By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Do you remember another more important midterm election? I don’t. Over the years, some midterm elections simply created a yawn.
You didn’t vote with a sense of urgency. Some would say they had a ho hum attitude. Maybe they had an indifferent disposition. Yet it must be said that we went to the polls because it was our civic duty.
Our ancestors fought and died for our right to vote, so we must honor them by voting in every election. We must understand that voting in the United States of America is an honor. People in other countries would trade places with us for that opportunity.
Throughout the years those living in dictator-led countries have had their right to vote stifled so let’s keep that in mind whenever we vote in this country.
There was unprecedented talk about the midterm elections held recently on November 3rd. Both political parties thought they would win. PAC money and big-time donors poured millions of dollars into these races.
Signs supporting candidates lined our yards, and television ads ran non-stop. This election was about our country’s direction. Was there going to be a change? Could it really happen?
As Election Day approached, most polls showed the Democrats would win back the U.S. House of Representatives. However, winning back the U.S. Senate might be a stretch.
Well, you and I know what happened on November 3, 2026. The Democrats won the midterm elections in convincing fashion. For Republicans, it was a true wood-shedding experience. They lived a real-time nightmare. After this thrashing, the GOP is trying to figure out its next steps.
The analogy for the Democrats is like finding a long-lost cousin who has returned home. Everyone is overjoyed to see them. In fact, the cousin is going to be around for a good while.
The Democrats stampeded the Congress and will have a significant majority of the 435 seats in the 120th Congress which begins January 3rd. According to reports, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives will be Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
According to PBS News, current House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “We hear you. We’re going to work hard to deliver on the dramatic change that you deserve.” He will make history as the first African American speaker of the House if his colleagues elect him.
People with views on this election have made some definitive comments. Lisa Sachs, director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, said, “The vote was for affordability and opportunity. Democrats now need to be clear about which policies deliver them.”
There is broad agreement that economic policies need to change for the American people, as they currently have us tangled up in higher costs for everything. Prices have skyrocketed, and we have been held as financial hostages.
The Senate was also a win for the Democrats, as they now have 54 confirmed seats. The Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi are still too close to call. It has been reported that Democratic nominee Scott Colom has about a 2,500-vote lead over incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. Mr. Colom is African American.
In Louisiana, Democratic Senate candidate Jamie Davis received 49% of the vote and came up just short. Angie Nixon, a Democratic Senate candidate from Florida, was denied her bid as well. Both of these African American candidates have bright political futures, and we will be on the lookout for them.
Democratic victories also extended to races for governor in Georgia and Ohio. Georgia residents voted for Keisha Lance Bottoms, making her the first African American woman to become governor of the state. In Ohio, Amy Acton became the first woman elected governor.
The takeaways from this election are that our votes count and that power truly rests with the people.
