Republican willingness to go along with President Donald Trump’s extended fight over the presidential election may have as much to do with the Georgia runoffs that will determine control of the Senate as with resolving the president’s grievances over the vote count.
Senate Republicans have largely given Trump political cover to challenge Democrat Joe Biden’s victory, avoiding any blowback from president or the millions of GOP voters who are intensely loyal to him. The support of both is particularly important with the balance of power in the Senate at stake in two Georgia runoff contests in January.
“We need his voters,” John Thune, the second-ranking Senate Republican, told reporters Tuesday. “Right now, they’re obviously involved in trying to sort of get through the final stages of his election and determine the outcome there. But when that’s all said and done, however it comes out, we want him helping in Georgia.”
The stakes are high for both parties. If Georgia’s two Republican incumbent senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, win their Jan. 5 runoffs against Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, the GOP would keep control of the Senate next year. That would give Republicans essentially veto power over Biden’s legislative initiatives, his cabinet and any court picks. Vice President Mike Pence plans to campaign for the two Republicans later this month.
If Ossoff and Warnock win, the Senate would be 50-50 and Democrats would be in control by virtue of the tie-breaking vote being cast by Kamala Harris as the vice president.
