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 a disposition of indifference. 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. There are people in other countries who would change places with us to have 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 in the end. PAC money and big-time donors poured millions of dollars into these races.
Signs supporting candidates were in our yards and television ads about them came on non-stop. This election was about our country’s direction. Was there going to be a change? Could it really happen?
As the days and hours 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. It was for the Republicans a truly woodshed experience. They lived a real time nightmare. With this thrashing, the GOP is trying to figure out what the next steps will be.
The analogy for the Democrats is like you have found 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 bit of time.
The Democrats stampeded the Congress and will have a significant majority of the 435 seats in the 120th Congress which begins January 3rd. The new speaker of the House of Representatives according to reports 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 about this election have made some definitive comments about it. 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 wholesale agreement about the need to change economic policies 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 in the win column 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 the Democratic nominee Scott Colom has about a 2500 vote lead over the incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. Mr. Colom is African American.
In Louisiana, Jamie Davis, Democratic senate candidate received 49% of the vote and came up just short. Angie Nixon, 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. The residents of Georgia voted for Keisha Lance Bottoms making her the first African American woman to become governor in the state. While in Ohio, Amy Acton became the first woman to be elected governor.
The takeaways from this election are that our votes count and that power truly rests with the people.
