A 'Sure Thing' Election That Wasn't
TownhallNov 09, 2022
US Midterms Results: Key Takeaways (Live)
The Facts
Americans headed to the polls last week to decide the makeup of Congress in a heated election season, with Democrats warning of an alleged threat to American democracy by Republicans, while Republicans focused on the economy and crime.
On Saturday, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won her reelection bid in Nevada, securing the Democrats' a narrow Senate majority for the next two years. Meanwhile, Republicans have taken control of the House in this election cycle, and reached the 218-seat threshold needed to win a majority on Wednesday night. As of Thursday morning, the tally was 218-211.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Given the current rate of inflation and violent crime crisis, Republicans should have done better, but that doesn't mean there weren't bright spots. One of these was the landslide reelection of Ron DeSantis, and Florida's showcasing of how to run a smooth election. Whether they end up with a majority in the House, the GOP now has two years to take notes and figure out their 2024 game plan.
Democratic narrative
What DeSantis's win shows is that many Republicans throughout the country are still trying — and failing — to run their campaigns like Donald Trump. Election deniers like Doug Mastriano took huge defeats and up-and-coming progressives like John Fetterman had big wins, showing voters care far more about protecting democracy than the MAGA crowd thought.