4 takeaways from the US midterm elections

Washington –

The Democrats had a better-than-expected performance in the US midterm elections early Wednesday as they appeared to be winning a crucial gubernatorial election after stifling a loss in the House.

But with votes still being tallied in some states, it remained possible for Republicans to control both the House and Senate.

Here are the highlights from the election so far:

FETTERMAN dominates

Democrat John Fetterman’s landslide victory over Republican Mehmet Oz gave Democrats another seat in the Senate, which is currently split 50-50. That means Republicans must win at least two of her seats in her three Senate elections in Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada to take control of the House. .

For the state’s lieutenant governor, Fetterman, who is best known for preferring hoodies to suit jackets, the win was a personal victory after suffering a stroke earlier this year. Oz, Trump’s handpicked television doctor during the election campaign, questioned his suitability.

During Fetterman’s campaign, he emphasized visiting rural areas of the state with talks of creating jobs for the working class.

The effort paid off. Oz won nearly the same rural counties that former President Donald Trump won in 2020, but Fetterman outperformed President Joe Biden in those areas and helped win states.

JJ Abbott, who served as former Gov. Tom Wolfe’s press secretary, credited Fetterman’s “strong brand” but added that voter concerns about abortion rights and electoral integrity were also a factor.

Fetterman carried out “a full-fledged and forceful campaign that effectively repelled a mass attack,” Abbott said.

abortion by vote

If Democrats are actually going to limit losses in the House and retain control of the Senate, it may be a matter of abortion rights that gets credit.

Heading into the election, the energy sparked by the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision to strip abortion of constitutional protections is enough to save Democrats when compared to voter concerns about the economy. There was a growing belief among political analysts that it was not.

But throughout the night there were signs that abortion was still a big problem. Nowhere has Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican challenger Tudor Dixon more than Michigan, where he has vowed to “fight to the death” for abortion rights.

Michigan voters also approved a ballot issue giving the state constitutional protections against abortion.

Exit polls conducted by Edison Research found the economy and abortion to be the two most important issues for voters, with 76% of Democrats saying abortion was the top driver of their vote.

waves or ripples?

The results of a handful of Virginia legislative elections have given some hints as to how the rest of the elections played out in the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Analysts say the race between incumbent Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Yesli Vega in Virginia’s 7th District will be a measure of whether a Republican victory is likely on the side of the 20-seat congress. This district is located in the suburbs of Washington DC Read full article

A moderate, once considered relatively safe, Spanberger’s campaign was thrown into chaos as the political environment appeared to deteriorate for Democrats. On Tuesday, she held off Vega, suggesting that if a Republican wave were to come, it could be a ripple rather than a tsunami.

Spanberger made Vega’s opposition to abortion a central theme of the advertising campaign.

Meanwhile, the election in the 10th district of a state closer to Washington ended with incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton retaining her seat.

The Republicans have captured Virginia’s #1 congressional district, held by Democrat Elaine Luria, the prime target of the cycle. Luria’s loss to Jen Kigans wasn’t all that surprising.As part of the redistricting, the district was drawn in a more Republican-friendly fashion.

The victory brought Republicans closer to the five seats they needed to take over the House.

Leaving Virginia, Democrat Sharice David held her seat in Kansas, easily defeating her Republican challenger. Like Spanberger, David was seen as vulnerable if Republicans had a shocking night.

What’s next for DeSantis?

Ron DeSantis handled the job. As expected, he was easily re-elected as Governor of Florida.

All eyes will be on whether he has the guts to fight Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Imagine two gunslingers staring at each other on a dusty boulevard.

It’s been an open secret for months that DeSantis is considering running for the White House, even though he’s never spoken publicly.

Trump has suggested that he may announce his presidential run as early as November 15th. He mocked Mr. DeSantis at a rally, claiming he would not be the nominee for governor if he ran.

David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida, said he expects DeSantis to announce his presidential ambitions soon.

“DeSantis is ready for a head-to-head primary, and we expect him or his team to show it in the coming days,” Jolie said.

A recent Victory Insights poll of Floridians found that Trump and DeSantis each had 50% approval.