Why did the Republican ‘red wave’ fail?
Before Tuesday’s midterms kicked off, the polls and political experts expected a Republican red wave. Many, from all sides of politics, expected the GOP to sweep the board and wipe out Democrats.
Whilst the GOP is still on course to win control of the House of Representatives – it looks set to be a thinner margin than expected and predicted.
And the race for the Senate comes down to three key states – two days on from the election and it’s still too close to call.
But why did the ‘red wave’ fail to come about?
A few key points that stopped the Republicans from a landslide victory
- The economy wasn’t the only issue the American people cared about. Whilst inflation topped the list of voter concerns, it wasn’t as damaging to the Democrats as they feared. Abortion played a key role in people voting for the Democrats over the Republicans.
- Initial voter data suggests there was a historic high turnout for a midterm in many parts of the country – many believing young people turned out in masses motivated by issues such as reproductive rights, protecting the planet and fighting for democracy itself.
- People don’t want Donald Trump to return to the White House in 2024. This year’s midterms were a great way to measure Trump’s influence in the party – many expected if the GOP had a massive win in the midterms, Trump was likely to announce plans to run for presidency in 2024. It now remains unclear if Trump will announce a 2024 run.
