The Story Midterms are congressional elections. Meaning: you're voting for people in Congress, plus some positions and ballot measures at the state and local level. Stay with us. The Mood Typically, midterms are seen as a referendum on a president â since it's halfway through their term. Voters tend to go to the polls somewhere along the spectrum of 'you're killing it, lemme keep your party in power' to 'you're pretty bad at this, lemme vote for literally any other party.' Historically, it's more the second one. Ever since the '40s, the president's party has almost always lost seats in the midterm elections. The Projections Here's how things are looking two weeks out...
In the Senate: Republicans have a good shot at keeping control of it. There are 35 seats up for grabs this year since senators serve six-year terms. Dems hold a majority of those 35 seats, some in states President Trump won back in '16. Not exactly good odds for Dems.
In the House: Dems might have the edge to flip it. Key word: might. All 435 House seats are on the ballot since reps serve two-year terms. Dems would need to gain at least 23 seats to turn the House blue. This year, there are a lot of competitive races. That's partly because a number of GOP members are retiring. But a blue wave isn't in the bag yet, and it's worth noting that Republicans are outraising their Dem rivals. The Big Issues Depends on who you ask. Republicans and Democrats are divided on what's most important to them. Here are some key issues on voters' minds:
Climate changeâ¦One of the most important issues for Dem voters. And something the UN is flashing a big warning sign about. The left says climate change is a national security threat and that we need to get our sh*t together so that future generations don't have to deal with this. The right is pretty divided on whether the earth is actually heating up, whether it's humanity's fault, and what (if anything) to do about it.
Immigrationâ¦One of the most important issues for GOP voters. And something that's come up a lot this year with things like the border wall, the "zero tolerance" policy, and migrant caravans. Both sides agree that the immigration system needs a makeover. But the right says 'let's focus on defending the borders from undocumented immigrants to keep America safe.' And the left says 'seems kinda un-American to turn people away and deport them.'
Health careâ¦In 2016, the GOP ran on a platform to repeal and replace Obamacare. The party got control of both chambers of Congress, but turns out the 'repeal and replace' part wasn't that easy. In 2017, more than 28 million people in the US did not have health insurance. And the two parties can't agree on how to fix this problem. The right thinks the gov shouldn't require Americans to have health insurance, and that Obamacare is expensive and hurts economic growth. The left thinks the gov should make affordable insurance available to all Americans, and that Obamacare is just the start.
Supreme Court...The Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process and the sexual misconduct allegations against him divided the country. And not necessarily along party lines. Some thought he deserved the benefit of the doubt. Others thought we should #BelieveWomen. He is now the second Supreme Court justice appointed by President Trump and confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate. The confirmations are considered a big win for the GOP going into midterms. And both sides are hoping it convinces their base to show up to the polls. The Year Of... Some people (not us) think midterms can be kinda boring. But this year is different. Here's what separates the 2018 midterms from the others:
Trump...as in, President Trump and his tweets have dominated DC politics since his 2016 win. Some people love him. Some people hate him. Some people are still confused. Both parties are hoping to use this to their advantage: GOP lawmakers are saying to Trump's base 'love us, too.' But others are distancing themselves from the more polarizing parts of his agenda (think: border policy). Dems are hoping his controversial nature will help them win some new votes.
Womenâ¦as in, more women are running for House, Senate, and governor positions than ever before â and hundreds have won their primaries. Since a majority of these women are running as Dems, some think the "pink wave" is a response to Trump, the #MeToo movement, last year's Women's March, and a general desire for more representation in the gov. (Note: only around a quarter of elected positions in the US are held by women). Eyes are also on minority candidates who could help make Congress more diverse than ever.
Progressives...as in, the ones trying to scooch the Democratic party to the left, to the left. They're advocating for things like abolishing ICE, Medicare for all, and tuition-free college. Some call themselves democratic socialists. Others don't. Some are winning votes. Others aren't.
#NeverAgain...as in, the movement started by Parkland, FL students to address gun violence and protect others from mass shootings. They organized a massive "March for Our Lives" protest in DC earlier this year â now they're trying to march young people to the polls. theSkimm Those issues you say you care about? They are directly impacted by who's running the gov. Be a responsible human and hire your government on November 6th. | 
