By Nicholas Carpenter || Contributing Writer
On November 8, 2022, people all over America will vote to determine the party dispersion in the Senate and the House. With many of President Biden’s plans still in the process of getting approval, it’s a crucial race for the future of the United States.
In the United States Congress, bills are passed and ratified into law through a bicameral system. Congress is made up of two governing bodies: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Before a bill can become law, it has to pass both governing bodies before being sent to the President to sign. The Senate is made up of 100 senators, with 2 from each state. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 representatives, and the amount of representatives from a state is determined by the number of districts in that state. The party with the majority of seats will have control over the governing body. If no party has a majority of seats (which is the case in the current Senate), the Vice President will break the tie and will determine the majority.
President Joe Biden has been in office for about two years, and he has overseen both a Senate and House with a Democratic majority. This could soon change, however, as the Republican Party is currently favored to take control of the House of Representatives, as they are projected to win nine seats. Democrats are favored to keep control of the Senate and are projected to win one seat. A split Congress would make it much harder for President Biden to pass his agenda, as Republicans are greatly opposed to his plans. With many Senate and House elections very tight, and several weeks left until the election, these projections are subject to change.
Along with the Senate and House elections, a gubernatorial election will also take place, determining each state’s governor. Governors are in charge of state-wide laws and the state’s executive branch. Currently, nineteen Democratic candidates and seventeen Republican candidates are favored to win the position of governor in their respective states.
There are several key Senate races that require a close eye, as projections are presently a toss-up. It is too close to call the race in favor of either candidate. These include:
- Hershel Walker vs. Raphael Warnock (Georgia)
- Adam Laxalt vs. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada)
- Mehmet Oz vs John Fetterman (Pennsylvania)
The deadline to register to vote is this Monday—October 24, 2022—so be sure to register if you haven’t, and make sure you are registered by checking your status online if you are unsure.
First-year Nicholas Carpenter is a contributing writer. His email is ncarpent@fandm.edu.