On the Campaign Trail: Midterm Elections

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By Zoe Walcott

The midterms are quickly approaching and both sides of the aisle seem to be feeling the pressure to win big this November. As of now the GOP controls both levels of congress with a majority—8 seats in the Senate and 6 seats in the House—which Republicans are defending fiercely, considering 33 out of 100 Senate seats are up for election in November. Much of the Republican tactics in campaigning this fall can be illustrated in the recent Republican Midterm Convention. The convention itself was rather unusual as parties typically hold them during presidential election years, therefore showing an attempt to rally voters.

With the convention taking place in Dallas, Texas, the competitive nature of the Texas Senate race was a highlighted point. Despite Texas being solidly Republican, problems like gas and diesel prices, data centers and candidate Ken Paxton’s scandalous past have led many Texans to doubt the party’s ability to properly govern Texas. However, this GOP doubt isn't unique to the citizens of Texas. Republicans, like Vice President Vance and President Trump, are trying to dispel voters' doubt by ensuring that if given more time they will resolve their concerns. Additionally, tax cuts, public safety and the alleged success of TrumpRX were used to support the Republican Party. Throughout the convention, speakers encouraged their supporters to fight hard against the Democratic candidates. Speakers used patriotic language and warned against “socialists” and “communists” attempting to take over the country. Many other warnings were shared by Republicans of the actions Democrats could take if they were to gain power, which included the impeachment of Donald Trump and the imprisonment of Trump allies. Notably during the convention, President Trump promised a $5000 dividend payment if Republicans win control of Congress this fall and asked the audience to act as if he was on the ballot.  

Democratic campaigning seems to lean on strongly opposing Republican/Trump policies and fighting against the extremist framing that Republicans have given Democrats. The Democratic candidate for the Texas Senate race, James Talarico, has campaigned on a moderate platform with a background in Christianity. Voters across the aisle are seeming to trust Democrats more than Republicans with issues like the economy and data centers following their disappointment with the GOP’s actions during their two years in power.  However, this is not enough to ensure confidence in the Democrats winning. The Democrats have also been criticized by their voters over the action—or inaction— leadership has taken in response to the Trump Administration. There has also been a mixed response by party members towards the involvement of Kamala Harris in the midterm campaign with some feeling like she should stay in the background following her loss in the 2024 Presidential election, while others believe she is an important and helpful figure in encouraging people to vote Democrat. Nonetheless, neither party is backing down as they battle it out for control of Congress.