Although some students might hear the term “midterm” and first think of the tests they take in the middle of the semester, others will likely think of the upcoming midterm elections, which are being held less than two weeks away on Nov. 8, 2022. The name “midterm” refers to the fact that these elections take place two years into a president’s four year term, in between presidential elections. While they don’t receive the same level of coverage as a presidential election, the midterms are the second-biggest election day in the country and open the door for major shifts in the political world. In this year’s midterm, 35 out of 100 Senate seats, 39 out of 50 governorships, and all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for reelection, along with countless state-level elections for state legislatures or specific positions like attorney general. This will also be the first major election to take place since congressional redistricting based on the 2020 census. 

Residents of New Hampshire’s first congressional district will have the opportunity to vote for their district’s representative in the House in a race between the Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas and Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt, a Saint Anselm c.o. 2019 alumna. The first congressional district loosely encompasses counties Carroll, Belknap, Strafford, Rockingham, and parts of Hillsborough county, which includes Manchester and Goffstown. Statewide, voters will also choose between Democratic incumbent Maggie Hassan and Republican Don Bolduc for one of New Hampshire’s two seats in the U.S. Senate. Although it was speculated that Governor Chris Sununu would run for this seat against Hassan after three two-year terms as governor, Sununu chose to run for a fourth term, and is being challenged by Democrat Tom Sherman, a current member of the New Hampshire Senate. If elected, Sununu would be the second governor since the 1800s to serve four terms, along with John Lynch. Granite Staters will also vote for their town’s representatives and senators in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and Senate, which are both currently Republican-controlled. 

The outcome of the midterms across the country will be affected by the issues that are most important to Americans going into election day, but which issues are most important may be different for college students. According to NHIOP Ambassador Hannah Peterson, abortion will likely be a very important issue on the national scale in the aftermath of Dobbes v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the June Supreme Court Decision which overturned the precedent of Roe v. Wade. Peterson noted that this is an equally important issue to Saint A’s students, but fellow NHIOP Ambassador Kevin Macarelli pointed out that other issues which political campaigns are choosing to focus on may not be as important to college students. Macarelli cited the issue of social security, which many Democratic campaign ads for the election have accused Republicans of cutting, as an issue which does not affect college students and is unlikely to affect how they vote in the midterms. He added that one issue which is relevant to both the national conversation and college students is the economy, as college students will soon be entering the job and housing markets and will benefit from a strong economy. 

When asked which way national opinion seemed to be swinging in the upcoming election, Macarelli stated that due to President Biden’s relative unpopularity, “it was set up for a huge red wave come the midterms, and I think Republicans had a great advantage,” but argued that the Dobbes v. Jackson decision in June may have given the Democrats a greater advantage than they would otherwise have had. Peterson added that Biden’s election relied upon “a loose coalition of people who just didn’t want to vote for Trump, whether they were progressives, moderate Republicans, or moderate Democrats.” She explained that it has been difficult for Biden to satisfy the policy desires of all of these groups during the first two years of his

presidency, and that this may affect the Democrats negatively in the midterms. No matter the outcome, the upcoming midterm elections will have a major impact on politics both across the country and right here in New Hampshire.