The predicted “red wave” failed to materialize Tuesday night as close races across the country went Democrats’ way. Republicans still looked poised to retake the House, but even that became uncertain as close races Republicans were counting on winning in places like New Hampshire and Texas went for the Democrats.
While votes were still being counted in many races as of late Tuesday night, it became clear a few hours after polls closed that Republicans were not going to have the big night that some had predicted.
Typically in a midterm election, the party that doesn’t hold the White House makes gains in Congress. But this is not a typical year.
Voters seemed pulled in multiple directions over issues like abortion, crime and the economy — and the division and confusion appeared evident in the results Tuesday night.
The Republicans pulled off big wins in Florida, but in other states like Pennsylvania, candidates appeared to do worse than Republicans in 2020.
Democrats won key races, like incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s in Virginia. She eked out a win by only 5,000 votes against Republican Yesli Vega. Republicans did have some pick-ups in places like Florida, but they also lost key races, like in Texas, where recently elected Republican Rep. Mayra Flores lost her seat.
Some Republicans took to Twitter on Tuesday night to blame former President Donald Trump for the Republicans’ poor showing. Trump helped handpick candidates in several key races, and several pundits echoed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s concern that Republicans had a “candidate quality” problem.
The midterm results could hurt Trump’s chances as he looks to potentially launch a reelection bid in the coming weeks. Several Republicans compared the losses of his endorsed candidates to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ big win in Florida. Trump and DeSantis could end up going head to head in a Republican presidential primary.
Republicans failed to make inroads in the Northeast, where they hoped to reverse the trend of losing seats over the past few elections. Republican strategist Liz Kurantowicz said candidates struggled to connect with the electorate because Republicans weren’t doing enough to speak to moderate voters.
“To me, this comes down to candidates, and the ability to break through and deliver a message that is successful around the country,” she said. “You have to get people who are not traditional Republican voters to cross over and support you. We’ve got work to do to find candidates who can get those non-traditional voters.”
There are still several big races yet to be decided, including Senate races in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. Republicans could pull off wins in some of those races, but even if they win in those states, the red wave would still look more like a red ripple.