Midterm elections are this Tuesday, and it is set to be one of the most important midterm elections in years. As the final days approach, candidates are pulling out all the stops to woo voters. Republicans are trying to hold onto their power while Democrats are looking to gain control of the House. I’ve highlighted a few key races and issues below, as well as discussed the highly anticipated youth vote.
Key Races
Beto O’Rourke (D) vs. Ted Cruz (R), U.S. Senate, Texas – Both parties voted in record numbers during the state’s March primaries and are raising big money, with O’Rourke raising the most (over $60 million, compared to Cruz’s $25 million). Democrats have been trying to turn Texas blue for quite some time, and this might be their chance. The state is becoming increasingly diverse which is a plus for Democrats; however, Cruz has been a staple in Texas for years. To show the importance of the election, Trump, who had a political feud with Cruz during the presidential race, is now endorsing Cruz – talk about awkward.
Antonio Delgado (D) vs. John Faso (R), U.S. Congress, New York 19th – This congressional race has become one of the most highly contested races as Democrats try to gain control of the House. Faso, the incumbent in the district, has labeled Delgado as a “big-city rapper,” using Delgado’s brief stint as a rapper to try to win over the largely white district. However, Delgado is a Harvard Law graduate and a Rhodes scholar who has caught the eye of many people, not just the 19th district. This one has been particularly interesting for me to watch, as it is the neighboring district to my hometown. Seeing it in the national and news and watching my friends get active in the process has been really exciting.
Stacey Abrams (D) vs. Brian Kemp(R), Governor of Georgia – As of 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, Abrams and Kemp were virtually tied in the race. Georgia has been in the spotlight over the past few weeks for voter suppression, with some calling for Kemp to step down from his position as Secretary of State. On Thursday, Oprah campaigned for Abrams, bringing her star power to the campaign to encourage people to get out and vote. If Abrams wins, she will be the first black woman in the position.
Andrew Gillum (D) vs. Ron DeSantis (R), Governor of Florida – Gillum could be Florida’s first black governor, and the first Democrat in the position in almost 20 years. DeSantis is from a very conservative district in Florida, while Gillum is the fiercely liberal mayor from Tallahassee. President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders have voiced their support for Gillum, while President Donald Trump has supported DeSantis. In this highly watched race, some say the biggest issue at the center is race.
Key Issues
Kavanaugh – The contentious battle regarding the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is still in the news and is likely to affect voter decisions. Democrats used Kavanaugh’s hearing to galvanize their supporters, mostly over the accusation of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford. On the other hand, many Republicans are not happy with the way the process went down, meaning it is possible they will be more passionate voters and vote out Democrats.
The caravan – Central Americans are currently making their way to the U.S. border where they will try to seek asylum. Trump, largely against immigration, is doing everything he can to stop these immigrants from entering the country, including his proposal to close the border. Trump’s goal is to make this caravan seem as scary and threatening as possible, with the hopes that enough voters will use this issue as a reason to vote for Republicans.
Pre-existing conditions – Healthcare is one of the biggest issues this election, with special attention to pre-existing conditions and government-run care. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), is designed to protect Americans with prior illnesses; however, Republicans have a history of trying to weaken Obamacare and its protections. Now, Republican candidates are trying to backtrack and prove that they want to keep this coverage.
The Youth Vote
Young voters are expected to voice their opinions in this election more than any other. Videos targeting younger voters have been widely shared on social media, including the Disney Heiress explaining the GOP tax bill and the video entitled “Dear young people, ‘Don’t Vote.’” Celebrities and brands alike have expressed the importance of voting, with theSkimm getting more than 100 thousand people committed to voting. Needless to say, everyone is counting on young voters to show up.
Anything else:
Keep an eye out for democratic socialists. This term became popular with people such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who fully embraced their far-left viewpoints. Some are wondering if a rise in democratic socialism will actually push the party to the left, while others are wondering if this will make party polarization even worse.
What This All Means
The Pew Research Center reported that voter enthusiasm is at its highest level during any midterm in more than 20 years. With such a close race and competing factors, it is hard to tell what will happen on Tuesday, although some believe Democrats will win the House and Republicans will keep the Senate. In the 2016 election, Trump surprised many as he defeated Hillary Clinton, which some people blame poor on polling. If 2018 is in anyway similar, it may be likely that people aren’t willing to voice their opinions in the truest form, which can mislead polls.
Whatever your views, make sure to get out and vote! Learn about your representatives and their viewpoints, find your polling station and remind your friends and family to vote. Whether you believe it or not, your voice matters. Important issues such as health care, gun policy and redistricting are at stake, so make sure to vote to have your voice heard. Besides all of the important policy issues, there’s just something so patriotic about voting and exercising your rights!
Nice synopsis of the current election as of the Sunday before Election Day. In addition to the President’s threat to close the southern border, he is calling up what could be 15,000 troops…this would be more than Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria combined . Fear can drive turnout. We’ll see if it works this time.
Thank you! I am definitely interested to see how voter turnout is given all of the current events.
I am voting are you ?
Yes of course! I sent in my absentee ballot yesterday morning 🙂
Sarah,
As someone who’s been listening to podcasts and checking the news on the midterms regularly, I always appreciate when someone is as interested in politics as I am. I’ve been following the Texas Senate race and the race for NY-19 closely, so I’m glad to see you included those. Over 4.5 million Texans have casted early votes already, so I’m interested to see what happens as we get closer to election day. I think that the youth vote will be especially important in that race, as many young people feel disenfranchised by Ted Cruz. I can share some of your excitement in watching NY-19 play out, as my hometown is in that district. Even though I vote here in Syracuse, I’ve been following the race between Delgado and Faso closely, and my Facebook feed is filled with posts about it. I’m not surprised to see the Pew study that says that enthusiasm is at its highest for any recent midterm – while this is the first midterm I can vote in, I can definitely sense the difference in the way it’s discussed in the media. I think people are waiting to see if the populist conservative movement started by President Trump will continue into the midterms, or if it will be an isolated event. Either way, I know I’m excited to cast my vote on Tuesday!