Although the race between Jaime Herrera Beutler and Carolyn Long for congressional representative from Southwest Washington remains too close to call, Tuesday’s election night contained plenty of drama.
Both parties came away with something to celebrate, as Democrats apparently seized control of the House of Representatives and Republicans seemingly increased their majority in the U.S. Senate. The hope is that a divided Congress can finally lead to bipartisan solutions for pressing issues; the reality is likely to be something different.
Through it all, we hope, the real victor from this high-profile midterm contest will be America’s democratic system. Apathy has been replaced by enthusiasm on both sides of the political divide, with the election drawing a large turnout for a midterm election. The hope is that such enthusiasm carries over, that voters are newly engaged in the process and that they pay attention to how their elected officials represent them. If such engagement carries over to the next national election two years from now, then the American people were the big winners Tuesday night.
For Herrera Beutler and Long, these could be a long couple of days. Herrera Beutler, a Republican incumbent, had a lead of nearly 10,000 votes late Tuesday with about 53,000 remaining to be counted. But 45,000 of those remaining ballots are in Clark County, where Long received 51.8 percent of the vote through the early count.
Whichever candidate is sent to Washington, D.C., they will become part of a Democratic majority in the House. For Herrera Beutler, that would test the bipartisan skills she’s quick to boast about; for Long, it would test her ability to form relationships that can help her work to benefit Southwest Washington.
For the Democratic Party, which has not had control of the House since 2010, it will be a test of members’ ability to hold President Trump accountable while also demonstrating that they can lead and not simply stand in opposition. Reinstalling Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House should not be considered a fait accompli if Democrats wish to show that they are a refreshed party with new and dynamic ideas.
If both parties at the national level were able to claim victory, then both also could wallow in defeat. And they should heed the message of an invigorated electorate and the criticisms that led to those defeats.
Democrats must seek serious solutions for an immigration problem that is among the most pressing issue in the minds of voters. Abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department, which a handful of Democrats have recommended, is not a realistic solution that would benefit the country. Securing the border and demonstrating compassion for undocumented immigrants and refugees are not mutually exclusive ideas.
Republicans must seek serious solutions for a health care problem that is the top priority for a plurality of voters. Failing to protect coverage for people who have pre-existing conditions represents a failure of leadership, as does an inability to come up with legislation that goes beyond disingenuous lip service.
Ideally, a divided Congress is the best possible outcome for the American people. Neither side has a monopoly on good ideas; neither side is as inept as critics suggest. Given the enmity that accompanies modern politics, we are skeptical about that outcome, but hopeful that lawmakers will finally pay attention to the needs of the public.
After all, during the midterm election, the people were finally paying attention to their lawmakers.
