Keep your eyes on the polls today folks. It’s November 4th — Election Day!
I always vote. I voted before I could vote. I will vote when I’m dead (by putting a “who I wish to vote for” clause in my will).
Back when I was growing up, my mother and my father would make sure I knew just how important it was that I show up to the polls. It should also be noted that my parents belong to opposing political parties, so I got usually got this rousing speech twice in one day, usually accompanied by separate piles of brochures on my desk and vintage toy chest. Yes, every other November, my house became a bit of a battleground. You must understand, my parents fell in love over a mutual love of livestock, not aligned politics.
So to honor my parents’ seasonally dysfunctional marriage, I bring you!
November 4th, 2014: Midterm Battleground Districts
Here are the 5 most-talked about races of the midterms:
Florida’s 18th
Incumbent Patrick Murphy (D) will face Carl Domino in a battleground race. Murphy, a freshman congressman, was ranked by the Washington Post as one of the Top Ten Most Vulnerable Democrats upon election. His opponent in 2012 was a polarizing figure, and Murphy won with a margin of barely 2,000 votes.
Florida’s 18th includes St. Lucie and Martin Counties, along with part of Palm Beach county.
RESULTS: Murphy wins by a relatively comfortable margin.
Illinois’ 12th
Illinois’ 12th district has been redistricted and now has almost an equal number of registered Republicans and Democrats. The incumbent, Bill Enyart (D), another freshman congressman, will face Mike Bost (R). Enyart has faced a lot of gridlock while in office, and Bost has been a state-elected official for a while. Their last debate got slightly heated, so this is certainly a district to watch.
Illinois’ 12th includes the counties of Jefferson, Perry, Franklin, Williamson, Union, Alexander, Pulaski, Jackson, Randolph, Monroe, St. Claire and part of Madison County.
RESULTS: Bost wins the district, becoming the first Republican to serve it in over 70 years.
Minnesota’s 8th
Another victim (errrm maybe loaded word choice there) of redistricting is Minnesota’s 8th. Rick Nolan (D) was elected comfortably in 2012, but the redistricting puts the race at a tossup. Stewart Mills (R) is an outspoken advocate of gun rights, and his long hair as jokingly earned him the nickname “The Brad Pitt of the Republican Party”.
Minnesota’s 8th district contains the counties of Koochiching, Itasca, Hubbard, St. Louis, Cook, Lake, Carlton, Pine, Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Kanabec, Benton, Pine and Chisago counties.
RESULTS: Nolan defeats Mills by roughly 5,000 votes. Again, an incredibly slim margin.
California’s 7th
With over $20 million spent, this election is the most expensive House race of the 2014 cycle.
Freshman incumbent Ami Bera (D) faces Doug Ose (R). Ose, a former congressman of California’s 3rd district, has bombarded his opponent with attack ads. The DCCC has identified Bera as a vulnerable candidate. Their biggest point of contention? The Affordable Health Care Act, which Ose firmly opposes and Bera plans to improve while in office.
California’s 7th contains most of Sacramento county.
RESULTS: Ose defeats Bera by an extremely thin margin. 3,100 votes separated the two.
New York’s 18th
In New York’s 18th Congressional District, incumbent Sean Maloney (D) will face off against his 2012 opponent, Nan Hayworth (R). Hayworth was defeated in earlier years when New York’s 18th was redistricted, and the numbers of registered Democrats to Republicans remains close.
New York’s 18th district contains Orange and Putnam counties and as well as parts of Westchester.
RESULTS: Incumbent Maloney secures an extremely narrow victory with an advantage of only 3,000 votes.
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If you’re reading this now, the results are clear. Republicans will have both House and Senate majority for the next two years. We’ll see how this affects Washington.