Political scientists evaluating the midterm elections held in the United States on November 8 note that these elections did not receive much attention because they remained in the background of the US presidential elections held every four years, but emphasize that these midterm elections are a pulse check. Assistant Professor Dr. Gökser Gökçay said, “If the Republicans gain a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, we can say that the US Congress, especially through its investigative committee functions, will keep the Biden administration quite busy.”
Republicans Gaining a Majority Will Keep the Biden Administration Busy
Assistant Professor Dr. Gökser Gökçay, Deputy Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) at Üsküdar Üniversitesi, assessed the midterm elections held in America on November 8.
Means a Pulse Check
Political scientist Dr. Gökser Gökçay noted that elections are held every two years for the US Congress, the federal legislative body of the United States, and said, “These elections do not receive much attention because they remained in the background of the US Presidential elections held every four years. However, the 2022 elections, called midterm elections because they are held in the middle of presidents' four-year terms, are perceived as an indicator of how much the president's and his party's support among the public has increased or decreased.”
Biden’s Party Did Not Suffer the Expected Loss
Dr. Gökser Gökçay stated that the latest midterm election yielded results contrary to what is usually seen, saying, “A lesser-known fact shows us this: the incumbent presidents' party almost always experiences losses in midterm elections. Especially in this year's elections, Biden's party, the Democratic Party, was expected to suffer an even greater loss than usual. Rising inflation in the US, and the perception that Biden failed to implement expected reforms and legislative changes, had created a strong expectation of a 'red wave' (Red represents the Republican Party). When we look at the election results, it appears that this red wave did not materialize.”
Control of the House of Representatives Will Pass to the Republican Party
Dr. Gökser Gökçay stated that Republican candidates did not show extraordinary success in the midterm elections as expected, and said, “However, it cannot be said that Democrats were successful in these midterm elections either. Although the final results have not yet been announced, it appears that control of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress, will pass to the Republican Party. However, this control seems likely to be achieved by a very narrow margin, thanks to a difference of just a few representatives. In this context, Republicans are not very pleased with the situation.”
Georgia Will Play a Key Role
Dr. Gökser Gökçay, stating that the situation is even more delicate in the Senate, the other chamber of the US Congress, made the following assessment, noting that the state of Georgia will play a key role in achieving balance there:
“Both the Democratic Party and the Republicans seem to have secured 48 senators each in the 100-member Senate. Republicans will reach 50 senators with the finalization of the Arizona, Alaska, and Nevada elections. However, if there is a 50-50 tie as currently, this would not be good news for Republicans, as the Vice President can cast the tie-breaking vote, and Kamala Harris is a Democrat. Georgia is expected to be the state that will play a key role in breaking the tie and allowing Republicans to win 51 members or more senators. According to Georgia state law, if no senatorial candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters, and this is exactly what happened in this year's elections. The result of the second round, expected to be held on December 6 between the two highest vote-getters, will determine the majority in the Senate.”
Republicans Gaining a Majority Will Keep the Biden Administration Busy
Dr. Gökser Gökçay, who stated that if Republicans gain a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the US Congress will keep the Biden administration quite busy, especially through its investigative committee functions, concluded his remarks as follows:
“If Republicans hold the majority in one chamber and Democrats in the other, it is possible to say that fierce conflict and polarization between the two parties will intensify within Congress. Even in the least likely scenario, where the Democratic Party retains its majority in both chambers, it cannot be said that the Biden administration will be very comfortable. Indeed, the increasingly evident disagreements and divisions within the Democratic Party will continue to put the Biden administration in a difficult position for the next two years.”