Rubio wins Florida, Bennet wins Colorado as control of Congress hangs in balance
Rubio #Rubio
WASHINGTON — Florida voters re-elected Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday, NBC News projected, handing Republicans two early wins in the 2022 midterm elections as they look to seize control of Congress.
At a moment of intense ideological division, voters will set the course of the nation for the next two years in this year’s election, deciding whether President Joe Biden should be able to continue his agenda or face near-certain obstruction and possible impeachment.
Republicans are hoping to ride unhappiness about the economy to control the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. Democrats have banked on anger about abortion to beat back historic trends.
Both Florida Republicans have national profiles and ambitions, with DeSantis eyeing a 2024 presidential bid that will likely be bolstered by his quick dispatch of party-switching former Gov. Charlie Crist.
Crist and Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who ran against Rubio, had strong name-recognition and plenty of money — Demings raised $25 million more than Rubio — but struggled to make their races competitive in a state that seems to be increasingly turning toward Republicans.
Meanwhile, NBC News projects Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet defeated Republican Joe O’Dea, a moderate businessman in whom national Republicans had invested high hopes. O’Dea supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and he kept his distance from former President Donald Trump, a profile some Republicans hoped would prove winning in a blue state. But it still broke heavily for the Democrat.
Elsewhere, Ohio voters re-elected Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, NBC News projects.
Several Republican senators in non-competitive races have also won re-election, NBC News projects, including Sens. Todd Young, of Indiana; Rand Paul, of Kentucky; John Boozman, of Arkansas; and Tim Scott, of South Carolina. Republican Katie Britt won the Alabama Senate race, becoming the first woman elected to the upper chamber from the state.
In Vermont, Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat, won an open Senate seat that had been previously held by a member of his party and Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen won re-election, NBC News projects.
The NBC News exit poll is offering an early look at what drove voters to the polls Tuesday.
Inflation and abortion were the top issues on voters’ minds, while a broad majority (70%) said they believe democracy is “threatened.”
But there’s a sharp partisan split about the perceived threat. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans (66%) said they do not believe that Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, while more than a quarter (29%) are not confident that elections are being conducted fairly and accurately in their state.
The overall mood of the electorate was sour, with 39% saying they are “dissatisfied” about the way things are going in the U.S., while 34% said they were “angry.” Just 5% said they were enthusiastic.
Three-quarters of Americans also said the economy was “not good” or “poor,” and almost half said their personal finances are worse off than two year ago.
Scenes from Election Day: Polling places without paper, long lines, last minute campaign stops
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A slim majority of voters said the trusted Republicans more on most issues, except abortion, where Democrats had a ten percentage point advantage.
Most voters said they were disappointed or angry about the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. And 60% said abortion should be legal in most cases.
Biden is broadly unpopular, with just 36% saying his policies are helping the country. Almost half (46%) said they are hurting and 16% said they are not making a difference.
The dissatisfaction was common even among groups that lean Democratic. Only about a third of Latinos and voters under 30 (34% each) said his policies are mostly helping the country.
The lack of enthusiasm in Biden’s base is reflected in the relatively small portion of voters who said they “strongly” approve of his job performance.
Just 19% of voters expressed strong approval for Biden, compared to the 31% former President Donald Trump enjoyed in the 2018 midterm, despite Republicans suffering major losses that year.
The NBC News Exit Poll findings are broadly consistent with what pre-election polls have shown for months in a political environment defined by deep partisan divisions and widespread concerns about the economy and democracy.
Early vote data and anecdotal reports suggest high interest and strong turnout from members of both parties, with Republicans expecting to benefit from the enthusiasm advantage typical for out-of-power parties during midterm elections.
Historically, the party that controls the White House almost always loses ground in Congress. Republicans need to net five seats to retake the House while they need to net only one to flip the Senate.
It may take days to know final results in some of the nation’s most high-profile and competitive Senate races.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com