A great red wave is looming, but as the 2022 midterm elections enter a final two-month sprint, leading Republicans fear their party’s advantage may be slipping.
That’s even as Democrats confront their president’s weak standing, deep voter pessimism and the weight of history.
The shifting political landscape follows a string of President Joe Biden’s legislative victories on climate, health care and gun violence, just as Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidates in electoral battlegrounds struggle to broaden their appeal.
But nothing has undermined the GOP’s momentum more than the Supreme Court’s decision to end abortion protections, which triggered a backlash even in the reddest of red states over the summer.
But a legal victory for former President Donald Trump lifts his standing as he works the campaign trail in support of handpicked candidates. A federal judge on Monday granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and also temporarily halted the Justice Department’s own use of the records for investigative purposes.
Biden also hit the campaign trail to boost Democrats as crunch time ahead of the midterm elections kicked off, visiting the swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to mark Labor Day with trade unionists he hopes will turnout in force for his party in November.
Hoping to erode the Biden reputation further, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee criticized the Treasury Department for declining his request to provide banking Suspicious Activity Reports on Hunter Biden and others, according to a press statement.
Kentucky Rep. James Comer accused the department of trying to “run cover for the Biden family and possibly hide information about whether Joe Biden benefited financially from his family’s business transactions.”
The power of governors has been increasingly clear to Americans as states take over policies once set by the federal government.
In November, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections that, while often less expensive than Senate races, are likely to yield more immediate impacts on the political landscape and could provide a launching pad for candidates with even higher aspirations — like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Heading into the general election season, Republicans control 20 of the contested governor’s seats to Democrats’ 16. But many of the key battleground contests feature Democratic incumbents, elected during the 2018 “blue wave,” trying to win a second term. Read more about the key races this fall:
Finally, some Democrats seem more worried about 2024 elections than the midterms. Election deniers have won Republican primaries across the country — including in states that will be central to the 2024 presidential election.
Secretaries of state — the top elections officials in their states — were at the forefront of pushing back against false claims of electoral fraud in 2020. While the unexpected new prominence has helped secretary of state candidates pull in more money and attention this cycle, some Democrats worry the party is not focused enough on these contests and and the implications for the 2024 presidential election if candidates who win these posts again prove central to state election outcomes. Read a CNN analysis:
These 9 key Senate matchups are set
Pennsylvania
Georgia
Nevada
North Carolina
Ohio
Colorado
Wisconsin
Arizona
Florida
Ranking the 2024 Democratic field
10. Chris Murphy
9. Roy Cooper
8. Cory Booker
7. Amy Klobuchar
6. Elizabeth Warren
5. Gavin Newsom
4. Pete Buttigieg
3. Bernie Sanders
2. Kamala Harris
1. Joe Biden
Ranking the 2024 Republican field
10. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas
9. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida
8. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
7. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
6. Former Ambassador Nikki Haley
5. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas
4. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
3. Former Vice President Mike Pence
2. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
1. Former President Donald Trump
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