Be Sure to Vote! (from today to Nov. 3)

The extremely important mid-term election is on November 3, just two weeks from today (10/20). This is a far more important election than most nationwide elections that doesn’t include voting for a President. In 2024, the nation inexplicably elected a Republican POTUS with a majority of the Senate and House. Now is the time to turn the Senate and House back to normality.

The Precarious Senate Races

The Democrats need to flip only four seats to gain the majority in the Senate. That is certainly within the range of possibility. I have written before about two of the six Democrats most likely to flip a Senate seat: Adam Hamilton in neighboring Kansas and James Talarico in Texas. 

Sherrod Brown, who served as a Senator from Ohio from 2007 to 2025, has a good chance of being elected to that post again. He has a small lead in most of the polls at this point. In addition, Roy Cooper is running for the open Senate seat in North Carolina, and he has a sizeable lead in the polls, and Mary Peltola is leading in the polls for Alaska’s Senator.

While it is more doubtful, Josh Turek has a shot at being elected in the red state of neighboring Iowa. He was born with spina bifida, a congenital condition affecting the spine and mobility. He became a world‑class wheelchair basketball player and won a gold medal as a member of USA’s wheelchair basketball team in the 2016 Paralympics.

So, while these are all close races, it seems entirely feasible that voters might elect at least four (or more!) of these six candidates. That depends partly on Democrats voting in large numbers. Since there is such a strong possibility of their winning the House, many Democrats may think it is not necessary for them to vote.

But in the states just mentioned, it is extremely important for Democrats to vote—and I urge you Thinking Friends in Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, and Iowa to do so. (I can’t think of any TFs in Alaska or Ohio, and if I have forgotten someone in those states, I apologize and ask you to refresh my memory.)

What about the House Races?

In some states, such as Missouri, the election outcome is so predictable that there seems to be little use to vote. I am in the sixth district, which voted for Trump by 80% three times in a row. There is no possibility that a Democrat is going to be elected as the Representative from that district, and there is no senatorial election. So why vote?

Copilot tells me that in the upcoming election, 390–405 seats are effectively safe for one party or the other. That means that only 30–45 seats are meaningfully competitive. Voting doesn’t mean much for those of us who don’t live in that small number of competitive districts. But voting anyway may eventually lead to a more purple district.

Vote for the Candidate or the Party?

I have a good friend who has made it clear on Facebook posts that he votes for the best candidate, not for a political party. Similarly, another Facebook friend recently wrote, “I vote, quite faithfully actually. But don’t count on me to be faithful to any one political party! What I care about are policies, ethics, and relational practices.” And a person I don’t know posted, “I choose the side that feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, educates the forgotten, and treats every person with dignity.”

That is quite different from my position, which is “vote Blue, no matter who.” So, let’s consider this matter a bit further. Why wouldn’t we want to vote for the best candidate rather than for one who and a D or a R after his name?

In the past I have been a supporter of some Republicans, especially of Mark Hatfield (Senator from Oregon from 1976~95) and John Danforth (Missouri Senator from 1976~95). I’ve also held positive opinions of Margaret Chase Smith (Maine Senator, 1949~73) and of Ben Sasse (Nebraska Senator, 2015~23).

But now, with maybe a couple of exceptions, Republicans seeking to become a U.S. Senator or Representative are so under the control of the POTUS, it is hard to see why anyone concerned about the good of the country, and especially about the underprivileged, would think voting for a GOP candidate is the right choice.

So, the midterm elections begin today, and I encourage all of you U.S. citizens to be sure to vote—and to vote conscientiously.