2022 Midterm Election Guide

The 2022 midterm elections produced modest, but perhaps still significant, changes to Congress. Democrats outperformed in many parts of the country, significantly stemming the tide of the “red wave” many analysts were expecting.  

Democrats increased their U.S. Senate majority by one seat following Democratic victories in battleground states across the country, ensuring their continued control of the chamber for another two years. Overall, every Senate seat remained with the same party except the Democrats flipped one seat, winning in Pennsylvania after Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) retired. Democrat’s increased majority will end a power sharing agreement Senate Leaders agreed to at the beginning of this Congress, providing Democratic leadership much-needed breathing room to confirm President Biden’s nominations and move legislation. 

Republicans flipped control of the U.S. House of Representatives, ending two years of Democratic one-party rule in Washington, D.C. A House majority, due in part to the inroads the party made in the Democratic stronghold of New York and pickups in Florida, will allow the Republican Party to conduct vigorous oversight of the Biden Administration and check Democratic priorities. Republicans will only have a slim majority of 5 seats, underscoring how well Democrats outperformed historic midterm trends. This razor-thin majority could make it difficult for GOP Leadership to govern effectively and implement a conservative policy agenda.

To help assess the 2022 midterm election, we have prepared a comprehensive guide that summarizes the results and their impact on the 118th Congress, which convenes in January. The Election Guide lists all new members elected to Congress, updates the congressional delegations for each state, and provides a starting point for analyzing the coming changes to House and Senate committees, including potential new chairs and ranking members.  

Please click here to download the most up-to-date version of this Guide.

For additional information regarding how the 2022 midterms affect Congress, please contact Tim Peckinpaugh or any member of the K&L Gates Public Policy and Law practice.