The most important thing about the general elections in the USA

Midterms

The most important thing about the general elections in the USA

On Tuesday it will be decided whether the parliament in Washington will work with or against US President Trump in the future. How the midterms work – and why they are so important.

On Tuesday it will be decided: Can be US President Donald Trump continue to rely on a congress that is favorable to him, or does he have to expect more headwinds in the next two years? A large part of Parliament will be re-elected, Trump’s Republicans could lose their slim majority in both chambers – or defend it. An overview of the midterms.

The US Congress consists of two chambers. In the midterm elections, Americans are called upon to fill all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. While each of the 50 US states sends two senators to the capital, each of the constituencies is represented by a congressman.

The fact that only a third of the senators are up for election is due to the longer term of office of six years. This begins at different times, which is why only a part is re-elected every two years.

In addition, in the majority of states, elections for governors, the most powerful office in a state – including CaliforniaArizona and Michigan. In many countries, parliaments and other positions are also being redesignated.

Particular attention is paid to the House of Representatives. Of the 435 seats, 218 are currently in Republican hands, the Democrats have 214. Two more are vacant due to resignations or deaths, and Representative Kevin Kiley is a non-party after leaving the Republicans. So the razor-thin majority of Trump’s party is shaky.

The already tight race is becoming even more unpredictable with the redrawing of electoral districts in several states. In California, TexasNorth Carolina, Ohio and new York the electoral districts were redesigned. Gerrymandering, practiced by both Republicans and Democrats, is intended to concentrate more voters from one party in a constituency. Because in the US majority voting system, the only thing that matters is who ultimately comes out on top in a constituency.

According to polls, the Democrats could win the majority in the House of Representatives, while there is no clear picture emerging in the Senate.

The Cook Political Report portal, which specializes in election analysis, sees signs that the Democrats could take more seats from the Republicans than the other way around. With 18 elections in the House of Representatives and seven votes in the Senate, there are also indications of a neck-and-neck race.

In the smaller chamber, 22 Republican and 13 Democratic senatorial seats are up for re-election. However, most Republican seats are in states where Trump won significantly in 2024. Taking Senate seats from the Republicans is therefore seen as a challenge for the Democrats. If the election is so close that there is a stalemate in the Senate, Vice President JD Vance could tip the scales in favor of the Republicans.