Midterms 2022: How to Navigate the Seas of Change

The 2022 midterm elections are gaining momentum! And as political parties and campaigns prepare for a showdown that will determine the control of Congress, you as a policy professional need to know what’s happening, what’s changing, and how elections could impact your legislative agenda.

What are midterms?

Although midterm elections often receive less attention than presidential contests, their outcomes have a significant political impact nationally and on the state level. Every two years, all the seats in the House of Representative and about a third of the seats in the Senate are up for reelection. When these biennial contests happen in the middle of a presidential term, they are called “midterms”.

How many seats are up for election in 2022?

35 Senate seats and all 435 House districts are up for election on November 8, 2022. There are also 36 gubernatorial races and many other local races. It will be a busy year ahead.

How to keep track of all the races?

The Texas primary on March 1 kicked off the first primary of the 2022 midterm election season, and May and June will offer many other races to watch. Every policy professional needs to keep a close eye on swing districts and the dynamic issues that will influence the outcomes of the midterms as Pro subscribers can. Subscribers have access to real-time intelligence, expert analysis, and policy tools through one platform which helps them see the big picture, home in on what’s important, and stay ahead. POLITICO Pro has created a robust editorial plan and redesigned the Campaign Races Dashboard to help them stay ahead of this election season.

In addition to race insights, the new and improved Campaign Races Dashboard helps them stay current on the accelerating election cycle. It features a 50-state map which helps them keep an eye on all the federal races, vulnerable members, swing districts, a list of all the U.S. House and Senate races on the ballot for that state, and issues that will help define the future 118th Congress. Incumbent candidates, challengers, and their party affiliations can be easy to track through the dashboard, and is powered by the latest candidate and fundraising data throughout the election season.

What are the key issues, and how will they influence elections?

Several key issues, from economy to health care costs, may determine whether the Democrats can hold on to their control of Congress, or Republicans take over. Campaign News (available only to Pro subscribers) is a one-stop source for all the latest election news, and analysis of the news and issues at stake help policy professionals understand the impact of election outcomes. Here are some of the topics that PRO subscribers are reading:

Climate Change
What happened to Biden’s Climate Agenda?

Education
3 education takeaways from State of the Union

Health Care
Pro Briefing Takeaways: Outlook for Covid-related agenda

Employment
`Unlike any other secretary’: Marty Walsh’s hands-on approach to settling labor disputes

How will redistricting influence the 2022 midterms?

Redistricting is the process of redrawing congressional and state legislative boundaries. It happens every ten years after a census and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Redistricting aims to create districts of equal populations and ensure equal representation. POLITICO’s interactive Redistricting feature is where you can find detailed analyses on what new district lines mean for the balance of Congress over the next decade.

The Midterms this year will be an exciting time. In the coming months, Pro subscribers will have even more dashboard features to help them navigate upcoming campaign races. Learn more.