(VOVworld) – More than 100 million American people will cast their votes on Tuesday to elect representatives to the federal congress. Although the election’s outcome is still unpredictable, it will impact the presidential election in 2016.
The midterm election, so-called because it is held in the middle of the presidential term, is for seats in both Chambers of Congress and some state governors. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one third of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested, along with 37 state governorships.
Why the midterm elections are important
The midterm election is a vital race for parties in the presidential and congressional election in the next 2 years. With reference to the midterm election results, candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties will have to review their political views and adjust their orientations to meet the people’s aspirations. The Republicans are hoping to come out of this election with control of both Houses and their legislative powers, which the Democrats will consider it a victory if they can retain control of the Senate.
The Democratic Party holds a majority of 53 seats in the Senate, while the Republican Party has 45 seats, and there are 2 independent seats. The Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives with 233 seats, while the Democrats have 199 seats.
To trust what party, the Democratic or the Republic?
The 113th Congress has been criticized for the most ineffective performance in history. The US economic recovery remains sluggish. Job growth has improved but the unemployment rate in October was still high at 5.9% compared to the Fed’s target of 5%.
Although the Obama administration has fulfilled its promise to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the US is now involved in another fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. The “Arab Spring”, which swept through many Middle East and North African countries, did not bring peace to these countries but has left chaos and anarchy. The Palestine-Israel peace talks have bogged down. Relations between Russia and the U.S. could be described as chilly at the moment.
Challenges to President Barack Obama
Analysts say the Republican Party will probably make gains in the midterm election because voters have been disappointed in the achievements of the Obama administration. A survey prior to the election showed that 50% of the voters support the Republicans while 44% prefer the Democrats. Republicans have 62.3% chance to win control of the Senate.