One Number Sums Up How Disappointing This Midterm Cycle Was For the GOP

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Herschel Walker’s loss in Tuesday’s Georgia senate runoff was the latest indicator of Republicans’ underperformance in the 2022 midterm elections.

SO WHAT

It’s time for the GOP to do some soul-searching.

THE NUMBERS

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s victory marks the first time in almost 90 years that the party not in power has defended every incumbent senate seat in a midterm election, Axios reported.

Since 1934, the president’s party lost an average of 28 House seats and four Senate seats in the midterms.

  • This cycle the GOP picked up 10 seats in the House and lost one in the Senate.
  • Republicans were widely expected to do better given polls showing widespread disapproval of President Joe Biden’s job performance, the economy and the direction of the country.

THE DEBATE

A debate has broken out among Republicans over the causes of the party’s lackluster midterms performance.

A number of political analysts have blamed the GOP’s failure to capture independent voters.

  • “The GOP repelled independents. They got locked into their own conservative bubble, failed to reach swing voters, and nominated poor candidates that scared voters away,” RacetotheWH founder Logan Phillips tweeted last week.
  • Other theories have included the influence of former President Donald Trump, a public backlash toward new abortion restrictions and the GOP’s failure to capitalize on mail-in balloting.
By We'll Do It Live