The ‘drone view”

Senate candidates are the perennial stars of midterm elections, but perhaps never more so than in 2022 as control of the Senate hangs by a thread. 

With only one-third of senators up for re-election in each cycle, Senate races are easier for voters to monitor and candidates’ names are more widely known than for the House.

And of the 36 Senate races, polls still rank 11 as too close to call.

And while the House may have less star power, it has ably and amply demonstrated its value as a check on the influence of reactionaries on national policy.

The sweeping Democratic victory in the 2018 mid-terms has now dangerously eroded, and years of gerrymandering have acted to reduce the number of seats that can be viably contested. 

Of 435 House races, polls rank only 33 as toss-ups

Only 20 more are rated as “leaning”…but not completely secure

In other words, pollsters are saying that outcomes for 88% of House races are foregone conclusions… thanks in no small part to decades of gerrymandering.

But it’s not just about Federal offices

While most voters focus only on gubernatorial elections in their home states, recent years have reminded us that activist governors can have an outsized impact – for better or for worse – on policy that most impacts day-to-day life. And it should not be forgotten that 19 Presidents were previously governors, including Franklin Roosevelt, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan.

This fall, governors will be elected in 36 states.

Polls rank 11 of the 36 gubernatorial races with margins of 5% or less.

U.S. voters living abroad are reminded that online registration for local elections are unavailable in:

Browse more COBALT blog posts on the 2022 elections – including highlights for individual races – here.

Those living in Mexico who are eligible to vote in U.S. elections (born in the U.S. or born to a U.S. citizen) have the opportunity to influence the outcomes in Federal elections in two ways:

• Register online here and have your ballot mailed to you. The election is only 10 weeks away.
• Contribute to like-minded candidates not only in your home state, but to those in hotly contested elections nationwide.  More here.