The biggest election of my life — and the first I was able to participate in — is on Tuesday. I voted a few weeks ago, and I’m anxiously anticipating the results of the election.
Will we get another four years of President Donald Trump, a horrible but possible scenario, or four years of former Vice President Joe Biden, who will hopefully repair the damage Trump caused to the country?
While it is crucial Democrats win the presidency, it is also imperative they win the Senate. I would argue the source of the United States’ power comes not from the president, but from the legislature and judiciary.
Currently, 35 Senate seats are open for re-election, but 23 of those are Republican. Let’s take a look at some of those important races.
Leaning Republican
First, I want to discuss the race in Alabama. Democrat Sen. Doug Jones currently holds office in deep-red Alabama. He was elected in an upset in 2017, and is a huge underdog against former football coach Tommy Tuberville.
As of now, it appears Jones is not going to win this race, but he has highlighted flaws in the voting system. In Alabama, you are required to have a valid photo ID when voting, or the process becomes much more complicated and, as a result, can disenfranchise voters.
Another important race is in South Carolina. Sitting Sen. Lindsey Graham is favored to win over Jaime Harrison. Graham is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court after refusing to do the same during former President Barack Obama’s presidency.
I despise Graham for his slimy actions, and do not believe he can be trusted. He is a threat to American democracy and falls in line with whomever is in power. Unfortunately, it looks like we’re going to have to deal with him for a few more years.
Tossups
Georgia’s special election is very clearly a tossup, and an interesting one at that. It’s a forced election between a Democrat and two Republicans: Democrat Raphael Warnock, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and Republican Rep. Doug Collins. Loeffler and Collins are strong supporters of Trump, and Loeffler was endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who embraces the QAnon conspiracy. This race may force a runoff if no one person gets 50 percent of votes.
In a less-dramatic race, we have Republican Sen. Joni Ernst up against Democrat Theresa Greenfield in Iowa. Currently, it’s looking like a true toss-up, according to FiveThirtyEight polls. I look forward to seeing the results of this election.
Lastly, I want to focus on the North Carolina races where Democrat Cal Cunningham is favored to win against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Cunningham had a sexting scandal and Tillis tested positive for COVID-19 at a White House event for Barrett. Despite the potency of Cunnigham’s scandal, voters seem unaffected by his decisions. With the craziness of 2020, this race doesn’t have the shock value it usually would. Onto the next.
Leaning Democrat
Two major elections are leaning Democrat. First, the Arizona election with Sen. Martha McSally against Democratic nominee Mark Kelly. Currently, Kelly is favored to win over McSally and has a lot of Democratic support. Meanwhile, other Republican senators are rallying around McSally in an effort to win this crucial election. We’ll see if Republicans’ efforts will be enough to keep Arizona red.
Finally, we have Republican Sen. Susan Collins facing off against Rep. Sara Gideon in Maine. Collins has been in the Senate for more than two decades, and has recently supported far too many Trump policies for my liking. I am not a fan of Collins, but she voted against Barrett’s nomination, which was a bold move against Republicans. Nonetheless, Gideon would give Democrats a decisive win over a career politician.
In conclusion, go vote. This is an incredibly important race for everyone, and it should not be taken lightly. A lot more is at stake than just the presidency.
