We can thank the Greeks for a lot of things. But most importantly we can thank them for democracy. While their form of democracy was drastically different from ours they laid the foundation. So I thought I would give a brief recap of our quickly approaching midterms, which is a staple of our American Democracy!
The 2018 midterms are 16 days and 4 hours away (yes I made a timer)! Every seat in the house is up for re-election, and 33 seats of the Senate are up. In the Senate, there are 23 democrats, 8 republicans, and 2 independents up for re-election.
The elections could be exciting this year, as an unusual amount of states that used to lean a specific way are now largely undecided, according to various polls.
Will the Republicans keep their majority in both chambers? Will the Democrats take one or possibly both chambers? I guess we will have to see, but according to projections the Republicans will likely keep the Senate, but there is a chance for the Democrats to take the house.
Some key Senate races to watch this year include the following:
Arizona: Martha McSally (R) vs. Kyrsten Sinema (D)
- Arizona's previous senator has decided not to run. With all of the polarization of immigration policies, Arizona could be a key win for either party.
Texas: Ted Cruz (R) vs. Beto O'Rourke (D)
The incumbent Ted Cruz is up for re-election, but the race is tight as Cruz only leads by single digits. Texas is also a big immigration state, so like Arizona, Texas is key.
Also, keep a look out for Nevada and West Virginia.
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I think we are very grateful that the Greeks invented such an amazing form of government with democracy. Democracy gives all the citizens a voice-- what government should be. Prior to the Greeks, societies were ruled by one person or a group of a few people. Though the Greeks revolutionized government, not all current countries are fortunate enough to have a political system that offers the citizens a voice. The last few years have undoubtedly been a time of political turmoil for America; though many are unhappy with the current presidency, I think everybody should rejoice that they live in a country where their voice is heard-- even if their candidate does not win an election. (Bennett's comment)
preach, Bennett, preach
I love how you can tie current politics into anything, Ritchie! But you are right, we do have the Greeks to thank for a large portion of our democartic system. I’ve been seeing a lot on Fox News (thanks Lisa) about Arizona lately and I feel like it’s gotten the most attention.
Thank you Ritchie for not only reminding me that midterm elections are approaching but also providing a nice summary of the key battles. I remember closely following the presidential election only two years ago in conjunction with the AP US History class but I guess that college applications made me lose sight of the midterms. I find it very interesting that the turnout is significantly lower for midterm elections than the presidential election (and corresponding house+senate votes) even though the results of the midterm elections are arguably as influential as the presidential election. I guess that others tends to forget like me because the midterm elections are not very strongly headlined in the news like the presidential election. Bennett’s words remind me of a time when I volunteered at a senior living center and overheard discussions concerning arrangements to transport the residents to/from the polling sites to vote. I was proud that everyone, even those too old to transport themselves to the polling sites, still had a voice.
For all of you who are 18 and can legally vote, here is a list of all the elections for Louisiana this year. Make sure to check who is running in your district and what issues are up for vote.
U.S. House
Other State Executive
Special state legislative
State Supreme Court
Intermediate appellate courts
Local judges
School Boards
Ballot measures
Make sure you go out and vote if you are able to! 2016 had one of the lowest young voter turn outs in our nation's history. Let's be the generation that changes that!
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