Voters Rejected Wackjobs and Rewarded Competence in State Elections
“All politics is local,” former House Speaker Tip O’Neill famously declared and rarely was that more true than in Tuesday’s midterm elections. For all the focus on high-profile Senate races in Pennsylvania and Georgia and the still undecided race for the House, races for governor and local state officers provided perhaps the most compelling insight into the mood of the American people—a preference for competence over intense partisanship.
While all the votes still need to be counted, it appears that only one sitting governor lost their seat—Democrat Steve Sisolak in Nevada. In Massachusetts and Maryland, two seats flipped as voters went from term-limited moderate Republicans to Democratic candidates. While the ballots are still being counted in Arizona, Democrat Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state, looks as though she will narrowly hold off former TV anchorwoman and 2020 election denier Kari Lake (another potential flip from red to blue for Democrats).
But overall, it was a great night for incumbents—of all political persuasions. In Vermont, one of the bluest states in the country, Republican Gov. Phil Scott won another term by 47 points, while at the same time, Democrat Peter Welch won an open seat for U.S. Senate by 40 points. A similar dynamic played out in neighboring New Hampshire, where Republican Gov. Chris Sununu coasted to re-election, even as Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan easily won reelection.