US midterms: Are surprise Democrat gains enough?

US president Joe Biden said that democracy was the winner after a better-than-expected midterm election performance for his Democratic Party. Joe Biden also said he intends to run for re-election but has yet to finally decide.

Biden welcomed the initial outcome of the midterm elections, noting that the outcome was far better than expected. He said the Democrats had "a strong night" after the Democrats denied Republicans the sweeping victory they expected. While Republicans made modest gains, an anticipated "red wave" of midterm support for the Republicans failed to materialize.

Vote counting is still underway, with control of the Senate and House of Representatives still not yet clear. However, Biden's Democrats look set to lose control of the House of Representatives. The battle for the upper chamber, the Senate is also on a knife edge - with three states still left to declare.