By: JOSHUA RIEBEL, Opinions Editor
Let’s just be clear; the 2022 midterm elections were always going to be a hot mess. At the start of the year, the Republicans seemed poised to take control of both the House and Senate (as often seen in midterm elections); however, between the Supreme Court’s bungling of the abortion ruling as well as some pretty outlandish candidates, the Republicans did a stupendous job of shooting themselves in the foot. The Democrats are quite good at self-sabotage too, but this time eked out both John Fetterman’s senate seat and held onto the Governor’s mansion through Josh Shapiro. While the Republicans are still poised to take control of the House, the Senate is still up for grabs.
Does it have something to do with supporting high-risk candidates like Herschel Walker in swing states like Georgia? Or maybe the Trump fever is dying down in light of some candidates with connections or endorsements from Trump like Dr. Oz losing in PA? I don’t think we will necessarily have answers to those questions, but there is another one that we can answer which will remain crucial for future elections. What can we do to protect our interests?
Simply put, we need to vote. While it may feel pointless or thankless to vote in political elections, it is absolutely crucial. For one, no election is over before the votes have been counted. Lauren Boebert believed that her reelection to the House of Representatives was a foregone conclusion. However, a full 48 hours after the Colorado polls closed, the race was too close to call. The lead has gone back and forth in an election that will be decided by the last few thousands votes that remain to be counted. Another example of the absolute significance of individual votes are both Nevada’s and Arizona’s senate races. Neither race is called as of the time this article was written, and the races are so close that it will come down to the very final ballots. In addition to winning senate seats, the winner of these elections (and the runoff in Georgia) will take control of the US Senate.
The stakes cannot be overstated, as the Democrats were predicted to lose control of both the House and the Senate. Keeping control of the Senate will allow the Democrats to be able to prevent the Republicans from completely gridlocking congress for the next two years. Going out to vote may not be cool or chic or even convenient, but it is absolutely necessary to make the difference in key elections.
