As election day extends beyond Tuesday as votes continue to be counted, Democrats are becoming less confident in their fight to create a “blue wave” in the Senate. Although they maintain their grip on the House majority, the red seats that they expected to flip were much more optimistic than the current reality.
What We Know:
- House Democrats have once again won the majority after gaining 41 seats in the 2018 election. Some of those re-elected include the famous “squad” composed of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
- Although Republicans remained the minority in the House, they did pick up a projected 6 seats, despite the Democrats’ confidence in winning seats in rural, majority republican areas. One of the most notable Republican winners is Marjorie Taylor Greene, an open supporter of QAnon, who won Georgia’s 14th congressional district.
- Democrats pulled off two victories in the Senate, by adding crucial seats in Colorado and Arizona. However, they failed to flip seats in states they thought would receive more blue votes. Republican strategist, Scott Jennings, said these losses have to do with the way the Trump administration “reorganized the political parties,” rebranding Republicans as a “working-class” party.
- Securing a Democratic majority in the Senate is crucial for the party since the Senate is currently split 53-47 under the Republicans control. Since the divide is so narrow, it is especially important for Democrats that the Vice President be of the same party; the VP has the power to break a tie in the Senate.
It may be that Democrats thought Americans would vote blue down the ballot as a result of the public’s disapproval in how the Trump administration is handling covid and the economy, yet this disappointment should perhaps be a wake up call to the party so that they can reevaluate how they plan to appeal to Republican voters.
