Just a few months ago, Democrats’ chances of capturing the U.S. Senate seemed far-fetched. Indeed, they worried that Donald Trump’s administration might try to steal the election through intimidation, theft, and other subterfuge. Still, as millions of Americans headed to the polls on Tuesday for the midterms, Democratic hopes were buoyed. Nothing significantly untoward has been reported at the polls.
Georgia Democrat Senator John Ossoff won a second term. A year ago, he was thought to be in trouble, but after running a stellar campaign and facing a hapless GOP challenger, he coasted to an easy victory. Just four years ago, Donald Trump easily won Georgia. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms took an early lead. If elected, she would be the nation’s first female African-American governor. In New Hampshire, Democrat Chris Pappas won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas beat back a strong challenge from former U.S. Senator John Sununu, who sought to reclaim his old seat. In North Carolina, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper will succeed the retiring Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, who declined to run again after crossing swords with President Trump, who vowed to find a challenger to Tillis. Cooper is the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat in the Tar Heel state in 18 years.
In Florida, Democrats seem competitive in the gubernatorial race, where they’ve been shut out since 1994, and several GOP House incumbents in the Sunshine State and elsewhere were sweating as of 8:00 pm, suggesting that redistricting efforts led by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis have failed to boost GOP fortunes. Kathy Kastor, a Democratic House incumbent, held on to her seat, despite GOP drawing her a much tougher district. But Senator Ashley Moody held on against Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist, who ran surprisingly well. Moody will serve the remainder of Marco Rubio’s term. She was appointed to fill Rubio’s seat when he was tapped to be Donald Trump’s Secretary of State.
In Ohio, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Sherrod Brown bolted out to an early lead while James Talarico was running strong in Texas, where no Democrat has been elected to the U.S. Senate since 1988.
There’s no sign yet that President Trump’s campaign efforts have paid off, but the night is still young, and endangered Senate Republicans in Nebraska, Kansas, Maine, and Ohio may manage to hold on against what appears to be a Blue Wave.
For those trying to determine the policy fallout from Democrats capturing the House and perhaps the Senate, it’s worth looking back at presidents who lost control of chambers during their terms. Bill Clinton’s Democrats lost control of both chambers in 1994, but he went on to win reelection handily two years later. Dwight Eisenhower’s Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in 1954, but Ike went on to reelection and six successful years in the White House. Politics has become much more polarized since then, but history reminds us that presidents can get things done even when an opposing party controls Congress.
This piece will be updated throughout Election Night and Wednesday
