Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that the midterm elections are a “vindication” for Democrats and their agenda after the party held onto their Senate majority for the next two years.
Schumer said at a press conference on Saturday that “terrific” Democratic candidates, the party’s agenda and accomplishments, and the American people’s rejection of “antidemocratic extremist MAGA Republicans” led to the party holding onto its majority.
Democrats were projected to maintain their majority in the Senate after Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) was projected as the winner in her reelection bid against former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R).
“This election is a victory, a victory and a vindication for Democrats, our agenda and for the American people,” Schumer said.
Republicans hoped to make significant gains in both houses of Congress, but Democrats outperformed expectations in many races across the country, causing a disappointing performance for the GOP.
Republicans are expected to win a majority in the House, but their margin will likely be narrow, and they will outnumber Democrats by no more than a few seats.
Schumer said Democratic candidates like Cortez Masto, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, all of whom were in competitive, closely watched races, are “fine human beings” who care about people and understand “how to get things done.”
“They believe in our democracy and public service, and they’re going to get a lot done in their states in the next six years,” he said.
Schumer said these candidates defeated some “very flawed” challengers who did not trust in democracy or the truth.
Several Republican nominees running for the most hotly contested Senate seats, like Blake Masters in Arizona and Don Bolduc in New Hampshire, have backed former President Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Schumer said Democratic candidates never lost faith when polls showed them trailing while “MAGA” candidates “stoked fear and division.”
He said people continued to know what Democrats had accomplished while in power, which he said pundits missed in their predictions for the outcome of the midterms.
“We delivered for the American people, and they knew it,” Schumer said.