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Arizona continues to count ballots as the Senate race remains undecided

Arizona continues to count ballots as the Senate race remains undecided

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Vice President Kamala Harris officially handed the presidential race to President-elect Donald Trump. But in places like Arizona, votes were still being counted Wednesday to decide several other hotly contested races.

Former television news anchor and staunch Trump supporter Kari Lake is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego for Arizona's open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

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Polls Wednesday afternoon showed Gallego with a razor-thin lead over Lake with about two-thirds of the vote. But when will we know who won and why the wait has been so long?

Arizona election officials warned before Election Day that it could take up to two weeks to tabulate results in the state. In addition to the high voter turnout in this election, the ballot is also two pages long in places like Maricopa County, the state's most populous county.

But no matter who wins Arizona's open U.S. Senate seat, they won't be able to change the balance of power in the chamber.

Heading into Election Day, Democrats had control of the Senate by a 51-49 margin, including four independents who caucus with Democrats. But for the first time in four years, Republicans have taken back control.

RELATED STORY | When we know who will gain control of the House of Representatives

On Tuesday, Republicans took Senate seats from Democrats in West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. That means Republicans will hold at least 52 seats by 2025, with the possibility of picking up more when all the results are determined.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen which party will take the majority in the House of Representatives.

If the House goes blue, Democrats will be able to keep a check on Trump's power during his second term as president. However, if the GOP retains its narrow majority, a triad of Republican control will be in play next year, allowing Trump to more easily implement his agenda.

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