As the election approaches, voters are hyper-focused on the presidential race. As voters tune in to the presidential candidates’ debates and rallies, an equally consequential congressional election fades into the background of politics.
The presidency easily captures the attention of the American eye; it is the shining diamond of patriotism, refracting into the hearts of citizens. As the president is the figurehead of the state, Congress is working in the background as the backbone of the national government.
At the beginning of the Union, the Congress of the Confederation was the only national governing body under the Articles of Confederation, the precursor to the modern U.S. Constitution. According to the National Archives, Congress governed from 1781 to 1789, with no executive branch. The founders were highly suspicious, even fearful, of a strong national government.
When the U.S. Constitution was ratified, it called for a system of checks and balances that placed the U.S. Congress at the center of the federal government. Congress has an extensive list of powers afforded to it by the Constitution; it can write and pass laws, establish post offices, declare war, declare peace, enter into treaties and regulate commerce. When laws are vetoed, Congress can essentially challenge the President’s veto. When the U.S. Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional, Congress can propose a constitutional amendment.
With the explicit and implicit powers provided to it, the political makeup of Congress can send shockwaves through the lives of Americans. Not only should the significance of Congress alert voters to the upcoming congressional election, but the landscape of the election itself should too.
The 2022 House election was a narrow win for Republicans. The Republican party won 222 seats, whereas the Democrats won 213, according to Politico. Republicans had not held the House since 2018.
According to the Pew Research Center, voters were split on their voting intentions for the 2022 congressional midterm election. The center found 53% of Republican voters were not confident in the midterm election being fair, and 71% said they’d vote to show their disapproval of Democratic President Joe Biden. This year, the highly publicized and polarizing presidential race may enhance the suspicions and fears of voters.
The 2024 House election is expected to be an even tighter race between Republicans and Democrats to secure control of the House. With four vacancies, Republicans hold 220 seats and Democrats 211, according to the House Radio-Television Gallery. Control of the House may come down to only a few seats.
According to the Cook Political Report, there are 190 Democrat and 202 Republican seats considered non-competitive in this election. However, the race narrows when voters consider the competitive seats. According to the report, there are 24 Democratic and 19 Republican competitive seats, where the candidates are locked in on the race.
There are fewer toss-up seats than in the last election. “Toss-ups” are seats where neither party has an obvious advantage in the race. Between the two elections, 36 toss-up seats were honed into 24, with more seats leaning toward either party. With the decrease in toss-ups and increase in competitiveness, voters can expect House runners to shift their policy plans and campaign strategies to appeal to more voters.
Congress — the Senate and the House — directly monitors the president while remaining closest to the public opinion, according to Indiana University’s Center on Representative Government. The race to control the House is expected to be one of the most narrow of the past elections. Though the presidential election will decide the nation's figurehead, the congressional election may decide the nation’s direction, and voters should be aware of the consequences.
Taylor Orcutt is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Taylor know by tweeting her @TaylorOrcutt.
