The 2018 United States midterm election results; meet your representatives

By John Vandewater, '20

|Graphic: John Vandewater
2018 Texas Senate election map by county

The 2018 Super Tuesday mid-term elections were held nation-wide on November 6th. These elections decided the balance of power in the legislative branch of the United States as well as several state governorships, local elections across the country, and most notably for us, right here in Texas. Nationally, the results seemed to maintain the norm for a first term President as the Republican party lost control of the House while increasing its majority in the Senate.

Democrats have capitalized on anti-President Trump anger so far as they have managed to win 233 of the 435 total seats in the House of Representatives. Currently, with only 1 seat remaining to be decided, Republicans rode the wave of a booming economy and drastic decrease in unemployment managing to increase its majority in the Senate from 51 previously held seats to 52.

In the great state of Texas however, voter turnout for the elections soared beyond its highest previously recorded numbers as the predicted blue wave scenario did not fare so well. Ted Cruz, the incumbent Republican senator from the Lone Star State defeated his democratic challenger Robert Francis O’Rourke with approximately 51% of the vote. Additionally, the Republican incumbent governor, Greg Abbott, earned a landslide victory over former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.

Locally, Galveston county maintained its Republican majority by voting for Senator Cruz with approximately 60% and Governor Greg Abbott with approximately 64% of the vote. In short, democrats and supporters from inside the state and across the country will have to wait a few more years to see if “Beto mania” will ultimately assist in turning Texas blue.