11:12 p.m. ET, November 12, 2022
Schumer: This election is a "victory and a vindication for Democrats"
From CNN's Sonnet Swire
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the midterm elections and the Democrats' win in his chamber "a victory and vindication" for the party.
"This election is a victory — a victory and a vindication for Democrats, our agenda," Schumer said in remarks from New York, adding that it was also a victory for the American people.
Schumer, who spoke after the Senate race in Nevada was called in favor of incumbent
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, said three things helped the Democrats secure the chamber: "One, our terrific candidates. Two, our agenda and our accomplishments. And three, the American people rejected the anti-democratic extremist MAGA Republicans."
Schumer said Democrats had "faith we were talking to what American people really cared about."
"And we knew the negativity, the nastiness, the condoning of Donald Trump's Big Lie, and saying that the elections were rigged, when there's no proof of that at all – would hurt the Republicans, not help them,” he said.
A Democratic majority in the US Senate also means Schumer remains leader in the upper chamber.
“I feel good,” Schumer said. “I feel good for the country because so many people worried – I did – about this democracy, with all the negativity and all the threats and even some people doing violence.”
“America showed that we believe in our democracy, that the roots of democracy are deep and strong, and it will prevail as long as we fight for it,” he added.
Schumer signaled that he would try to work across the aisle in the Senate, but isn’t opposed to taking on legislation “on our own.”
“My first choice is always to do it bipartisan,” Schumer said. “But on issues that really matter to the American people and when the Republicans aren’t being bipartisan, won’t be bipartisan, we try and do it on our own.”