What you need to know about the American midterms

What is the subject of a vote and what can change?

On November 6th, the National Congress (part of the Senate and the full House of Representatives) and the governors of the states and cities will vote.

The Senate

The one hundred senators (two per state) sit six years, every two years, about one third of the seats are voted. Of the 35 seats currently voted, nine are occupied by Republicans and no less than 24 by Democrats. In the Senate, Republicans now have a majority of 51 seats against 49.

To have the Senate in hand, the Democrats must therefore win at least two seats. The opportunities lie in Arizona and Nevada, while Democratic Senators in Republican-dominated states like West Virginia, North Dakota, Missouri, Montana, and Indiana are vulnerable. The chances of Democrats procuring the Senate seem minimal.

House of Representatives

The 435 seats in the House of Representatives are at stake on Tuesday. Republicans currently have a majority of 235 seats, compared to 193 for Democrats. Seven seats are vacant (five because of the departure of the Republican deputies, two because of the departure of the Democrats). To get the House in hand, Democrats must make a net profit of at least 23 seats. The probability of this happening is quite great. Many of the dozens of Indeterminate Pillar races take place in districts that voted for Clinton in 2016, but whose incumbent is a Republican. In 2016, however, pollsters also predicted that Clinton would win.

Governors

Governors govern states with local conventions and are therefore often more important to the people than Washington. They are four years old and a maximum of two terms. Currently, 33 states have a Republican as governor and 16 a Democrat. About 35 governorates are elected, and Republicans must defend the most: 26. Some of them are in states like Ohio, Nevada, Michigan and Florida, where Democrats hope to regain ground

And also …

Nearly all states hold local elections in Congress, so for the government of the state. With Republicans now having 26 local congresses, Democrats also have a lot to gain at this level. Hundreds of cities also hold mayoral elections.

Why are these elections important?

US voters have the right to vote for the first time in 2018 since Trump's victory in 2016. They take place while the country is under high tension after political attacks; the attack on the Pittsburgh synagogue and the homemade bombs sent to prominent Democrats. The president does not seem to be de-escalating in his frequent campaign alerts.

When the House of Representatives passes into the hands of Democrats, as the polls predict, Trump's power will be seriously reduced. The Chamber can open investigations and prosecute witnesses. It will likely launch a wave of investigations directed at the president under the leadership of the Democratic Party. It is unlikely that Democrats will also seize the Senate. If the Republicans retain their majority in the Senate, they can continue without fear by appointing federal Conservative judges. In addition, if everyone dominates the Congress, the parties will be forced to cooperate further, which could facilitate things in politically insensitive areas, such as infrastructure or the fight against the epidemic. opiates.

Tuesday's elected officials will be in power if the census takes place in 2020 on the basis of which will be signed new electoral districts valid for ten years. Governors control district maps. Over the past decade, constituency manipulation has been a source of great concern in various states, particularly in Republican states. As far as congresses in the United States are concerned, in recent years the Democrats have lost a lot of power at this local level. Given the current enthusiasm of voters and low Trumps ratings, polls predict they will regain ground.

Which races should you pay attention to?

Gouveneursrace Georgia: Kemp against Abrams

In the battle to rule it. South Georgia state may be writing history on Tuesday. When Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams wins the race, she becomes the first female black governor in US history. Abrams, leader of the Democratic minority in Georgia's House of Representatives, is the first black woman to run for governorship on behalf of one of the major parties. She is supported by prominent Democrats such as Elizabeth Warren and stars such as Oprah Winfrey. Abrams' attack on conservative Republican Brian Kemp, the state's highest official. He wants to replace Governor Nathan Deal, who can not represent himself. Kemp was discredited because he was responsible for voter lists in the state and had suspended the voting rights of 53,000 mostly black voters. According to the polls, the two candidates go neck and neck.

See also this Georgian report: Less voters like

The race in the Senate in Texas: Cruz against O. Rourke

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The electoral battle in Texas between Republican Senator Ted Cruz and his Democratic opponent, MP Beto O. Rourke, is the most-watched race of 2018. Cruz, a conservative who finished second in the 2016 battle for the Republican nomination in the presidential elections, hopes a second senatorial term. On paper, he is expected to win easily in Texas, a Republican stronghold that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since the 1980s. However, O 'Rourke, a liberal and idealist congressional congressman from the USSR, said that he had not been a Democrat. El Paso has led an astonishingly dynamic campaign in Texas, a rapidly growing country whose population is changing rapidly. O 'Rourke remains the underdog: he still remains behind the prominent Republican in the polls, even though it's only a few percentage points. However, the enthusiasm of his constituents is great. Does he know how to impose a long awaited blue breakthrough in the second state of the country?

Read also Beto O 's profile Rourke: A fight against cowboy culture

The governor race Florida: Desantis against Gillum

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