By: Madison Schettler |Staffwriter
Ever since Donald Trump’s 2016 election, Democrats have been desperately and frantically looking forward to this year’s midterms. Voting initiatives were launched from every angle, trying to make the so-called “Blue Wave” they hoped for a reality. But considering all of the Democrats’ best efforts, was the blue wave actually successful?
The short answer is… maybe? It certainly depends on who you talk to and how they measure the Democratic success in this election.
In my view, the outcome of the midterms was-realistically-as successful as could be expected. The Democrats won over 23 seats (some races have still not been announced) in the House of Representatives, giving them the coveted majority. However, they failed to win the Senate. What does this mean exactly?
Well, the Democrats are in a better position than they were last week, but the Republicans still have control over them in the Senate, in the judicial branch and obviously, in the White House. It also means that the Democrats now have the power to investigate Trump more thoroughly on his controversial financial records and possible relationship with Russia.
Furthermore, they now have greater leeway to scrutinize the Trump administration’s policies on hot button topics, such as immigration and healthcare. It has been speculated that with their newly won House control, they will begin to pursue impeachment. However, the Democrats are wary of beginning such a risky process, especially since they have just gained a small amount of power back.
Not only did these midterms allow Democrats to take the House, but they also made history for women and minorities in politics. Ilhan Omar from Minnesota’s fifth district won the House seat from Keith Ellison, who recently vacated the seat, making her the first Somali-American woman to serve in Congress.
Rashida Tlaib, also from Michigan, won the thirteenth district’s house seat, making her the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democrat from the Bronx who generated buzz a few months ago following her primary win, becomes the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, at the age of 29, as she wins New York’s fourteenth district House seat.
Deb Haaland from New Mexico’s first district is the first Native American woman elected to this House, while Sharice Davids, from Kansas’ third district becomes the first lesbian Native American congresswoman, triumphing over incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder. Jahana Hayes and Ayanna Pressley also make history as the first black congresswomen to represent Connecticut and Massachusetts respectively in Congress. Lastly, Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, becomes the nation’s first openly gay governor.
Despite all of these Democratic gains, the highly publicized race for Texas’ Senate, between incumbent Republican Ted Cruz and overwhelmingly popular young Democrat, Beto O’Rourke, ended in disappointment for the Dems. Cruz won, but only by about 2 points, which speaks to the unprecedented success and popularity of Beto, who, despite his loss, is a rising star in the Democratic Party.
Even more controversial is Stacey Abrams’ refusal to concede in her Georgia governor race against Republican Brian Kemp. Amid claims of widespread voter fraud, Abrams is holding out for a recount, and potential runoff, to ensure that the race is fair and accurately portrays the desires of Georgia voters. A similar situation plagues Florida, where Democrat Andrew Gillum has revoked his concession against Republican Ron DeSantis in the highly competitive race for governor, in order to ensure that all votes are accurately counted. A recount has been ordered in Florida, as reports of inaccurate counting and youmin*possible voter suppression abounded in the state.
Overall, the Democratic gains in the midterms may not have appeared to be landslide victories. However, historic numbers of women and minorities won highly competitive races. Democrats elected an additional twenty-six women into Congress, and forty women of color are now headed to the House of Representatives. The Democrat’s new majority in the House is not to be ignored either, because it gives them an edge that they had not possessed before the midterms. Despite what it may look like on the surface, Democrats made history on Tuesday, and the Blue Wave, supported by women and minorities, triumphed.
