U.S. Midterm Elections: What Votes?

The United States has midterm elections this November 8 and elects all members of the House of Representatives (which would be equivalent to our House of Deputies) and about a third of the Senate, which experts say is often seen as a referendum on the president.
Within this election, 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats (34 regular seats plus a special election to fill the four years remaining for retiring Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe) and 36 state governors and three territory governors are elected. In addition, numerous mayors, local offices are elected, and 129 measures will be put to referendums in 36 states, including abortion laws in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont.The Senate and House of Representatives constitute the upper and lower houses of Congress, which is the legislative branch of government and responsible for making laws. The term of office of members of the House of Representatives is two years and that of senators six. Each of the fifty states is represented by two senators, making a total of 100. Currently, the Senate is evenly split between 50 Democrats (including independents Angus King and Bernie Sanders, who align with Democrats) and 50 Republicans. U.S. Vice President and Senate President Kamala Harris has cast 26 tie-breaking votes due to party parity. This had not happened since 1825 when John Calhoun was vice president. Regarding the House of Representatives, each state obtains representation according to the amount of population, at least it has the right to one representative. The House currently has 221 Democratic representatives, 212 Republicans and two vacancies due to the death of Jackie Walorski and the resignation of Charlie Crist.
Midterm elections historically after World War II are won by the opposition party, with the president’s party losing an average of 29 seats in the first midterm elections, according to the Council on Foreign Relations think tank. And this election would not be the exception, since there is great discomfort with Biden’s economic management, mainly because of the high inflation that the North American country is experiencing and that plagues the world. Polls indicate Republicans would win between 10 and 25 House seats, more than the five they need to gain control. In the Senate the race is more even, the Democrats have a technical majority there of a single vote. Republicans aspire to take control of them as well. Democrats are confident in keeping the majority in the Senate. They only defend 14 seats, while Republicans defend 21. If Republicans win the House, the Senate, or both, they will be well positioned to block much of Biden’s legislative agenda.
According to polls, inflation is the issue that most concerns the electorate, followed by abortion. Concern about inflation favors Republicans, because many blame Biden for it; But the issue of abortion harms them because its prohibition generates a high rejection. At the same time, within the interests of the electorate, there is also immigration, crime, gun violence, climate change, electoral rights and the coronavirus, but with a decreasing interest.

Original source in Spanish