Biden's agenda at stake, battle for Senate pushes to January

Control of Senate won’t be decided until January ruffs in Georgia after neir party Wednesday locked down a majority, launching a mammoth battle to shape President-elect Joe Biden's nda and determine balance of power in Washington.

delock became official after Republicans held Senate seat in Alaska . re, incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan defeated Al Gross, an independent running as a Democrat, after an onslaught of mail-in ballots delayed counting until Tuesday, a week after Election Day.

Democrats are w denied an immediate path to majority, but Republicans are also short. Inste, sprint to Jan. 5 ruffs for two seats in Georgia will determine wher Senate becomes a Republican-held check on Biden's nda or a Democratic partnership with new White House.

“We’ve got to go win Georgia,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., incoming chairman of National Republican Senatorial Committee, after he was elected by his colleagues Tuesday.

Democrats are amassing an army of volunteers, fueled by a fresh onslaught of donations from Americans nationwide er to ensure Senate, like Democratic-majority House, has Biden's back.

“entire Democratic infrastructure” is going to focus on winning Georgia, said one aide, granted anymity to discuss situation.

With Biden’s victory, Republicans would need 51 seats for majority control, since vice president of party in White House — soon to be Kamala Harris — becomes a tie-breaker in Senate.

As tally w stands, Republicans will have a 49-48 hold on Senate heing into new Congress. One or race remains undecided, in rth Carolina, where Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham has conceded to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. But race is too early to call.

Senate can make or break White House's nda. With a Democratic Senate, Biden would have allies to easily confirm his minees, including for cabinet positions, and shape pass of legislation. If Republicans keep control, Senate Majority Mitch McConnell can block Biden's nda.

It's unclear how heavily President Donald Trump will fight to keep Senate in Republican hands after his own election defeat.

As Trump refuses to accept outcome of presidential election, waging a legal battle with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud , his GOP allies in Senate are following his le. Senate Republicans need Trump — and his voters — on board for Georgia race. Privately, though, many Republicans doubt Trump has a path to overturning Biden's victory.

political world swiftly focused on Georgia, where campaigns have alrey begun.

GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler will face Rafael Warck, a Black pastor from church where Rev. Martin Lur King, Jr. preached. And Republican Sen. David Perdue, a top Trump ally, will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff .

Warck, in an interview with MSNBC, brushed back early attack s and vowed to go to Washington “to stand up for ordinary people.”

Strategists estimate an eye-popping $500 million could pour into state in coming weeks. Georgia is a politically divided state, with Democrats making gains on Republicans, fueled by a surge of new voters. But Democrat has been elected senator in some 20 years.

On Wednesday, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., joined Loeffler and Perdue’s wife, Bonnie, for crowded, indoor rally, despite surging COVID-19 crisis, as Republican senators join push to salv ir majority.

Democrats immediately blasted Perdue for skipping event.

Loeffler and Perdue stunned many this week when y jointly called ir own state election system an “embarrassment" as Biden was leing over Trump. Georgia's Secretary of State on Wednesday anunced an audit of presidential election results that he said would be done with a full hand tally of ballots because margin is so tight.

Both parties suffered defeats in election for Senate that defied expectations. ir majority shrunk, Republicans were defeated in Arizona and Coloro as Democrats ded to ir ranks. But Democrats lost one of ir own in Alabama and failed to win as y took on or Republicans y targeted across a wide map.