The United States experienced what many have called a “blue wave” in the recent midterm elections, as the Democratic Party took control of the Senate and the House. This was a monumental election cycle, as historically red states like Texas, Georgia, Kansas, and South Carolina all “flipped blue” for the first time in decades. This new split gives the Democratic Party 54 Senate seats and a whopping 253 House seats. Georgia also elected our nation's first-ever Black female governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and New Hampshire elected the first-ever openly gay senator in the country’s history.
This race was full of many historic firsts, and brought a massive wave of change to our country. For the past two years, Trump and the Republican Party have controlled SCOTUS, Congress, and the Executive. Now, the Democratic Party controls the Legislative Branch, which makes and passes federal laws. This means left-leaning bills proposed in Congress are more likely to pass the Senate and become law. While this doesn’t guarantee every bill will pass, it gives the Democratic Party more power and creates a path for change.
Despite the historic changes seen nationwide, Yakima seemed to stay the same. With the retirement of Representative Dan Newhouse, who served District 4 for over 12 years, many expected a possible party change. Washington has been historically a Democratic state, but Yakima itself is deeply Republican. The race for Newhouse’s spot pitted John Duresky (Dem) against Amanda McKinney (Rep), and it drew strong attention. President Trump has endorsed McKinney, and many of her statements about Yakima's largely Hispanic community have been quite controversial. Despite the criticism, McKinney won the seat by over 7 points, and District4 remains red.
This midterm election was a massive success for some, and a letdown for others. No matter which side you're on, the best way to see the change you want is to get to the polls and vote. Yakima County has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the state, if not the lowest. If we want to see change in our community, state, and nation, we must start by voting.
