A Quick Electoral Reading

The election of a U.S. president with specific characteristics came as a shock to many freedom and democracy enthusiasts. If democracy can empower figures of such danger to reach power, it drives some to lose faith in democracy, even while acknowledging its capacity to correct its course. Regardless of the president’s flaws, his term is limited, and he can be impeached. It is worth noting that no system of governance is worse than democracy; the alternative is absolute rule, which allows no place for justice, the constitution, or an independent and fair judiciary.

The unexpected victories achieved by Democrats in the U.S. elections were anticipated, but not to such an extent. They succeeded in seizing control of both chambers of Congress, rendering the president a lame duck with a legislature not under his control. Some of the most prominent observations include:

1. Voters expressed their opinion bluntly, delivering an unprecedented public rebuke to the president.

2. Democrats achieved unexpected results in Texas, winning a Senate seat and the governorship. They also won in Kansas for the first time in nearly 100 years, and secured a Senate seat in South Carolina, historically a Republican stronghold.

3. Economic conditions and the war with Iran were decisive factors in the Republicans’ losses, as was a clear popular mandate to impose checks on a president who exploited the limits of his powers more than any predecessor, enriching himself and his family. All of this will be subject to investigations expected to dominate much of the work of the next Congress.

4. Among the election surprises were the victories of a pediatrician in South Carolina, a clergyman in Kansas, a theology student in Texas, a Paralympic champion, a logger in Maine, and a gay man.

5. Trump will not be able to confirm any of his nominees to the Supreme Court, administrative positions, or as ambassadors without the approval of a Democratic-controlled Congress.

6. Rural and conservative states turned against Trump and became opposed to his favoritism toward Israel.

7. Hakeem Jeffries of New York will likely become Speaker of the House, becoming the first African American to hold the position.

8. The president’s confidence, or sense of popular dominance, led him to say, “Consider me a candidate in these elections.” Voters responded to his call and abandoned all his major candidates.

9. Trump failed to fulfill any of the pledges that led to his victory in 2024.

10. Democrat Taliaferro emerged as one of the standout stars, defeating his opponent despite Elon Musk spending $200 million of his own money to keep the state for the Republicans.

11. Trump’s previous efforts to gerrymander districts in several key states had succeeded, but the large influx of Democratic voters overturned some seats specifically designed by Republicans to ensure their victory.

12. Democrats regained the majority of governorships nationwide for the first time in two decades.

13. Voters elected four new black governors. Lunsford Bottoms became the first black Democrat elected as a state governor. Another Democrat, Xavier Becerra, became the first man of Latino descent elected governor of California. Deb Haaland, a Democrat, will become the first Native American woman to serve as a state governor.

14. Michigan elected the country’s first Muslim senator, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sayed.

15. The recent election was the most expensive midterm election in American history.

During that period, Republican supporters and the Zionist lobby spent $750 million, with Musk paying nearly $460 million of that amount, yet no clear positive results were achieved. This serves as proof that money does not always create leadership or success. — Ahmed Al-Sarraf