So Many Elections

By Chip Genung ’25

One thing about living in the United States is that it feels like there are always elections happening, and just as one round finishes, a new one starts. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, many states held local elections, but there were a few that received national attention. These include the Ohio election to pass an amendment that would make abortion constitutionally protected in the state, and it passed with roughly 56 percent of the vote. There were two major governor races also: one in Kentucky, where Democrat Andy Beshear won with 53 percent of the vote, and another in Mississippi where Republican, Tate Reeves, won with 52 percent of the vote. Interestingly, Reeves beat Democrat Brandon Presley for the position, Presley being a cousin of Elvis Presley.

But just as the 2023 elections are coming to a close, new and much larger ones are heating up. The Republican primary continues and there is another debate tonight (Nov. 8) where five candidates will take the stage. These include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. As usual, former President Donald Trump plans to be absent, a habit which is starting to hurt him in the polls. As this election progresses, a shift is becoming apparent. Formerly seen as the alternative to front-runner Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis is falling in the polls, with his voters and many others shifting their support to Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. This is definitely an election to keep an eye on, and it will continue to heat up as the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries near.