The US Midterm elections this year will determine the balance of power in Washington and state capitals.
Tuesday's midterm elections will determine which party controls the House of Representatives. Republicans are expected to win control, which would give them the power to obstruct President Joe Biden's agenda and look into his administration.
Here are what to watch in the high-stakes US Midterm elections, according to news organizations:
Republicans Have the Edge
Every indicator points to a huge victory for the Republicans on Tuesday, as per an AP News report published by US News.
Inflation and political strife have made voters apprehensive about the country's future. Voters are likely to vent their annoyance with the ruling party, as this has been the pattern in the past.
For more than a century, the party in power has lost major ground in the first midterm election after a presidential change. Three notable exceptions to this rule were the years 1934 (during the Great Depression), 1998 (during the impeachment of Bill Clinton), and 2002 (after the September 11 attacks).
Party officials for the Democrats have been increasingly worried as Election Day draws nearer, despite their early optimism that the Supreme Court's decision to restrict abortion rights could be enough to disrupt past tendencies.
Republican operatives believe they can gain at least five seats and take control of the House of Representatives. However, if there is a large electoral tsunami, the Republicans could pick up as many as 25 additional seats. In the last days of the race, Republican organizations saw an opening and spent millions of dollars in districts with a Democratic tilt in California, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
There is stronger competition for the Senate majority. It only takes one Republican victory to give the party control of the Senate.
Republicans believe they are within striking distance in Colorado and Washington state, as Democrats seek to protect vulnerable incumbents in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire. Faulty candidates who have been supported by former President Donald Trump in Arizona, Georgia, and New Hampshire are hurting the GOP's chances.
Republicans still hold seats in North Carolina and Wisconsin, but Democrats have a better chance of flipping one in Pennsylvania.
Races for governor and other statewide offices, such as secretary of state, also have more weight than usual. The political climate has Republicans feeling optimistic about gubernatorial races in traditionally Democratic areas like Oregon and New Mexico.
Donald Trump Attempts To Discredit Election
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump published a social media post questioning the validity of the midterm elections in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state. Per CNN, He posted, Here we go again! Rigged Election!"
Trump claims that a right-wing news item that raised suspicions regarding absentee-ballot data without explanations.
Donald Trump and his allies spent months building the stage for their erroneous post-election accusations that the election was rigged in 2020.
The Impact of Roe Reversal
Trump and other Republicans voiced concerns that voters could punish Republican candidates who oppose abortion rights in the June election because the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In recent months, evidence has shown that suburban women and younger people are poised to vote for Democrats on Nov. 8.
However,per reports, the impact of the verdict on abortions may be waning now that more than four months have passed.
Recent weeks have seen a shift in focus from abortion to the economy, Social Security, and Medicare among Democratic contenders. Others in government, such as Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), have voiced concern that abortion rights have become too central to the Democratic Party's platform.
Suburban women, a population that turned against Trump's GOP in 2020 but appeared to swing back after Trump left office as the GOP shifted its attention to pandemic limits and the economy, saw this as a particularly crucial issue in the drive for suburban women.
Latino Voters Will Play Crucial Role
After a poor showing with Latino voters in 2020, Democrats made an effort to reach out to the community. Democrats have traditionally done poorly among this group, but there are signs that they could do even worse this year.
The heavily Latino Rio Grande Valley in south Texas has been a focal point of attention for both parties due to the administration's efforts (or lack thereof) to resolve issues at the US-Mexico border.
According to Michael Sean Winters of The National Catholic Reporter, voting patterns throughout the evening in south Texas, where Trump performed admirably in the 2020 election and where the GOP has made a significant push to attract Latino voters should be monitored.
Republicans are attempting to connect with Hispanics in Texas' big cities this year by highlighting the state of the economy and the fact that Democrats are promoting a cultural agenda that is far to the left of the majority of Latino voters.
Latinos will decide the race between Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortes Masto, the first Latina in the US Senate, and Republican Adam Laxalt, he noted. Things are heating up in the final stretch.
"This election could scarcely be more important given the number of election deniers on the ballot," Winters said in his column, adding that it looks like a good night for Republicans, and Democrats will have to defy gravity to cling to either chamber.
