A Red Wave or a Ripple? Nationalized Politics and the 2022 Midterm Elections

Jamie L. Carson; Aaron A. Hitefield

doi:10.1515/for-2023-2002

Article

A Red Wave or a Ripple? Nationalized Politics and the 2022 Midterm Elections

Jamie L. Carson and Aaron A. Hitefield

Published/Copyright: February 10, 2023

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From the journal The Forum Volume 21 Issue 1

Abstract

Republicans were initially optimistic that the 2022 midterms would result in a sizeable red wave that would lead them to win back control of the House and Senate in light of President Biden’s low levels of approval and high rates of inflation. Although they did win enough seats to narrowly control the House, they failed to pick up a sufficient number of seats in the Senate to control that chamber during the next 2 years. This article examines the candidates, outcomes, and implications of the 2022 midterm elections. In doing so, we analyze the effect that former President Donald Trump had on the election while also considering the impact of factors such as inflation and abortion on congressional election outcomes. The article closes with a discussion of the effects of the 2022 midterms on both the incoming 118th Congress as well as the upcoming 2024 Presidential election.

Keywords: 2022 election; midterm elections; political parties; U.S. congress; nationalized politics

Corresponding author: Jamie L. Carson, UGA Athletic Association Professor of Public and International Affairs II University of Georgia, Athens, USA, E-mail: carson@uga.edu

We thank Stewart Ulrich for assistance with data collection on the 2022 congressional primaries and the general election.

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Published Online: 2023-02-10

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https://doi.org/10.1515/for-2023-2002

Keywords for this article

2022 election; midterm elections; political parties; U.S. congress; nationalized politics