2014 Midterm Election Results

There were not a huge outpouring of voters–as is typical for a midterm election (an election held in between presidential election cycles). But those who did vote cast a strong signal of disapproval towards the existing leadership at the highest levels of state and national government.

Credit: McGraw-Hill Education; the voters who went to the polls yesterday voted against the Democrats.

A Shift in Power

Republicans secured many wins across the nation, both in governor races and in the United States Senate. It was in the Senate that most national predictions has forecasted a change, and that seemed to be the case by the time all of the votes were counted on Tuesday evening.

The Republican Party won back control of the Senate, now holding the slimmest of majorities. Republicans have 52 seats in their control, as compared to the Democrats 45. Independent candidates hold the other 3 seats. Republicans needed to increase their hold on the Senate from 45 seats prior to the election to at least 51 seats to control the upper house of Congress’ agenda for the next two years until the next presidential election. The Republicans already held control of the House of Representatives prior to the election. But the results on Tuesday was not really in doubt in the Congress’ lower house. Republicans maintained a strong majority of control, holding 242 seats as compared to the Democrats 174. Independent and other party representatives control the remaining 19 seats.

The United States Senate

Democrats 45 seats

Republicans 52 seats

Independents 3 seats

The United States House of Representatives

Democrats 174 seats

Republicans 242 seats

Independents 19 seats

The fight for the control of state governor races was also a point of focus in yesterday’s election. Governor control switched parties in Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Arkansas, West Virginia, and North Carolina. All of these states went to Republican candidates. The governor’s race in Virginia is still being processed because the results are very close, with both Republican and Democratic candidates battling to get over the majority count and win.

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Will Anything New Happen?

Critics of these results may suggest that who controls the Senate is not that significant, because this Congress has been so partisan that very little has actually been accomplished. In fact, based on measurements of laws passed (which is one of the major functions of the legislative body) this is THE least productive Congress in the nation’s history. Will the shift of the majority party by only a few seats in one direction result in an improved legislative process and the possibility of more cooperation between the Democrats and Republicans?

Some Democrats who held onto their seats in this election claim on this day after that they are not ready to commit to any sort of prediction on legislative strategy in the next congressional session. But with the expected leader of the incoming Republican majority, Mitch McConnell pledging to use the Senate control to once again bring Obamacare up for a possible repeal vote, the Democrats may choose to become the blockers that the Republicans were for the past several years.