For an Audio Version of this article click here:
Editor’s Note: With so much heat rather than light in the media world today, Liberty Nation presents the following series on the crucial midterm elections that will be taking place. These elections will likely determine the course of the Trump presidency and as such should be looked at with in-depth analysis. Thus, each week LN author Graham Noble will be giving our readers a state-by-state look at the upcoming elections. This week, he covers House and Senate Races in Louisiana, Maine, and Maryland
Louisiana, a solidly blue state for close to 100 years until 1944, has voted Republican in all but two general elections since 1980 and has voted for a Democrat only three times since 1964. President Donald Trump took a 58.1% share of the state’s votes in 2016 with Hillary Clinton winning just 38.5%. In contrast, the state of Maine voted only three times for a Democratic presidential candidate from 1856 through 1988. Since then, Maine has been a reliable win for the Democrats, although Trump came closer to victory than any other Republican during those years. He took 44.9% of the state’s votes, to Clinton’s 47.8%. Maryland hasn’t voted for a Republican in a general election since 1988 and, in 2016, voted for Clinton by a margin of 60.3% to 33.9%.
Louisiana
Louisiana’s two Republican Senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, will end their current terms in January 2021 and January 2023, respectively. The state is divided into six congressional districts, all represented by Republicans except the 2nd district, which includes the city of New Orleans. Democrat Cedric Richmond represents that District.
None of Louisiana’s House races are considered competitive in November. As is the case with the majority of states, Louisiana’s more rural areas are solidly Republican with the most populous city, New Orleans, being strongly Democrat.
Maine
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine – on of the most centrist Senators in Congress – finishes out her current term in January 2021. Maine and Vermont are the only two states to be represented in the Senate by an Independent Senator. Bernie Sanders represents the latter and Angus King the former. Both Senators caucus with the Democrats. King will be running for re-election in 2018. A former Governor of Maine, King is not facing an easy re-election bid. His challenger will be Republican Eric Brakey, a 29-year-old state Senator considered something of a rising star within the conservative movement and a man with strong libertarian leanings. In fact, Brakey has described himself as a “liberty Republican.” If any Republican is suited to steal independent voters from King, Brakey would seem to be the one.
Maine has two congressional districts with one Democrat and one Republican Representative. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, represents the 1st district, which includes Portland and the state capital, Augusta. Her seat is, likely, a safe one for Democrats. Republican Bruce Poliquin, who has represented the 2nd district since 2015, faces a less certain race and his fate may be determined by voter turnout, as much as anything else.
Maryland
Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen Jr., both Democrats, represent the State of Maryland. Van Hollen faces re-election in 2022 but Cardin will be running for another term in November. Although the eastern part of the state is Republican, Maryland is considered one of the deepest of blue states in the country and Cardin’s re-election is not in doubt.
Maryland has eight congressional districts and all are represented by Democrats except the 1st district, which is represented by Republican Andy Harris. None of the eight are considered likely to flip in November.
Midterm Election Watch predicts the Republicans will pick up Angus King’s Senate seat in Maine, with the respective incumbents winning all other contests in the three states covered this week.
Join us next week as our series focuses on House and Senate Races in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota.
