2022 Elections Archives

2022 Gubernatorial Election Ratings (Mar 2022)

Thirty-six states are holding gubernatorial elections this November. And while most states vote the same way for their governor as they do federally, gubernatorial elections are typically far less partisan. This makes rating these elections more difficult, as incumbent popularity and campaign platforms play a bigger role here than they do nationally. Despite their status as being less partisan, they are still overwhelmingly important. Control of governorships usually dictates a state’s policy. Wisconsin, for instance, would be far more conservative if the governor was Republican.

Major House Redistricting Victories for Democrats

Since the last update on congressional redistricting, there have been substantive changes in the playing field in the decennial process. Despite what seemed to be hopelessly bad turf for the Democratic Party, they have managed to turn the tables and gain a narrow edge over the Republicans. In total, of the 44 states that have finished redistricting so far, the Democrats have a net gain of 12 seats. Republicans lost five seats. This is mainly due to a string of court, legislative, and commission victories in the Democrats’ favor.

How Might the 2022 Midterms Play Out?

The 2022 midterms are just under 10 months away. As they get closer, we are starting to get a better picture of how these elections might play out, especially as congressional redistricting is starting to be finalized by most states. We are starting to see clues of how some of the most consequential elections of this midterm election cycle might play out for both the Democrats and the Republicans.

Redistricting: Which Party Is Ahead? (Dec 2021)

Forty-four states have already begun the decennial congressional redistricting process, with 20 states already enacting finalized House maps that will run through the next 10 years. That is 14 more than in the previous update (not including states with only one district). In this post, we’re going to take a look at how redistricting is going in each state and discuss which party is doing better.

Virginia Gubernatorial Election Points to 2022 Red Wave

On Tuesday, off-year elections were held in various states, with the most notable races being the Virginia gubernatorial election and the New Jersey gubernatorial election. A number of other special elections were also held to fill congressional vacancies, and multiple cities also held mayoral elections. Notably, Republicans swept into power in Virginia, and New Jersey’s incumbent Democratic governor was just a hair’s smidge away from losing to a Republican. Yet, in what seemed like a great year for Republicans, a number of progressive Democrats won races in local elections.

An Early Preview of Congressional Redistricting

With the midterm elections being just over a year away, states are starting to begin the redistricting process by proposing new congressional maps after the results of the 2020 Census were released a few months ago. Though just four of the 44 states that go through redistricting (those that have more than just an at-large district) have finalized their maps, we are starting to get a good idea of what each party is going for with their new maps.

Andrew Cuomo Resigns Over Sexual Harassment Scandal

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday, August 10, effective in two weeks’ time. Cuomo announced his resignation amid a slew of sexual harassment allegations and the New York attorney general releasing a report that found he sexually harassed 11 women. Had he not resigned, Cuomo would have faced near-certain impeachment from the Democratic state legislature.

The Most Competitive Races of the 2022 Senate Elections

Though they are still more than a year away, the 2022 Senate elections are already shaping up to be one of the most competitive cycles, with many states expected to be battlegrounds. The result of the 2022 Senate elections will be a key indicator of the popularity of the Biden administration and will determine the balance of power between the parties in Washington.

Why Missouri Could See a Competitive Senate Race in 2022

Missouri, once a major political bellwether, has slowly drifted into being solid for the Republicans. Therefore, it may come as a surprise to many that Missouri had a Democratic senator as recently as 2018, and the 2016 U.S. Senate election here was very competitive as well. Though the 2022 Missouri U.S. Senate election is expected to be safe for the Republicans, there is one scenario in which this race could become competitive.

Census Bureau Announces New Population Estimates

The U.S. Census Bureau finally released its long-awaited population estimates from the 2020 Census on Monday. According to the Census Bureau, as of 2020, the U.S. population was estimated to be 331,449,281, an increase of about 22.7 million or 7.4 percent from 2010, when the previous census was taken. The bureau has also announced which states will gain or lose seats in the House (and thus the Electoral College), so let’s take a deeper dive.

An Early Look Into the 2022 Senate Elections

After talking about why increasing political polarization and hyperpartisanship are horrible for the Senate, today, we are going to discuss the 2022 Senate elections as a whole. The 2022 midterms will be the first major federal elections to be held in President Joe Biden’s first term, and we could see a Republican sweep if Biden is disapproved of in a year and a half’s time, or we could see Democrats maintain control if Biden and his party remain popular.

GOP Opposition On COVID-19 Relief May Backfire

There is no doubt that the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill is popular among Americans. Among the bill’s many provisions include a provision that sends most Americans $1,400 in stimulus money, extends unemployment benefits, and provides many poverty-reducing measures, including a tax credit that could cut child poverty in half. However, the Republican Party has been completely united on opposing the bill, a decision which may come back to bite the GOP in the foot come the 2022 midterms.

Why So Many GOP Senators Are Retiring in 2022

Midterm elections are generally seen as being unfavorable to the incumbent president’s party. For example, Republicans made large gains during the 2010 and 2014 midterm elections during the Obama administration, while Democrats won back the House in the 2018 midterms during the Trump administration. So to see five Republicans (and counting) announcing retirement in the 2022 election cycle is extremely unusual and surprising.

What Would Happen if the GOP Broke Into Two?

We have increasingly begun to see that the Republican Party is seeing two distinct factions forming within it: the more moderate, traditional type conservative faction and the pro-Trump, far-right faction. Especially after the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, the two sides haven’t been getting along quite well lately, with people on both sides mulling over starting their own party.

Sen. Rob Portman to Retire in 2022, Opening Path For Dems

Sen. Rob Portman, a well-respected two-term Republican senator from Ohio, announced Monday that he will retire when his term ends in 2022 and will not run for reelection, explaining that it is becoming increasingly difficult to “break through the partisan gridlock” in Congress and opening up a major battleground state in what will be a hotly contested midterm election for Senate control.

Battleground States of the Next Election

The 2020 election has shown us some marked shifts in how some states vote. Some states have made themselves evident as being battleground states, while others have solidified for one political party or the other. In today’s post, we are going to discuss and analyze how the results of the 2020 election tell us which states will be (and will not be) the most hotly contested battlegrounds going forward.

First Look at the 2022 Midterm Senate Elections

Although the 2022 Midterms are still two years away, it is never too early to start thinking about them. In today’s post, we are going to take a look at where things stand in the 2022 Senate elections. Like in every American election, there will be some key battleground races to focus on, which will once again determine which party will gain (or retain) control of the Senate.