Elections have been garnering national attention ever since President Donald Trump shocked the political world in 2016 when he won the presidential election.
During the 2017 off-year election, the nation watched anxiously as Virginia and New Jersey both held gubernatorial elections, as well as high profile special elections throughout the year in Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, South Carolina, and Utah. These elections served as a test to see how the nation would respond to Donald Trump’s victory a year earlier.
During the 2018 Midterm Election, the nation once again became divided. As a result of Donald Trump’s unpopularity, the 2018 midterm election had the highest voter turnout since 1914. This election sent shockwaves throughout the United States as the Democratic Party retook the House for the first time since 2008 with historic gains of 41 seats as well as gaining 7 Governorships. The only upside for the GOP was that the Republican Party kept control of the Senate and even gained two seats. The results of the election were seen as a significant rebuke to Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s policies.
Now the nation is once again focusing their attention on the 2019 election to evaluate whether or not Donald Trump still has the ability to control the Republican Party while being immersed in talks of impeachment.
On November 5th, 2019, Kentucky, Mississippi, Virginia, and New Jersey held elections. On this night, Democrats were able to defy the impossible and take control of the entire Virginia government, something that the party has not done since 1994. The Democratic Party gained two seats in the state Senate as well as six seats in the state House.
In Kentucky, moderate Democrat Andy Beshear, son of former Governor Steve Beshear, pulled off an incredulous victory by defeating embattled and unpopular Governor Matt Bevin, denying Donald Trump of a must-win gubernatorial seat in a ruby-red state.
These two victories for the Democratic Party helped prove that the Republican Party is losing ground due to Donald Trump’s unpopularity, as well as a sign that talks of impeachment have affected the American voters. Not only did these two wins prove the effects Donald Trump has had on elections, but it continued to highlight the shift of once suburban Republican strongholds to now tossup counties that have been trending towards the Democratic Party.
Even though these two victories helped show that the Democratic Party might be able to pull off considerable gains in 2020, the GOP had some wins of their own as well. In the state of Mississippi, Republican candidate Tate Reeves was able to defeat moderate Democrat Jim Hood in the Gubernatorial election. Republicans were also able to sweep the entire state and even won the race for Attorney General. Lynn Fitch, Attorney-General elect, will become the first woman to ever hold the position and the first Republican since 1867. The Republican Party also held on to its supermajorities in the state House and Senate.
In Kentucky, Republicans won every position on the ballot except for the Governorship, which provides some hope that the Gubernatorial election might have been personal instead of political. Daniel Cameron, Attorney General-elect, made history by becoming the first African American to be elected Attorney General and became the first Republican to hold the Attorney General position since 1948.
In New Jersey, the Republican Party was able to gain four seats in the General Assembly as well as holding onto competitive districts, including here in the 25th district where Anthony Bucco and Brian Bergen both won seats in the State Assembly. The gains that the Republican Party made were the largest since 1991.
On November 16th, Louisiana held its runoff election for state positions as well as runoff State Legislature elections. The incumbent Governor, John Bel Edwards, was able to defy Eddie Rispone and the GOP of securing the only Democratic Governorship in the Deep South. In a tight race, popular and moderate incumbent Governor Edwards denied President Donald Trump of a win in the deep red state of Louisiana. While Republicans failed to take the Governorship, the Republican Party swept the rest of the state positions, as well as maintaining their majority in the State House and gaining a supermajority in the State Senate.
Both the Republican and Democratic Parties had significant and historic victories on Tuesday, November 5th and Saturday, November 16th, which proves that the upcoming Presidential Election could be one of the most critical and polarizing elections that the United States of America has come to face. It is important to remember, however, that we are all Americans, no matter the outcome of any election.
0
0
Average Rating