Senate this time, I can't see how our nation is going to get anything meaningful done if Congress is basically at a standstill.
Annette Vaughan, a resident of neighboring Vienna said that while she hopes Republicans are able to gain control of the Senate, she was doubtful that it would actually result in the body, whose performance over the past two decades she said was "abysmal," passing needed legislation.
“I just think the president had an opportunity - and he had opportunities - to exert leadership,” she said. “I don’t think he did a very good job, and it’s time for another group to have a chance to do it.”
It's not certain if a definitive victor will be seen by Wednesday with some expecting runoff elections in at least Louisiana and Georgia. Potential recall votes in some races could also slow down the process.
Turnout for midterm elections is generally lower than years in which presidential voting takes place. Roughly 40 percent of voters turn out for midterms compared to about 60 percent in presidential elections.
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