The voting is finished and the midterm election is finally over. Democrats will now control the US House of Representatives and Republicans have increased their majority in the US Senate. The blue wave Democrats had hoped for failed to materialize. It was more of a blue trickle.
In Florida, Congressman Ron DeSantis narrowly won his race for governor. Most polls initially showed leftist Democrat Andrew Gillum ahead in that race. Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Nelson is calling for a recount in his race against the state’s outgoing Republican governor, Rick Scott.
Faith and Freedom Coalition Chairman Ralph Reed said evangelical voters made the difference in the Sunshine State. “I think the White House and the RGA and the National Republican Senatorial Committee and certainly Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott are very grateful tonight that the rapture didn’t happen before the early voting began because if it had, they would have lost in a landslide,” explained Reed. “The evangelicals delivered this vote in a big way.”
Some incumbent Democrats who voted against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court were defeated. In North Dakota, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp lost her re-election bid to Kevin Cramer. Indiana’s Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) is out, defeated by Republican Mike Braun. And Josh Hawley beat Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) by 6 percent in Missouri. Hawley gave credit where credit is due. “Tonight, the good Lord and the people of Missouri have given us the victory – we won!” he declared.
And there were some firsts in this midterm election. More women than ever before – possibly as many as 100 – will now serve in the House of Representatives. Two Muslims will be among them and that is also another first.
With a divided Congress ahead, it remains to be seen whether or not the president, Democrats and Republicans will work together, or if Washington will be more contentious and polarized than during President Trump’s first two years.