After months of speculation and long, tense hours of waiting, the results are in. Almost. Congressional control is at a standstill, and Americans are left holding their breath, waiting to see the stalled results of a congressional majority.

Democrats have seemingly defied expectations regarding their voter turnout. Days before voters were to express their opinions at the polls, outlets nationwide predicted a “Red Wave,” in which Democrats would lose all control over Congress. That Red Wave never crashed on the shore, as the rumor failed to become reality.

“Honestly, I’m a little surprised,” AP Government teacher Dalton Pool said. “Usually, midterm elections are difficult for the president’s party; the Democrats broke a lot of people’s expectations. Republicans will still win the House, but only pick up seven or eight seats, which is historically impressive. That Democrats hold the Senate majority, and might grow it if they win the runoff in Georgia, is a big deal.”

So far, Democrats hold 48 of the 100 seats in the Senate, with Republicans holding 49. Two of those remaining seats are under the Independent party, who caucused with the Democratic party, meaning the Senate majority is in the left’s hands, 50 to 49. As Republicans don’t hold 2/3s of the Senate, they can’t overrule Biden’s veto, placing the nation in a potential stalemate.

“I’m happy about the results, but I’m also surprised with them as well,” senior Drue Donus said. “In the past, the opposite party usually takes the Senate, but somehow the Republicans didn’t manage it.”

The results of one race still remain to be seen, however, as Georgia’s Senate election has reached a standstill. The decision between Trump-backed Republican Herschel Walker and Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock ended in Warnock’s favor. With 49.4% of the vote, however, Warnock didn’t have the 50% required by Georgia law to continue serving as senator. The runoff will be held December 6. No matter where Georgia lands, the senate will be blue; If Georgia does go red, splitting the Senate 50/50, Vice President Kamala Harris acts as a tiebreaker, swinging the majority back to the left.

“What makes the Constitution unique is that it gives each state the power to run their own elections,” Pool said. “In some states, like Georgia, you need a majority, or else there’s an automatic runoff. I’m not surprised that it’s gone to a runoff, Georgia has been super close the last couple of elections. What is surprising is that the other races in Georgia went red; this was the one where the Democrats had a lot of success, which has to do with Walker’s polarizing controversy.”

Although Americans know the Senate belongs to the Democrats, the battle for the House of Representatives is ongoing. At deadline for publication, the Democrats held 206 seats, while the Republicans were just one seat away from the 218 required for control, with 12 races undecided. After cinching the Senate, many Democrats have turned their eyes to the House, where they hope they have a chance of retaining the lower chamber.

“Democrats probably won’t take the House,” senior Shash Karthikeyan said. “One of the reasons Republicans are winning is the economy. Because it’s bad right now, Republicans will probably get more votes.”

In voting for the Speaker of the House, all House members vote for which representative they want to lead their chamber; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy secured that position Tuesday night; Republican leadership of the Senate is expected to be Mitch McConnell.

“McCarthy struggled getting support from the far right-wing of the party,” Pool said. “To appease some of the far right representatives, they need somebody that’s more aligned with them. That McCarthy struggled to get everybody on board shows the party’s inner turmoil.”

Recently, the Republican party seems to be splitting in two, as they struggle to decide whether to follow the traditional direction of the party, or to follow the modern, Trump-based party. This split is strengthened by Trump’s announcement to run for president in 2024. On the other side of the coin, the results of these midterms promise an eventful future for the Biden Administration. As the Red Wave didn’t manifest, President Biden’s agenda, his plans to run for re-election, and his legacy are strengthened by his party’s representative power. 

“This will definitely be positive for the Biden Administration,” Karthikeyan said. “Biden is leaning left, and with the Democrats’ win in the Senate, I feel they’ll be working more towards affordable economic policies, focusing on oil.”

Although many students aren’t interested in politics, Pool believes it’s important to recognize the power the government has in every American’s day-to-day life. He believes young people should be the most invested in elections, as the decisions made today, and the consequences of those decisions, will affect them for the rest of their lives.

“If there’s one thing I want students to take away from this election, it’s to vote,” Pool said. “Young people suck at voting. Right now, the country is being shaped by older generations, but come future elections, if young people vote in significant numbers, they have the power to shape the country however they see fit.”