Opinion › Feature Article       10.11.2018

My 2018 US Midterm Election Results Analysis; Democrats Wished But Republicans Were The Victor

The 2018 United States of America (USA) Midterm Elections were held on last Tuesday, 6th November, 2018, of which about ninety-nine percentage (99%) of the provisional results are out.

The Midterm Elections come off every four (4) years, and it is used for the election of members for some Federal offices which include all the four hundred and thirty-five (435) seats of the House of the Representatives, about thirty-four (34) of the hundred (100) seats of the USA Senate, about 34 of the fifty (50) State Governors, and others, of which the most crucial among these elections are the State Governors, the Senate and the House of Representatives elections.

Per my analysis from facts available, I have realized that after a Midterm Election:

A) It is a norm for the Incumbent Party to lose hold of all the majority seats in the State Governors, the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.

B) It is a norm for the Incumbent Party not to gain a single seat especially in the USA Congress.

[A USA Congress is the division of the Legislature of the Federal Government of the USA into two separate bodies, of which these separate bodies consist of the Senate and the House of Representatives]

C) It is a norm for the opposition to gain the majority seats in the State Governors, the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.

Below is my research results from my analysis of the Midterm Elections results of the Senate and the House of Representatives from 1910 to 2018 as proof to my above assertions.

With a duration of 4 years interval for another Midterm Elections to be held, twenty-eight (28) Midterms Elections were found to have been held during the period of about 108 years from 1910-2018.

Analyzing the results of these 28 Midterm Elections held, below are my findings;

Note:
•Gain: a record of seat(s) won after a House of Representatives and a Senate elections.

•Zero Gain: a record of no seat(s) won after a House of Representatives and a Senate elections.

•Single Gain: a record of seat(s) won in either the House of Representatives elections or the Senates elections.

•Double Gain: a record of seat(s) won in both the House of Representatives elections and the Senates elections.

i) Zero (0) Gain for an Incumbent Party during a Midterm Election

Incumbent Parties: Twenty-one (21) - 75.000%

ii) Single (1) Gain for an Incumbent Party during a Midterm Election

Incumbent Parties: Five (5) - 17.875%

iii) Double Gains for an Incumbent Party during a Midterm Election

Incumbent Parties: Two (2) - 7.143%

[The first happened under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democratic Party President in 1934 and the second under George W. Bush, a Republican Party President in 2002]

From about 99% of the Provisional results of the 2018 USA Midterm Elections, it clearly reveals that the Republican Party under President Donald Trump aside gaining seats in the Senate, has also gotten the majority of seats in both the State Governors and the Senate, with losing only the majority of that of the House of the Representatives to the Democratic Party. Aside that, in terms of power and prestige, the House of Representatives is ranked the least among the State Governors, Senate and House of Representatives, with the State Governors ranked first before the Senate because of the power the State Governors hold.

The above as a result shows that the Republican Party under President Trump are the victors in this 2018 Midterm Elections because this current Republican Party is part of the few in history to have gained seats and also hold majority in 2 bodies out of the State Governors, the Senate and the House of Representatives bodies.

Further more, with the Presidential candidate and his Running mate of the Republican Party being the President and Vice President respectively, and also with the Republicans holding a majority on the Supreme Court bench with the Republican Party having five (5) of them and the Democratic Party having 4, it means out of the 5 main bodies in USA namely; the Executive of the Federal Government, the Supreme Court, the State Governors, the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Republican Party under President Trump controls a total of 4 of them namely; Executive of the Federal Government, the Supreme Court, the State Governors and the Senate, which are also deemed as the most powerful of the 5 bodies.

Below are some brief descriptions and comparisons between the State Governors, the Senates and the House of Representatives;

A USA Congress is the division of the Legislature of the Federal Government of the USA into two separate bodies/chambers, of which these separate chambers consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is called the Upper Chamber while the House of Representatives is the Lower Chamber. The Senate and the House of Representatives together comprise of the Legislature of the USA members. They are known as the State Legislators.

The USA has 50 states.
A USA Senate is chosen through elections and has six (6) years term of office. There are a hundred (100) USA Senates representing 2 in each state. The Presiding Officer or President of the Senate is the Vice President of USA. The responsibilities of the Senate include approval of treaties, confirmation of Cabinet Secretaries, Supreme Court Justices, Federal Judges and others. It has the responsibility to conduct the trails of those impeached by the House of Representatives. Also the Senate has the duty to choose a Vice President of USA if no candidate is able to receive a majority of the electors for the Vice President position.

A USA House of Representatives are the representatives in each of the districts in the 50 States of USA. There are in all four hundred and thirty-five (435) House of Representatives' seats. The Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker who is elected by its members. The term of office of their members is 2 years. The House of Representatives is charged with the responsibility of passage of Federal Laws and the power to choose the President of USA when no Presidential Candidate receives the majority of the electors for the President position.

The USA State Governor serves as the Chief Executive Officer, Head of State, Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief in the respective states they have been elected. They are chosen through elections and their term of office is mostly four (4) years with that of a few being 2 years. There are 50 Governors with each representing a state in the USA. They are responsible for implementing state laws, overseeing the entire operations of the State Executive Branch. They have the power to run elections, control government budget and appoint many officials including judges. They also have the power to appoint someone to fill a vacant Senate seat until a special election is held, and many other responsibilities.

In terms of power, control and prestige, the State Governors are ranked first followed by the Senate and lastly by the House of Representatives.

Thank you
Hhhmm, may God be praised always

Nana Kwadwo Akwaa
(Kingsleyakwaa@yahoo.com)
Member, Critical Thinkers International (CTI)

[Creative Minds; Changing The World]

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