Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives are in a precarious position. The difference between a Democratic-controlled Senate and a Republican one is just a single seat. Whether it is the general displeasure of Biden’s presidency, or growing inflation and rising tensions between the United States and Russia, many voters are dissatisfied, regardless of their political association. The midterm primary elections are crucial in terms of solidifying the political presence of either party, with Democrats on the hot-seat to preserve their majority. In New York, the 2022 Midterm Primary elections happened in June 2022.

This is a significant political election as the decisions will have implications for the future make-up of the Senate. With unease growing amongst Democrats, and Republicans eager to take up more seats, the midterm primary elections, followed by the general election in November 2022, have the potential to shift the course of Joe Biden’s presidency. The results could either streamline the process in which he gets laws passed, or severely obstructing his policies, which could be catastrophic in 2024.

Currently, these positions are up for re-election in New York State: Governor, one of the two Senate seats, and the representatives for New York’s 1st, 11th, 18th and 19th congressional districts. Hochul and especially Schumer will have relatively easy primaries. The most most intense races are going to be in congressional districts with no incumbent (such as the new one in Brooklyn) or a case where two districts have been combined during the recent re-districting (such as in Manhattan where Jerry Nadler is going to have to run against Carolyn Maloney). These races will have multiple established democrats competing against each other and no clear incumbent, as opposed to the races for Governor and Senate. It is almost a given that the Democratic nominee will win in any statewide election in New York.

These midterm primary elections will occur in all 50 states, with Indiana, Ohio, and Nebraska historically having the earliest races which occurred in the first week of May 2022.

As the Congress has a slim Democratic majority, it is up to voters and leaders in each respective party to galvanize their base to ensure that Joe Biden has two more successful years in office. Democrats are in peril because Joe Biden’s popularity has steeply declined in the polls — his approval rating has gone down in more than 40 states, and his current approval rating is 33% among adults and 35% among registered voters. 43% of voters strongly disapprove of how Joe Biden is handling his job as president, with a mere 18% strongly approving of Joe Biden’s job so far.

Elizabeth Warren has been outspoken about the subpar job that Democrats have been doing in voicing what they have already done to improve the lives of Americans. In an op-ed that she wrote in the New York Times in April 2022 entitled “Democrats Can Avoid Disaster in November,” she outlines key rules and actions that Democrats must take in order to improve their standing, the bulk of which includes making sure that the promises that they made to voters in 2020 are being kept and acted upon.

Warren outlines the Republicans’ strategy: blocking and stalling as many Democrat-backed laws as possible so it will appear as if the Democrats have not been as effective in passing laws. They are targeting Democrats on the presence of “wokeness,” including hotly-contested debates such as critical race theory (CRT), and the recent pushback from them about the Parental Rights in
Education Bill, commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” a term that is used by opponents of that bill. Essentially, Elizabeth Warren’s point boils down to getting as much done as possible
in the next few months.

Emma Thadani, a mentoring member and leader of Teens Take Charge, an organization that helps students to amplify their voices about important issues, and who has had experience mentoring youth to campaign in elections in the past, thinks that New York’s primary, along other states, is a very important one. “It is up to the people to show out and support the candidates who will make the most changes in their daily lives. For those who are voting for the first time, it is important to do research about those who you support. Don’t just fall for any candidate — actually go out there and ask questions about those candidates you’re unsure about. The future is in your hands.”

Thadani is right. The youth have an outsized effect on the midterm primaries this year, and in battleground states, such as in Pennsylvania, where the Republican race is a close choice between television personality Dr. Oz and David McCormick, the stakes are rising, with Dr. Oz adamant that he has won the race. Brianna Gallimore, who goes to the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, is another active member of Teens Take Charge and an active member of her school’s democracy team. She admitted that she was not surprised when she saw that Dr. Oz had the lead in the primary elections — given his celebrity status, he is like a remnant of Donald Trump. He has the popularity and is a familiar face to people who watch him on TV daily.

“While I was not surprised to see him running, I was slightly surprised to see him run as a Republican. But then again, he has a net worth of over $100 million dollars, so he has the ability to make sure that his message gets across through advertising, commercials, and TV. He has an upper hand because he’s famous. Unfortunately, it seems like elections these days are just a
popularity contest,” said Gallimore.

While Pennsylvania had a tight race with their Republicans, the race for the Democrats was relatively easy. John Fetterman, the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, won easily, even beating the Biden-endorsed Democratic candidate.

The midterm primary elections have serious implications for the future of this country, followed by the November 2022 general elections, which makes it important for people to be educated about the candidates that they’re voting for, ensuring that they will keep their promises so that Joe Biden has an impactful two more years as president.

“It is up to the people to show out and support the candidates who will make the most changes in their daily lives. For those who are voting for the first time, it is important to do research about those who you support. Don’t just fall for any candidate — actually go out there and ask questions about those candidates you’re unsure about. The future is in your hands,” said Emma Thadani, a mentoring member and leader of Teens Take Charge.