You’re Fired! Donald Trump and the 2020 Congressional Elections
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Jamie L. Carson
Jamie L. Carson is the UGA Athletic Association Professor of Public and International Affairs II in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is interested in the study of American political institutions with an emphasis on congressional politics and elections, American political development, and separation of powers. His most recent books includeElectoral Incentives in Congress with Joel Sievert,Change and Continuity in the 2016 and 2018 Elections with John Aldrich, Brad Gomez, and David Rohde, andThe Politics of Congressional Elections, 10th edition with Gary Jacobson.
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Spencer Hardin
Spencer Hardin is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is broadly interested in the U.S. Congress, Congressional Elections, Legislative Procedure, and Partisan Factions.Aaron A. Hitefield is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is broadly interested in the U.S. Congress, Congressional Elections, the U.S. Presidency, American Political Development, and Separation of Powers.
Abstract
The 2020 elections brought to an end one of the most divisive and historic campaigns in the modern era. Former Vice President Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the United States with the largest number of votes ever cast in a presidential election, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump in the process. The record turnout was especially remarkable in light of the ongoing pandemic surrounding COVID-19 and the roughly 236,000 Americans who had died of the virus prior to the election. This article examines the electoral context of the 2020 elections focusing on elections in both the House and Senate. More specifically, this article examines the candidates, electoral conditions, trends, and outcomes in the primaries as well as the general election. In doing so, we provide a comprehensive descriptive analysis of the climate and outcome of the 2020 congressional elections. Finally, the article closes with a discussion of the broader implications of the election outcomes on both the incoming 117th Congress as well as the upcoming 2022 midterm election.
About the authors
Jamie L. Carson is the UGA Athletic Association Professor of Public and International Affairs II in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is interested in the study of American political institutions with an emphasis on congressional politics and elections, American political development, and separation of powers. His most recent books include Electoral Incentives in Congress with Joel Sievert, Change and Continuity in the 2016 and 2018 Elections with John Aldrich, Brad Gomez, and David Rohde, and The Politics of Congressional Elections, 10th edition with Gary Jacobson.
Spencer Hardin is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is broadly interested in the U.S. Congress, Congressional Elections, Legislative Procedure, and Partisan Factions.
Aaron A. Hitefield is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia. He is broadly interested in the U.S. Congress, Congressional Elections, the U.S. Presidency, American Political Development, and Separation of Powers.
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© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- The 2020 Election
- Misreporting: Social Scientists, Political Commentators, and the Politics of Presidential Selection
- Spending Fast and Furious: Political Advertising in 2020
- Why Trump Became a ‘Confederate’ President
- Háblame de tí: Latino mobilization, group dynamics and issue prioritization in the 2020 Election
- Marching to the Ballot Box: Sex and Voting in the 2020 Election Cycle
- Religion and the 2020 Presidential Election: The Enduring Divide
- The Rural-Urban Continuum of Polarization: Understanding the Geography of the 2018 Midterms
- You’re Fired! Donald Trump and the 2020 Congressional Elections
- Book Review
- Boris Heersink and Jeffrey A. Jenkins: Republican Party Politics and The American South 1865–1968
- Review
- Learning From Loss: The Democrats 2016–2020
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Articles
- The 2020 Election
- Misreporting: Social Scientists, Political Commentators, and the Politics of Presidential Selection
- Spending Fast and Furious: Political Advertising in 2020
- Why Trump Became a ‘Confederate’ President
- Háblame de tí: Latino mobilization, group dynamics and issue prioritization in the 2020 Election
- Marching to the Ballot Box: Sex and Voting in the 2020 Election Cycle
- Religion and the 2020 Presidential Election: The Enduring Divide
- The Rural-Urban Continuum of Polarization: Understanding the Geography of the 2018 Midterms
- You’re Fired! Donald Trump and the 2020 Congressional Elections
- Book Review
- Boris Heersink and Jeffrey A. Jenkins: Republican Party Politics and The American South 1865–1968
- Review
- Learning From Loss: The Democrats 2016–2020
