This carefully chosen sample of 2018 congressional campaigns provides readers with an
account of the campaign battles that took place across the nation for control of the U.S.
House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Although Democrats seemed to be poised for
a big blue wave of victory following Donald Trump’s divisive yet historic 2016 election,
the midterms yielded instead a split decision.
Looking at issues including Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme
Court, health care, and the economy, as well as the impact of President Trump, this book
traces the dynamics that were at work in the 2018 midterm elections. The editors open
with an explanation of the trends in this election cycle, followed by eight in-depth case
studies of U.S. House and U.S. Senate toss-up races involving seats held by endangered
Republican incumbents. The book shows how 2018 fits into the context of prior midterm
election cycles and what these competitive states and districts may mean for 2020.
Aimed at a wide variety of college courses and general interest readers, this book tells the
story of the 2018 midterms in fascinating detail.