Obama’s pick, a ‘hard-line newcomer,’ surges as ‘Trump’s men’ fall one after another [U.S. Midterm Elections]

In the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3, control of both the House and Senate changed hands for the first time in 20 years, and the political landscape surrounding a second Trump administration is also expected to shift. Democrats are expected to see competition between hard-line newcomers and established presidential hopefuls, while in the Republican Party, power struggles are expected among influential figures eyeing the presidency after the downfall of the “Trump kids.”
Abdul El-Sayed, who clashed with the Democratic Party’s moderate wing late in the campaign, won Michigan’s Senate race after a close contest. He advocates introducing a wealth tax and universal health insurance, among other measures, and is considered a hard-line leftist even within the Democratic Party. Late in the campaign last month, he secured the endorsement of former President Barack Obama, silencing opposition within the party.
The Democrats also elected the first Black woman governor (Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia), the first Native American woman governor (Deb Haaland of New Mexico), and the first male LGBTQ senator (Chris Pappas of New Hampshire) in this election.
The party leadership’s standing is also expected to change. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House Minority Leader (pictured), won his New York congressional district, setting a record as an eight-term member of the House. Local media predicted that Jeffries would become the next Speaker of the House. If he takes the post, he will be the first Black Speaker in U.S. history. The trio of governors who have been considered potential Democratic presidential candidates since the last presidential election also came through this election unscathed. Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), J.B. Pritzker (Illinois), and Wes Moore (Maryland) all won reelection in this gubernatorial election.
By contrast, Republican candidates who received President Donald Trump’s full-throated campaign support in the seven battleground states were swept away. The Republican candidates were incumbents in six of the seven states, but all lost. Local media are watching Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential future leaders of the Republican Party.
[email protected] Park Jong-won Reporter