WASHINGTON — Republicans are favored to take at least one chamber of Congress, shifting the balance of power in Washington, as voters head to the polls in the first major test of the country’s democracy since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Democrats are hoping that alarms over democracy and the right to an abortion will help them preserve their 50-50 control of the Senate and also win several key governors’ races. But Republicans are bullish that inflation, crime and other day-to-day concerns, coupled with President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings, will give their party an advantage.
History and public opinion polls favor Republicans, especially in the House, where Democrats currently hold 220 seats, just two more than the 218 needed for a majority. In midterm elections since World War II, the president’s party has almost always lost seats.
