American voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots for the 2022 United States midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 8. In play are 35 of 100 Senate seats, alongside all seats in the House of Representatives. NJ residents can check their voter registration status online through the official state government’s website.
New Jersey holds twelve seats in the House of Representatives, alongside its two seats in the Senate. Of New Jersey’s House delegation, 10 are Democrats and two are Republicans. Both of New Jersey’s Senators are Democrats, neither of whom are up for re-election this cycle.
Outside of the federal midterms, there are several other elections happening in NJ during this cycle. These include municipal elections, Board of Education elections, and two special state legislative elections for districts 12 and 28.
In February, New Jersey’s Legislative Reapportionment Commission redrew the state’s congressional districts. NJ-6, the congressional district which includes Monmouth University, was expanded to include portions of Neptune Township and Red Bank, while ceding Marlboro and portions of Middletown to NJ-3.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the House race for NJ-7, between incumbent Tom Malinowski (D) and Tom Keane (R), is neck and neck, with both figures polling at around 48 percent. Malinowski narrowly defeated Keane in 2020, with the end results being 50.6 percent of the vote for Malinowski and 49.4 percent of the vote for Keane. The redrawn NJ-7, according to Ballotpedia, still swings towards Democrats, but only by a small margin.
According to NJ.com, issues weighing heavily on the minds of NJ voters include the economy and reproductive rights, respectively, although concerns about the economy far surpass those about the latter.
The upcoming election is expected to be contentious with several key issues at play. Those seen as key in NJ reflect well nationally. Polls suggest the midterm election will be tight.
The Monmouth University Polling Institute recently published a piece detailing that Republicans maintain a slight edge nationally by about 4 points. According to a survey done this month, 49 percent of those polled preferred a Republican-controlled Congress, compared to 45 percent of those who preferred a continuing Democratic majority.
Only twice this year did the Polling Institute receive a majority of respondents saying they would prefer a Democratic controlled Congress. The poll has conducted seven surveys on the matter this year.
Some are not surprised at the result of the polling. Mia Ossandon, a freshman political science student, said she “can understand why there’s a Republican lead considering how Democrats have been fumbling so much up until this point.” She carried on, saying “it’s a bit depressing to watch, especially with the overturn of Roe v. Wade. It’s almost like this is foreshadowing an upcoming red wave and Republican win for the 2024 presidential election.”
Many have perceived the Supreme Court’s overruling of Roe v. Wade as the loss of a woman’s right to choose. Ava Komasz, a junior communications student, said “I fear for my safety and my rights as a queer woman” in regard to Republicans potentially gaining control of Congress. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and House Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) have introduced bills labeled as abortion bans in both the Senate and House. While these bills are unlikely to pass in the current environment, it offers a glimpse into the legislative agenda Republicans may pursue should they secure a majority in Congress.
The current United States annual inflation rate is around 8.2 percent, down from 8.3 percent last month. Inflation is a key issue for Republicans in this election cycle. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former President Donald Trump have criticized President Joe Biden for the recent increase in inflation, most notably through highlighting higher energy, gas, and food prices.
The annual inflation rate is expected to decline to 7.8 percent by the end of this economic quarter. US inflation rates have been steadily declining since a 9.1 percent inflation peak in June. Numerous financial outlets and institutions expect the US inflation rate to continue to decline through 2023.
For Democrats, issues such as reproductive rights and student loan forgiveness are at the top of the list. In the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade earlier this year, Democrats positioned reproductive rights as the centerpiece of their campaigning efforts. Joe Biden pledged that, should Democrats retain control of Congress, he will push for the passing of a bill that will protect access to abortion across the country.
The midterm elections are always seen as a vote of confidence in a President’s leadership. With Democrats questioning whether Joe Biden should seek a second term and Republicans split between supporting and opposing Trump, this year’s midterms will paint a picture of what the playing field in 2024 may look like.
