What Am I Voting For, Tho? The 411 on the 2022 Midterms

We've been telling everyone to stay out of Loserville by voting in the upcoming midterm elections. The least we could do is give y'all a roundup of what's hot! 

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For your election viewing pleasure, here are some of the hottest stats, races, and issues facing the nation.

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Hot Stats

Heading to your local watering hole for a game of quizzo or trivia tonight? Equip yourself with the latest 2022 midterm stats just in case there's an election round. If not, at least try to impress your grumpy bartender.

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• 35 US Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for votes this year.
• Democrats currently hold 222 House seats, which is four more than needed to hold the majority.
• Biden's current approval rating is a measly 39%! The only president who had lower approval ratings during midterms was Harry Truman (33% - YIKES.)
• 31 incumbent Dem candidates announced they won't be running again.
• A recent poll showed a shift in American political preferences in 2021. In the beginning of the year, more Americans identified as Democrats (nine percentage points more than Republicans). However, by the end of the year, there was a switcheroo and Republicans took the lead by five percentage points.
• Fun fact: the sitting president's party loses a chunk of House seats in the midterms. Since the Truman presidency, the average loss is 29 seats. The only president who gained seats since then was G.W. Bush (he snagged eight).
• 80% of Americans believe the country's more divided now than it was a generation ago.

Hot Races

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We don't want to play favorites, but if you're wondering which Senate races to pay attention to, here's five of the juiciest:

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OH - Vance VS Ryan: In the Buckeye State, the seat held by retiring GOP Senator Rob Portman is up for grabs. Republican candidate J.D. Vance is backed by Trump and billionaire Peter Thiel. Dem Rep. Opponent Tim Ryan ran for president in 2020 and is leading Vance in campaign fundraising. Both candidates are Ohio natives.

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WI - Barnes VS Johnson: Incumbent Ron Johnson (R) has been racking up some negative approval ratings and Lieutenant Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) is hoping to swoop in. If elected, Barnes would be Wisconsin's first black Senator. 

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GA - Walker VS Warnock: Football star Hershel Walker (R) is running against incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. Although current polls show a close race, Walker's had some scandalous shenanigans come to light, making things way more interesting.

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PA - Fetterman VS Oz: Republican Senator Pat Toomey is retiring. Fighting for his empty spot are celebrity doc Mehmet Oz (R) and former Braddock mayor, John Fetterman (D). Fetterman's currently polling ahead of Oz, but the gap is closing. 

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AZ - Masters VS Kelly: Democratic Senator Mark Kelly is defending his seat against venture capitalist GOP candidate Blake Masters. Masters is also receiving donations from billionaire Peter Thiel (who IS this guy?!), but Kelly's financial backing is significantly stronger.

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Hot Topics

The overturn of Roe v. Wade caused a major shakeup this year. While abortion rights are top of mind for many Americans, here are some other hot button election issues:

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Crime
Recent school shootings and an uptick in violence in major American cities has crime and gun control high on the voting issues list. Democrats are looking for stricter gun control policies while Republicans are looking for a bigger crack down on crime. 

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Inflation

Six out of ten Americans say that inflation has a personal impact on their lives. It's currently at a 40-year high and people want relief. 43% of voters say they're expecting a recession next year, and only 40% approve of the current presidency's way of handling the economy.

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Voting Itself

Many Republicans are skeptical after the 2020 presidential election and believe there was some major funny business going on. Democrats and independents fear a messy Republican takeover through less-than-legit means. Both sides of the aisle are worried that the country's growing political divide could take a violent turn during election season. 

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Got any hot takes? We'd love to hear them!

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We've got your election info hookup here:

• Make sure to vote in the midterm elections on November 8th. Need to register to vote? Go here. Need to check your polling location? Go here. Want to file to vote absentee? Check this out.
• Let your friends know that they suck if they don’t vote. It may sound harsh, but it’s true... and here’s a spicy meme you can send to them as a reminder.
• Here’s the group to help you and your friends stay accountable and get the info you need as you prep for voting.