President Trump repeatedly urged voters during the midterm campaign to treat him as if he were on the ballot. In Tuesday’s congressional elections, voters did so in a way that produced a sweeping setback for his party and a sharp rebuke of his presidency.
The Democratic wave reached even deeply Republican states, pointing to a weakening of the coalition that helped Trump win the White House twice. The source account cites high gas prices, the ongoing war with Iran and allegations of profiteering involving Trump and people close to him as factors behind voter frustration. Some former supporters rejected his party, while others stayed home.
Early Wednesday estimates put the Democratic lead in the national House vote at about 13 percentage points. According to estimates by The New York Times, that would be the largest margin for either party in a congressional election since at least 1976, exceeding the margins in the Republican victories of 1994 and 2010.
Redistricting may limit how much that national vote margin translates into House seats, as gerrymandered districts leave fewer competitive seats for either party to gain. Still, the result signals a major shift in the political climate, even as Trump has two years remaining in office.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.