Page 38 - ATR 6 2018 web

The More Things Change

2018 Midterm Election Recap

By David Monteith

Contributing writer

Those who talk politics on a level
deeper than counting the number of
Republicans and Democrats in Congress
use terms like ‘triplex’ and ‘trifecta’ to
measure the amount of influence each
of the parties has in the country. They
count governorships and look closely
at the balance of power in state legisla-
tures. By all counts the 2018 mid-term
elections brought about significant
change on the national political stage.

WHO’S IN POWER NOW?
Democrats took control of the
House of Representatives by gain-
ing 39 seats. Republicans, mean-
while, strengthened their majority in
the Senate by flipping three seats in
Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota,
while losing only one to Democrats in
Nevada. The final tally of their Senate
presence increased to 53 after a special The race for Georgia’s Secretary of State the number of their trifectas to 14,
runoff election in Mississippi resulted was determined in a runoff election on while Republicans are down to 22.
in another Republican victory. Dec. 4 when Georgia voters narrowly Overall, the national outlook still
In addition to the widely covered decided to retain the state's triplex. heavily favors Republicans, and the
House and Senate races, many states Another measurement used by changes, while significant, are no more
saw changes in the governorship, as well political pundits is the ‘trifecta’. A party drastic than those which occurred under
as in the other two top state offices: claims a trifecta when they control Presidents Obama and Clinton. The
Attorney General and Secretary of State. the governorship and have a majority Democrats celebrated gains, but did not
‘Triplex’ is the term used to describe in the state’s House and Senate. Using achieve the Blue Wave they hoped for.
the scenario in which the Governor, this as a standard, there was a notable In Arkansas, however, there was
the Secretary of State, and the Attorney amount of change nationally. Prior to very little change. Republicans may have
General of a state are all from the the midterm elections Republicans held won by slimmer margins in some state
same party. Prior to the 2018 elections, trifectas in 26 states, while Democrats races, but they held their seats in all 4
Republicans held triplexes in 22 states. had only 8. Neither party had singular congressional districts. The Arkansas
That number was trimmed to 18 after control in the remaining states. As of Trucking Association threw its sup-
the first round of ballots were counted. this writing, Democrats had increased port behind the Republican candidates,

38 Issue 6 2018 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT