Republicans got a rough result in the midterms: Democrats swept a number of races, and the losses weren’t easily explained away. The brighter side, if there is one, is that arguing with relatives over Thanksgiving dinner won’t change what happened. The results weren’t particularly close.
I may still find it irritating when a relative arrives ready to turn the football game into a political debate. But, well, Democrats had a very good night, and Republicans didn’t put up much of a fight.
Texas shifted decisively toward Democrats, something that hasn’t happened statewide since 1992. Greg Abbott’s defeat by Gina Hinojosa was a major upset, and Democrats also picked up a Senate seat with James Talarico. That’s a striking change for a state long associated with Republican politics.
Talarico, a pastor, has made comments about Jesus and gender that some religious voters may find surprising. I admit, I don’t hear that sort of thing at church very often.
Kansas also elected a Democratic senator for the first time in 94 years. The previous Democrat to win a Senate race there was George McGill, back in 1932. That was seven years before The Wizard of Oz reached theaters. A different era, to put it mildly.
There were some bright spots for Republicans. Florida elected Byron Donalds as its first Black governor, and Ashley Moody won a Senate seat against Angie Nixon. Still, those victories didn’t come close to offsetting the broader losses.
So perhaps Thanksgiving is a good time to set politics aside for a few hours. Eat well, take a breath, and try not to turn dinner into another campaign stop. There will be plenty of time for political arguments later—especially once the next crop of presidential candidates starts announcing their plans.
