The 2022 Congressional and gubernational midterm elections were held across the country on Tuesday, November 8. With almost all of the results in, it is safe to conclude that the expected Republican Red wave simply failed to materialize, giving a breath of fresh air to the Biden Administration as it tries to ride off the most severe inflation crisis in four decades. With a few notable exceptions, the most extreme Republican candidates on the far-right lost to moderate or liberal Democratic competitors, many despite Trump endorsement.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the 2022 mid-term results so far:-
1) Maryland: Wes Moore
Wes Moore was elected the state’s first Black governor, and nationally he is the third elected Black governor.
Moore is a well known Author featured on Oprah, Chief of nonprofit and had endorsements from many of the state’s Democratic establishment during the primary and later had large support from former president Barack Obama, Current President Joe Biden who did a Rally for him Tuesday at Bowie State university and former U.S. senator Hillary Clinton.
2) Pennsylvania: Fetterman Beats Dr. Oz
In the 2020 swing state of Pennsylvania, the Democratic Party received a much-needed victory with John Fetterman comfortably beating the television celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz. Interestingly, Dr. Oz only moved to Pennsylvania in 2020 to become eligible for the race on the Republican Party ticket. Known for promoting pseudoscientific medicine and anti-vaccine propaganda on his long-running show, Dr. Oz grabbed media attention due to his eccentricity.
With Pennsylvania Senate seats secured, the Democrats now have a much higher chance of retaining their razor-thin majority in the chamber, which currently stands on 50-50 with the deciding vote going to Vice President Kemala Harris.
3) New York: Hochul Wins Second Term
In the New York State’s gubernational race, the Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul won to secure her first full term as the governor of East Coast’s most populous state. Hochul had formerly replaced long-term governor Andrew Cuomo after a series of COVID and sex scandals forced him to resign. While a Democratic victory in New York is not normally surprising, this election cycle was particularly close thanks to Lee Zeldin’s enthusiastic campaigning focused primarily on the COVID-driven rise in crime. Zeldin has yet to concede his defeat.
With her victory, Hochul has now officially become the first elected female governor of New York.
4) Vance, DeSantis Emerge Strong
In some states across the country, the Trump-backed MAGA Republicans emerged strong in the aftermath of highly divisive campaigns aimed at attracting the White working-class vote. One prominent example of this phenomenon is Ohio Senate candidate J. D. Vance, who was elected to his seat Tuesday. The “Hillbilly Elegy” author has made headlines for specifically seeking to revitalize Republican support among rural White farmers and workers at the cost of the more traditional campaigning strategies aimed at urban audiences.
Another far-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene was also re-elected to her House seat and will once again represent Georgia’s 14th District for four years.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis surpassed many expectations, achieving a sweeping victory in the gubernational election Tuesday. Though relatively little known until recent years, DeSantis has quickly become a household name and the favorite alternative to Trump among the Republican voter base. The DeSantis campaign in 2022 broke the all-time record for any gubernational election in American history by raising a whopping $200 million in campaign funding.
5) Georgia: Too Close to Call
One of the most anticipated Senate races this year was that between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican rising star Herschel Walker. Walker made several headlines over the months preceding his contest with Warnock for multiple allegations of forced abortions and abandoned offspring. The candidate was strongly supported by former President Donald Trump, a personal friend. The former NFL player has not revealed much about his policy preferences.
With 98% of the votes now counted, Warnock leads Walker by a thin margin of 0.7%. However, thanks to the nearly 2.1% of votes that went to Libertarian Chase Oliver, neither of the two main candidates are likely to make the 50% threshold required by the state law. The contest will likely be decided in a runoff election four weeks from now.
