by Mikaela Gantz
The midterms are finally here and there are four key races political analysts are keeping a close eye on that are predicted to determine the majority party in the Senate. These races are Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Georgia. Two out of the four races have been in the headlines quite frequently, Pennsylvania and Georgia, due to notable controversies. In Pennsylvania, it is a toss up between Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman. Interestingly, only the latter of the two is actually from Pennsylvania. Both face difficulties, as Oz is Trump-backed rather than GOP-backed, and Fetterman had a very poor performance in a debate due to his recovery from a stroke he had earlier this year. This race is quite tumultuous, and with no clear leader out of the two, it is certainly one that both parties are vying for.
In Georgia, its Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock against former NFL star Herschel Walker. Walker has recently made headlines due to a number of women who have come forth with evidence that he paid for them to get abortions, though he is supposedly staunchly pro-life. This race is also a toss up and could potentially lead to runoff elections, meaning there’s a possibility that control of the Senate is not decided until mid-December, after runoff elections take place.
In Arizona and Nevada, Trump-backed candidates Blake Masters and Adam Lexalt, respectively, are each facing tight races. Both of these races will likely depend on where the independent bloc of voters choose to place their vote. Arizona in particular has a high amount of independent voters, which both parties are desperately trying to appeal to.
The House of Representatives will almost certainly be Republican controlled, as that is a typical political trend. The Senate is expected to be a close call on which party will gain control. The House Minority Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, is likely to become the Speaker of the House. House Republicans will likely seek to reverse some key accomplishments of the Biden Administration, like the climate change bill.
Editor’s Note: At the time of publishing, the Associated Press declared John Fetterman as the winner of the Pennsylvania senate race. The Associated Press has not called winners in Arizona or Nevada due to low reporting rates in both states. In Georgia, neither Raphael Warnock nor Herschel Walker were able to secure a majority of the vote, despite Warnock’s close 49.4%. A runoff election between the two candidates will take place in December. For updates from the Associated Press, go to their website at www.apnews.com
Reference: The Guardian, 2022
