The Democrats win control of the House of Representatives and Republicans hold the Senate. These are the results of the Midterm elections that registered decreased support to President Trump, as he himself had described the vote as a referendum on himself. It was the victory of women, of afro-Americans, young people, Latinos. Moreover, it was the victory of the silent majority party, which over the past years took to the streets, returned to knock on the doors of neighbours and friends and convinced 36 million people to cast their votes on election Day. Unprecedented turnout in a Midterm election – less than 27 million voted in the previous presidential elections. “Unprecedented lines of voters turned out”, said some of the voters at a polling station in the Bronx. People stood on line for over two hours without ever giving up also in Manhattan. The urgent need for a breakthrough was felt at all levels, confirmed by projected results. However, the outcome of midterm elections will be measured not only in terms of victories or defeats but also with the criteria of government stability. In fact, Trump risks experiencing the same deadlock of his predecessor, and there are still two years to go to the next round of elections, that will be indispensable for the implementation of the US Presidency’s programs.
A record number of women elected to the House.
Two Muslim women have been elected to Congress for the first time in the history of the Country: a Somali American and the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, elected in the Midwest, the so-called “Trump’s land.” Yet, these two woman made their way through on a territory with a strong Republican majority, endorsing the positions of Bernie Sanders, the Dem Senator that ran against Hilary Clinton is the last primary election, re-elected for a new mandate. The youngest woman in the House is Alexandria Ocasio Cortes, 29, elected in New York. The first African-American woman gained a seat in Massachussets. Also Georgia – where problems in the electronic mechanism of the polling station are slowing down the results – is projected to have its first female African American governor. In New Mexico, the first Native American woman was elected to Congress.
According to the latest results, 100 women will serve in Congress for the first time in the history of the United States of America.
Nonetheless these midterm elections have swept away all the emerging stars of the Democratic Party, while Republicans gained the largest number of governors, conquering Florida and Ohio, largely believed to be Democratic strongholds. This might explain why President Trump tweeted: “Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to you all!” although the presidential race of 2020 starts with a substantial glitch that will force the less presidential President of the United States to reconsider his strategy, placing renewed focus on the Midwest and on the workers that chose the GOP over the Democrats, a Party unprepared to embrace the middle class but that will nonetheless have to be reshaped with a new constituency, which is what young Republican leaders determined to rescue their Party from prevailing “Trumpism” that risks destroying its history and its soul, are working at.
