The fate of Congressmembers, governors, ballot measures and more were all left in the hands of voters in this year’s midterm elections.
Despite predictions that Democrats would get swept in Congress, a normal phenomenon for any party that’s leading in the White House, races were more competitive than usual. Here are some key takeaways from this year’s election cycle.
01
Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker race still too close to call; could be headed to a run-off on Dec. 6
Somehow some way, rent-a-cop Herschel Walker performed within striking distance of Rev. Raphael Warnock, the incumbent senator running for re-election. As of Wednesday morning, Warnock is leading with 49.4 percent of the vote vs Walker’s 48.5 But if neither candidate gets to 50 percent, the Georgia Secretary of State announced they’re headed for a runoff in December.
02
Red wave where?
Republicans assumed they would roundly defeat Democrats in taking back the House, and some Democrats performed better than expected. The party in the White House generally faces major losses during midterms, and Biden’s current 41% approval rating ranks among the lowest of the country’s recent presidents. It was assumed his relative unpopularity would severely harm Democrats. But without the GOP garnering commanding leads in many House races, they had yet to lock down the lower chamber of Congress by Wednesday morning, while the Senate remained too close to call.
03
Congress is getting its first Gen Z candidate, Maxwell Frost
Coming out of Florida, 25-year-old Maxwell Frost was the former national organizing director for March for Our Lives. The Afro-Latino candidate campaigned on ending gun violence, Medicare for All, and reforming the criminal justice system. Despite concerns about progressives and activists moving the party “too far left,” Frost– like Congresswoman-elect Summer Lee in Pennsylvania– handily won his race over more moderate candidates.
04
Ballot measures are bringing it
From legalizing marijuana to protecting abortions, popular policies may not progress much through Congressional or presidential races. But these two issues were left to voters through ballot measures this year. In Michigan, voters passed Proposal 3, which legalizes abortion in the state. Meanwhile, Maryland voted to approve marijuana legalization.
05
Bye Ashy! Republican voters frequently rebuked Trump-aligned candidates
Many high-profile Trump-aligned candidates lost their races (or unexpectedly struggled), as significant numbers of Republican voters turned towards less extreme factions of the party.
