A Political Roller Coaster

August 26, 2024

The past several weeks have been a political roller coaster. Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, named J. D. Vance as his running mate, and staged a triumphant Republican Convention. President Biden declined to seek reëlection, and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris, who quickly gathered the support and enthusiasm of the majority of Democrats. Harris then chose Tim Walz as her Vice-Presidential nominee, just in time for the Democrats to host what will almost certainly be a festive Democratic National Convention, which kicks off this week. For the cover of the August 26, 2024, issue, cartoonist Barry Blitt tried to gather all these narratives into one image: “It looks like things are going the Democrats’ way,” Blitt said. “But who knows what twists and turns lurk right around the corner.”
Links: The New Yorker | Cover Story

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Vote For Democracy: 9 States That May Decide The Senate

While the presidential election gets the most attention, also of major significance is the election of U.S. Senators. This November 5, thirty-four Senate seats will be on the line. The numbers favor the Republicans: seats currently held by Democrats number 20, seats held by Independents number 3, and seats held by Republicans number 11.

Let’s look at the math. The U.S. Senate currently has 51 Democrats (including the 3 Independents) and 49 Republicans. With Joe Manchin (D) retiring, Republicans almost certainly will pick up a seat in West Virginia. If Democrats retain all the remaining states that they (and their allied Independents) hold, it will be a 50-50 Senate, with Democrats getting a tie-breaking vote from the Vice President with a Harris victory. If Democrats have a loss of just one more state, which could happen in a “swing” state or a “toss-up” state, they will lose control of the Senate—unless they gain a victory in a “leaning Republican” state (maybe Texas or Florida).

While every Senate race is important, the control of the Senate may very well be determined by the results in 9 states that could go either way. Democrats looking to contribute or volunteer should especially consider these Senate races: