Some of the midterm numbers are bonkers heres how Democrats won
In a night chock-full of big stories, a few stand out.In Texas, Democrat Leticia Gutierrez, a lobbyist and former city council aide, upset Republican Alex Mealer by almost 16 points in a district that voted for President Donald Trump by almost 20 points in 2024.In a district in the Rio Grande Valley, Democrat Bobby Pulido beat Rep.Monica de la Cruz by 25 points in a district that Trump had won by 18 just two years ago.In North Carolina Richard Ojeda, who famously ran for (and lost) a district in southern West Virginia a few years back, won a district Trump had won by 16.LaKesha Womack, a business consultant who raised less than $50,000, defeated GOP Rep.
Tim Moore in a district that he had specifically drawn for himself.Perhaps most notoriously, in Tennessee’s 4th District, Rep.Scott DesJarlais lost to Victoria Broderick, a “customer support specialist” who lost to DesJarlais four years ago by 40 points — in a district Trump had won by well over 30 points.How does this happen? In the past, even the worst wave elections have rarely flooded into seats that the other party’s nominee won by double digits in the preceding presidential election.In the Senate, only a handful of such seats have flipped since 2000.Last night? Democrats won between five and seven such seats in states Republicans had won by double digits.Several factors contributed.First, Republican turnout was down.According to exit polls, the electorate was about three points more Democratic than it was Republican; in 2024, it was about four points more Republican than Democrat.Because Republicans vote almost unanimously for Republicans and vice versa, this shift put Republicans in a hole to begin with.At this point, we can only assume why these voters stayed home, but disappointment with the Trump administration surely played a crucial role.Donald Trump was elected on a promise to bring prices down “starting on day one.” Trump’s tariff policies did the opposite.The inability of the adminis...