The Republican Party gained control of the Senate on Tuesday after widespread success in the midterm elections.
Now the G.O.P. has control over both the Senate and the House of Representatives, which sets up even more of a power struggle between Congress – which has been widely criticized for its intransigency-and President Barack Obama.
In the Senate, Republicans took 52 seats, gaining the seven seats needed to put the party in power. In the House, the Republican Party claimed 243 seats, meaning the G.O.P. took 13 seats formerly filled by Democrats.
Democrats lost their seats in North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota, who all voted red on Tuesday. This Republican swing could be an indication of growing dissatisfaction with the president. Obama will now need to work with a Republican-controlled Congress, which could mean a lack of legislative progress in his final two years as president.
According to NPR, Obama responded to the G.O.P.’s success by saying, “I'm certainly going to be spending a lot more time with them now, because that's the only way we're going to get stuff done.”
Republicans also struck big in the gubernatorial races: in 31 states, Republican governors were voted into office. Other hot topics addressed in this election were the legalization of marijuana and the raising of minimum wage. Alaska and Oregon legalized the use of recreational marijuana, while Florida rejected it. The minimum wage was raised in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Looking forward, Obama intends for the next two years to be "as productive as possible."
According to ABC News, $3.67 billion was spent in this election, making it the most expensive midterm election yet.
rking2@ramapo.edu
