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Midterms are near and with them Republicans’ great opportunity to achieve a majority in both chambers of Congress because Democrats face a very unfavorable electoral landscape due to the various crises under the Biden administration.
Midterms are held every two years and get their name from the fact that they take place in the middle of the presidential term. In these elections, the full House of Representatives and 1/3 of the Senate are renewed. In turn, several important states also hold elections to appoint their governors and other local officials.
For the past two years, the Democratic party has held the majority in both the House and Senate, which has allowed Joe Biden to pass certain legislation, particularly spending bills, without difficulty. However, the president’s bumpy ride has left a bad aftertaste even among his own supporters who may choose to tip the scales in favor of the Republicans.
The Democrats hold a narrow majority, and polls virtually assume that the GOP will take the House of Representatives and the Senate is very likely to do the same.
In the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, 49% of likely voters said they planned to vote for a Republican for Congress while 45% said they planned to vote for a Democrat; and Republicans lead among independents by 10 points.
But in recent years Hispanics have become increasingly relevant in shaping elections.
In 2016, Donald Trump won 28% of the Hispanic vote, then in 2020, it was up to 38%. This year, according to The Wall Street Journal, recent polls suggest that Republicans will again win between 34% and 38% of the Hispanic vote.
Inflation is the biggest concern in midterms
According to some polls, Americans’ biggest concern is high inflation; and according to studies, the economy will be the main issue that will influence their vote on 8 November.
In a poll conducted by Fabrizio Lee and Associates, 71% of Americans think the country and its economy are heading in the wrong direction and 48% have a poor image of President Biden, compared to 26% who view him positively.
A farmer named Garland Elliott told EFE that his business has plummeted over the past two years.
“People complain that (Biden) doesn’t do anything, but he does, everything he shouldn’t,” said Elliot, who had voted for the Democrats and is now unsure whether he will again.
“None of them have shown that they really care about us, about the middle class. The Democrats used to be the party of the people, but they’re not anymore,” he confessed.
Midterms often serve as a verdict on how the president is doing, and typically, the party that holds the White House tends to lose seats, something that worries the president whose approval rating has been below 50% since last August.
If the Democrats hold out, President Biden will be able to pursue his plans on climate change, expand government-run health care programs, protect abortion rights and strengthen gun control; but all indications are that the Republicans stand a good chance of gaining a majority in Congress and will be able to stop the Democratic agenda.
If successful, the Republican party will be able to control congressional committees, which would allow them to move forward with pending investigations such as the Hunter Biden scandals and his links to the Chinese regime or the failed troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Sabrina Martín Rondon is a Venezuelan journalist. Her source is politics and economics. She is a specialist in corporate communications and is committed to the task of dismantling the supposed benefits of socialism // Sabrina Martín Rondon es periodista venezolana. Su fuente es la política y economía. Es especialista en comunicaciones corporativas y se ha comprometido con la tarea de desmontar las supuestas bondades del socialismo