USA TODAY International Edition
Election takeaways
President Joe Biden’s midterm optimism may have been rewarded.
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s optimism may not have been entirely misplaced – that his presidency could defy the odds and that his party would not suffer the steep midterm losses associated with his predecessors. ● As of Wednesday, Democrats were still expected to lose their House majority, with dozens of races too close to call. But a handful of front- line lawmakers elected in a 2018 wave and are seen as rising stars in the Democratic Party have been declared safe. ● They include Reps. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Sharice Davids of Kansas. ● The big surprise of the night was Pennsylvania, where Democrats succeeded in flipping a seat with John Fetterman. Four other takeaways:
Campaigning on Biden’s agenda ( even without him) worked
Biden did not visit Nevada, Georgia or Arizona, where incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly was fending off his Republican challenger in early results.
He also avoided battleground New Hampshire, where Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan easily defeated Republican state Sen. Dan Boldoc.
One of his last stops on the campaign trail was to Pennsylvania, where he stumped for Fetterman and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro. Fetterman won a close race against former President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate Mehmet Oz, while Shapiro cruised to victory over his election- denying Republican opponent Doug Mastriano.
Democrats are holding up Shapiro’s victory as evidence that Biden’s message about the election being a choice between democracy and the rule of law and MAGA Republicans struck the right chord with voters.
They also noted that even in the states Biden did not visit, many Democrats who campaigned on his agenda, namely infrastructure and economic investments, won close competitions.
Abortion was a bigger concern than expected
Inflation was a bigger concern for voters than abortion, but not by as much as polling immediately before the election suggested.
Nearly a third of voters nationally said inflation was their top concern, and 27% said abortion was their priority in exit polling.
Abortion was mainly an issue for voters who backed Democratic congressional candidates, 44% of whom identified it as their top priority in exit polling. Almost half of the voters who cast their ballots for Republican candidates said they were concerned about inflation.
Support for abortion rights in most or all cases was high – rising to 60% from 51% in the last election – indicating voters shared Democrats’ opinion on the issue, even if it was a not a major factor in their vote.
A ballot measure inserting abortion rights into Michigan’s state constitution passed, and the question appeared to boost Democratic candidates in close contests, including Hassan, who gave it prominent placement in their campaign messages. The issue was less effective for Democratic candidates in long- shot Senate races in Missouri, Florida and elsewhere.
Outcome will reshape the next two years of Biden’s term
Republican control of the House would stall Biden’s prospective agenda the last two years of his term and almost certainly lead to legislative gridlock.
His party will not have the votes it needs to codify Roe v. Wade, protect same- sex marriage, reform immigration laws or pass an assault weapons ban.
GOP leaders have promised to investigate his administration’s messy withdrawal with Afghanistan, pandemic assistance and the origins of the coronavirus. They have also pledged to repeal funding in the Inflation Reduction Act for the IRS to hire more agents.
They also have signaled plans to dial back federal spending they say is fueling inflation.
Some members of the potential Republican majority have talked about trying to impeach members of Biden’s administration.