On November 6, voters will go out to the polls and answer the question that’s raised every midterm election cycle regarding the kind of country they want to live in and government they want to live under. Is the current administration and party in power doing an effective job representing the country on the world stage and still working for the best interests of its constituents, or is it time to send a message that change must be made?
Americans vote differently from other voters worldwide. Most countries have a preference for unified government and midterm elections consistently see an increase in seats for the party in power. However, Americans generally lean towards divided government: different parties controlling the legislative and executive branches. This trend leads to a reduction in seats, an average of 30 in the House and 4 in the Senate, of the President’s party. The factors that lead to this could be an article of their own, but the general dissatisfaction from voters who disagree with the majority party is far more likely to mobilize voters than satisfaction from voters in the majority party, and this provides a huge opportunity for the minority party to recover lost seats while flipping new ones.
Political theorists and enthusiasts alike have been questioning whether the 2018 midterm elections will follow this same trend or result in a similar upset to the 2016 election. These upcoming elections are extremely contentious, just as the Presidential Election that preceded them. An election is held in Virginia every year — with gubernatorial races being held on odd-numbered years — and again, they find themselves in the national spotlight. Many districts in Virginia are seen as the most important votes for either party to win, due to the extreme differences between the Northern and Southern portions of the state, and it’s never been more important to walk into the voting booth with all the facts on these highly contested districts.
Via National Atlases
Neighbor district to George Mason, the 10th district is at the the top of everyone’s list for seats that are imperative to flip. The district voted blue for president in the 2016 election, but decided to keep incumbent Representative Barbara Comstock (R) in her House of Representatives seat. However, since 2016 Comstock’s popularity within her district has plummeted as her constituents became unsatisfied with her voting record on controversial pieces of Trump administration legislation, such as repealing the Affordable Care Act and Net Neutrality, as well as the excessive donations she accepts from the National Rifle Association (taking in $135,000 and earning an ‘A’ rating from the NRA).
All of these factors led to an extremely divisive primary race, and the competition wasn’t strictly between democratic candidates. Republican Shak Hill ran against Comstock on the promise of protecting gun rights, and earned 39.3% of the vote. On the democratic side, 6 candidates ran for the opportunity to challenge Comstock, with State Senator Jennifer Wexton winning the nomination with 48.1% of the vote.
Via Olionews
Wexton’s record in the State Senate of working across the aisle to pass bipartisan legislation makes her popular with both moderate and liberal voters, and the higher voter turnout for Democrats in the primary has lit a fire underneath Comstock. Nearly shedding any kind of party affiliation, she is campaigning as “Virginia’s Independent Voice,” highlighting her extremely admirable work preventing sexual assault and sex trafficking, all while shining a light on Wexton’s vote to raise taxes in Northern Virginia in the senate. Wexton’s camp has followed a similar strategy, calling out Comstock for her allegiance with the NRA and the voting record that doesn’t align with her claims to be an “independent voice.” This is also while promoting Wexton’s popularity in the State Senate and her bipartisan efforts — which will come in handy if the Democrats are unable to flip the House of Representatives.
Via the Washington Post
In their first debate in Reston on September 21st, Comstock and Wexton weren’t willing to shy away from Washington’s hot-button issues, including taxes and immigration, with neither women pulling any punches. Comstock didn’t shy away from mentioning her support for the new tax plan and cited the booming economy as reason not to fear the upcoming midterms. However, Wexton — unsurprisingly — did not share the same opinion, and described the new tax plan as a “Comstock-Trump tax scam” and vowed to resist the President if she should win the seat. When it came to immigration, their opinions deviated again. Comstock said she would be open to additional legal immigration of quality workers under a fair system and that she would continue to work with the business community, without providing any real response to what a “fair system” would entail. Wexton responds saying “there’s been Republican control of Congress for years, and they’ve sat on their hands and put kids in cages,” while calling for comprehensive immigration reform. In their closing remarks, Wexton called Comstock a “master political chameleon” and highlighted the numerous issues that her opinion has changed on since taking office in 2014. Comstock said she’s focused on local priorities and that her campaign is about “results, not resistance.”
Via Loudoun Times Mirror
Since the debate, Cook Political Report gives Jennifer Wexton a slight edge in winning the race, despite her opponent’s incumbency. The seat is still considered very much up for grabs. As the final weeks of both campaigns move forward, it’s important to keep a careful eye on both candidates and watch the outcome of the upcoming debates. This highly contested seat will have a lasting impact on regulations and projects both in the district and across the nation, so it’s imperative to do your research before endorsing a candidate. We hope we’ve made that just a bit easier. However, don’t take our word for it, collegiettes. Going into the voting booth uninformed in 2018 is almost worse than not going in at all, whether you’re voting in VA-10 or any district around the country. Midterm elections have always served as a referendum on the kind of Americans you want representing you and what issues you feel are more important, — not just a low-stakes waste of time — and it’s time we start viewing them as such.