It takes the US House, the US Senate, and the President to be in agreement to make a proposal the law. With Democrats holding the House and soon the Presidency, the Democrats hope of controlling the Senate will come down to Georgia's runoff elections on January 5, 2021.
Democrats would need to win both Georgia's Senate races to split the chamber 50-50, with the vice president (starting in 2021, Democrat Kamala Harris) having the tie-breaking vote. Americans will live with this outcome for two years.
The next round of elections to the U.S. Senate will be held on November 8, 2022, and 34 of the 100 seats are up for regular election. Of the 34 seats up for the 2022 election, Democrats hold 12 seats and Republicans hold 22 of them as of November 2020 according to Ballotpedia.
Senators serve for six years before having to face re-election. Senate seats that are up for re-election in 2022 that were won during the 2016 election with less than a five percent margin of victory can be considered vulnerable to being flipped, or won by the opposite party. Those seats are held by: Roy Blunt (R-M0), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). With Toomey and Johnson not running for re-election, their seats can be considered even more vulnerable with their being in states that Joe Biden won.
Dr. Sekou Franklin, Associate Professor of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University, thinks that Democrats have a better chance of winning in Pennsylvania than in Wisconsin. “Pennsylvania is Biden's childhood home and Democrats have a strong infrastructure there. Even still, the party that is in the White House often struggles in the first mid-term elections after she or he (in this case Biden) is elected. So, I think Republicans have a slight advantage in these states.”
US Senate Elections 2022
Adding to the list of toss-up seats is the seat of Richard Burr (R-NC). Burr won his seat by a more comfortable margin, but he is not running for re-election in a state that Biden barely lost. Marco Rubio (D-FL) and Tim Scott (R-SC) are also running for reelection.
Franklin thinks both have an advantage in these races with Scott having an easier time than Rubio. “He (Scott) is more entrenched in South Carolina and is a harder target than Rubio. Rubio may also be hurt by his attachment to Trump.”
Only one third of the Senate comes up for election every two years because the founding fathers wanted the Senate to be less responsive to the people.
The Nashville professor also think COVID-19 may play a part in people’s decision making given how bad the virus has hit Florida. He added, “Rubio's attachment to Trump and the Florida governor, he may have harder time getting elected. Also, the governor is up for re-election, so this makes Florida ground zero for a convergence of heavy campaign spending, Trumpian politics, and the covid-19 pandemic.”
Only one third of the Senate comes up for election every two years because the founding fathers wanted the Senate to be less responsive to the people. They wanted the Senate to be more deliberative and to have to worry less about always acting as public opinion dictated.
The House was supposed to be the body closer to the people. Since the entire House is elected every two years and represent smaller districts, they must worry more about pleasing their constituents.
Georgia or Bust
Franklin thinks both have an advantage in these races with Scott having an easier time than Rubio. “He (Scott) is more entrenched in South Carolina and is a harder target than Rubio. Rubio may also be hurt by his attachment to Trump.”
Only one third of the Senate comes up for election every two years because the founding fathers wanted the Senate to be less responsive to the people.
The Nashville professor also think COVID-19 may play a part in people’s decision making given how bad the virus has hit Florida. He added, “Rubio's attachment to Trump and the Florida governor, he may have harder time getting elected. Also, the governor is up for re-election, so this makes Florida ground zero for a convergence of heavy campaign spending, Trumpian politics, and the covid-19 pandemic.”
Only one third of the Senate comes up for election every two years because the founding fathers wanted the Senate to be less responsive to the people. They wanted the Senate to be more deliberative and to have to worry less about always acting as public opinion dictated.
The House was supposed to be the body closer to the people. Since the entire House is elected every two years and represent smaller districts, they must worry more about pleasing their constituents.
Georgia or Bust
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