Voters across the nation took to the polls on Nov.7 to participate in off year elections. Virginia and Kentucky were the focus of the night, as both Democrats and Republicans looked to these states as indicators as to what direction voters are headed in 2024. Democrats won both chambers of Virginia’s General Assembly, a major hit to the Republican game plan going forward.
In 2021, Republican Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin won a tightly contested race in a state that has been trending blue for quite a while. Youngkin is seen in the Republican party as an alternative to the MAGA viewpoint, and a possible dark horse candidate for the presidency. Youngkin focused this election on Virginia voters giving him a Republican majority in their General Assembly so that he can continue to deliver on the promises he made during the campaign. This selection cycle, he focused much of his rhetoric on abortion, a topic hotly debated since the Dobbs decision a year ago.
In the end, Democrats won both the state Senate and the House of Delegates. The Democrats have a 21-19 lead in the Senate and a 51-49 lead in the House of Delegates. This comes as a blow to the GOP, as they looked to Youngkin and Virginia to set the tone on the issue of abortion heading into the general election. Additionally, Ohio, a state that has become a stronghold for Republicans in the last decade, held a question vote where voters decided to protect abortion in the state constitution. Over 56% of the voters supported the measure.
In another state where Republicans have been successful, Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear won reelection in a state Trump won by 26 points in 2020. This was a state where Republicans looked to flip a gubernatorial seat, but were unsuccessful with Daniel Cameron as the nominee. However, in a small victory for Republicans, Republican Tate Reeves won the Mississippi governor seat over Democrat Brandon Presley, relative of the famous Elvis Presley, in a race where Democrats saw an opportunity to flip the governorship.
These losses come as a major blow to the Republican agenda ahead of the presidential elections. The issue of abortion is one where voters, even in conservative states, have shown a pro-choice movement. This has been an issue the Republicans have hammered on voters, but appears to be a losing issue. Many within the party are pushing for a change in approach, targeting issues where Democrats have come up short since Biden took office. These issues include the economy, inflation, immigration, and foreign affairs. If Republicans want to be successful moving forward, these are the issues voters in swing states are going to focus on, instead of societal and cultural issues like abortion.
Upset with the results, Republicans across the nation are upset with the underwhelming performances in the last handful of elections. Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, has received the brunt of the pushback from the party over her poor leadership and questionable division of funds. She was publicly called out by presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during the presidential debate, saying he would “yield his time so that she could come up on the stage and resign.”
Current favorite to win the nomination, president Donald Trump, has become “increasingly sour” with McDaniel’s performance as chairwoman amid the speakership debacle that has pigeonholed the House for most of the fall. A lack of support from the former president has proven to be a political death sentence for anyone in the GOP in recent years. With all eyes now towards the 2024 primaries and general election, the leader of the Republican National Committee is under extreme scrutiny as the GOP looks to win back the White House.
In New Hampshire, the city of Manchester elected a new mayor for the first time in 6 years. Republican Jay Ruais defeated Democrat Kevin Cavanaugh by less than 500 votes. Ruais ran on a new vision for the city, focusing most of his campaign on addressing homelessness and the housing crisis. Mayor Craig Joyce, who announced he was not seeking reelection, endorsed Cavanaugh. “Congratulations to Mayor-Elect Jay Ruais on his well-earned victory. During my six years as Mayor, we’ve worked hard to make Manchester more affordable, keep our residents safe, and strengthen our schools,” Craig said after the election.
