Giannini Politics Update 7th Edition

By Ishaan Bhattacharya

​Welcome back to the Giannini Politics Update. Today we will be discussing the 2018
Midterm election.
    Significant differences were seen in one of the most highly anticipated and crucial elections in history. The Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives, women seized 98 seats in the House of Representatives, and Republicans retained the Senate majority. The Democrats’ strategy was to recruit candidates that were at one point in time considered out of line for the position. That included many female candidates. The strategy was successful in turning out House voters as a record number of women will be sworn in next year. Democrat Beto O’Rourke is widely credited for a surprisingly well-run campaign. O’Rourke ran in a tight race for Texas senator. Although he did not see victory, O’Rourke’s campaign was focused on identifying new voters and refused to run negative ads. Republican Ted Cruz beat O’Rourke by a small margin, not significant enough to doubt O’Rourke’s political future. O'Rourke has shown that a progressive Democrat can mount a serious challenge in a previously red state. He has brought in thousands of first-time voters, among them many Latinos and millennials. Most surprisingly is the fact that he did this while refraining from negative attacks and staying true to his inclusive values.
    Overall, this midterm election has shown a Democratic wave that may have the power to destabilize the Republican majority seen in 2018. The Democrats took back the House and won in traditionally red states. This shows a possibility of change and a change of results in the 2020 presidential election.

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