Midterm elections drag into December

Graphic+by+Peyton+Anderson.

Graphic by Peyton Anderson.

Gracie Lancaster, Staff Writer

The 2022 midterm elections took place on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The Oregon governor’s race was officially called, making Tina Kotek our next governor. Tina Kotek is a Democrat, just as all of Oregon’s governors have been since Victor Atiyeh was governor in 1959, though this governor’s race was extremely close.

For the first time since 2018, Republicans regained control of the House. It requires 218 representatives to take the majority. As of Dec. 13, it was made official that there were 222 seats won by Republicans and 213 seats won by Democrats.

On Nov. 30, the US Senate was 50-49, with the Democrats in control and one seat still undecided. That final seat between Raphael Warnock and Hershel Walker in Georgia went to a run-off election on Dec. 6, resulting in a win for Raphael Warnock.

The Democrats were in control of the House of Representatives before midterms, but Republicans took over the House with this election, splitting control of the legislative branch of government. Bills that pass easily in the House may not pass in the Senate, and vice versa. This will make the government significantly less productive unless elected legislators are willing to work together.

In an interview with The Wolf,  Tualatin High School government teacher Michael Crotty stated,“ Oftentimes, we only focus on national politics and what shows up most in the news. In reality, some of the most important policies get made at the state and local level.”

Crotty hopes to remind people that many of the decisions that have an impact on our daily lives are made locally rather than at the federal level. 

“The reason the governor’s race matters, our state reps matter, and our ballot measures matter,” he said, ”is because these are the people who make decisions about our school’s funding and your access to everything from reproductive rights to tax levels to climate to worker conditions.”