Election 2022: Mid-Term Analysis

2022 Mid-Term Election Analysis

Andrea Lafontaine

November 8th, Election night 2022. I was graciously invited to join WNEM (CBS in Saginaw), in the studio to act as a political analyst for their 8, 10, and 11 pm newscasts. In preparation for this opportunity, I took a deep dive into everything discussed in the PSC 300 Campaigns & Elections Course, all the political chatter from insiders that I found myself privy to while watching from the sidelines, and then I mixed that with gut feeling and what I was reading from various news outlets leading up to the election. While there were so many unique occurrences this election cycle, I want to highlight a few:

Redistricting – the common thread of nearly all our class guest speakers. Everyone had something to say about redistricting. The current elected officials continually expressed how it is impacting their upcoming re-elections and the domino effect that follows when deciding who is running where. Policy advisors and lobbyists discuss how it’s slowing the agenda in Lansing because officials are back in their districts. And we were able to witness the election results that came from these newly drawn districts, and how it shifted the power of both legislative chambers in Lansing. While I do believe redistricting played a role – I don’t think it was the only factor that shook up this election cycle. Proposal 3 - Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the landmark Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe. v Wade, and lead to Michigan voters deciding whether the right to obtain an abortion should be enshrined in our state’s constitution. There is no doubt that this was something traditional Republicans had long desired. But were they ready for it to actually happen? And does the majority or society agree with their fundamental, pro-life, zeroexception stance? Apparently not; 56.7% of Michigan voters (2,480,000 Michiganders) showed up on election day and voted in favor of Proposal 3. This is an instance where a down-ballot issue drove voter turn-out that aided in the “blue wave” we saw here in Michigan. Two women at the top of the Ticket – how great was it to witness that? We are progressing! While I’m uncertain of any ancillary effect this may have had on the election, it was a welcome occurrence that I hope we see more of in the future. Quality of candidates – admittedly this was a GOP issue this cycle, and the party still feels like it is having an identity crisis. It’s as if there is a faction within the GOP that has come to power through convention elections, and it is their message that the entire

GOP is being painted with. On one side there are the Trump/electiondenying/extremists on the other side are the establishment/RINOs who are in desperate need of rebranding.

Until these sides come to any sort of understanding that they should put their collective energies towards the opposing party instead of each other the democratic party will continue to reap the benefits of this quandary. What does this mean moving forward? I will admit that my favorite line from this election season was “This will be another election year that requires an asterisk.” I love the unpredictability factor of elections. Personally, I feel like that is when my vote matters most. I can only hope that future elections include unanticipated results and surprises that stem from impassioned voters showing up, casting their votes, and making their voices heard. As we catch our breath during this brief intermission between election cycles, it is my hope that the Griffin students are looking to the future with optimism and opportunity – and maybe considering a run for public office.