2022 United States elections#State elections

{{further|2020 United States elections|2021 United States elections}}

{{see also|117th United States Congress#Major legislation|117th United States Congress#Proposed (but not enacted)}}

After the 2020 elections, Democrats had a federal trifecta for the first time since the 111th United States Congress in 2011. This gave them a relatively straightforward path to enacting legislation, but the presence of more centrist or conservative Democrats, namely Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema,{{cite news |last=Hard |first=Ali |date=2022-10-17 |title=US midterms: The 10 key races that will decide fate of the Senate |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/17/us-midterms-the-10-key-races-that-will-decide-fate-of-the-senate |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-12-09 |title=Why Kyrsten Sinema Left The Democratic Party |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-kyrsten-sinema-left-the-democratic-party/ |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} meant that most of the more expansive and often more progressive legislation was blocked.{{cite web |last1=Nagle |first1=Molly |last2=Pecorin |first2=Allison |date=2021-12-19 |title=Manchin says he's a 'no' on Biden's Build Back Better social spending plan |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/manchin-bidens-build-back-social-spending-plan/story?id=81843089 |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=ABC News}}{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-01-20 |title=Why A Failed Voting Rights Push Is A Setback For Democracy — And Democrats |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-a-failed-voting-rights-push-is-a-setback-for-democracy-and-democrats/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-01-27 |title=Why Manchin And Sinema Will Probably Vote For Biden's Supreme Court Pick |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-joe-manchin-and-kyrsten-sinema-will-probably-vote-for-bidens-supreme-court-pick/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} In the White House, Joe Biden started his term out with positive approval ratings, particularly for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States,{{cite web |last=Nadeem |first=Reem |date=2021-04-15 |title=Biden Nears 100-Day Mark With Strong Approval, Positive Rating for Vaccine Rollout |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/04/15/biden-nears-100-day-mark-with-strong-approval-positive-rating-for-vaccine-rollout/ |access-date=2022-11-12 |publisher=Pew Research Center}}{{cite web |last1=Azari |first1=Julia |last2=Bacon |first2=Perry |last3=Frostenson |first3=Sarah |last4=Skelley |first4=Geoffrey |date=2021-04-21 |title=What Have We Learned From Biden's First 100 Days? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-have-we-learned-from-bidens-first-100-days/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} although at about 54 percent it was the lowest approval rating (other than Donald Trump) of a president's first 100 days since 1953, reflecting the country's growing partisanship.{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2021-04-28 |title=Biden's First 100 Days Show How Partisan Things Have Become |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/bidens-first-100-days-show-how-partisan-things-have-become/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

By mid-2021, as the year progressed with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and the Fall of Kabul,{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2021-08-27 |title=Biden's Declining Approval Rating Is Not Just About Afghanistan |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/bidens-declining-approval-rating-is-not-just-about-afghanistan/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and as key legislation stalled,{{cite news |last=Diaz |first=Daniella |date=2021-12-19 |title=Manchin says he won't vote for Build Back Better Act |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/19/politics/joe-manchin-build-back-better/index.html |access-date=2022-11-12 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite web |last=Hill |first=Crystal |date=2021-06-02 |title=Biden calls out Sinema, Manchin for voting 'more with Republicans' |url=https://news.yahoo.com/biden-calls-out-sinema-manchin-for-voting-more-with-republicans-220502757.html |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=Yahoo! News}} Biden and Democrats lost popularity and suffered electoral losses,{{cite web |last1=Frostenson |first1=Sarah |last2=Samuels |first2=Alex |last3=Rakich |first3=Nathaniel |last4=Skelley |first4=Geoffrey |date=2021-10-12 |title=Why Has Biden's Approval Rating Gotten So Low So Quickly? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-has-bidens-approval-rating-gotten-so-low-so-quickly/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last1=Arango |first1=Tim |last2=Smith |first2=Mitch |date=2021-11-02 |title=Youngkin Wins Virginia Governor's Race, Dealing Blow to Democrats on Telling Election Day |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/02/us/election-news |access-date=2022-11-16 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite magazine |last=Oliphant |first=James |date=2021-11-03 |title=Analysis: Biden's Struggles, Education Wars Propel Youngkin's Virginia Victory |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-11-03/analysis-bidens-struggles-education-wars-propel-youngkins-virginia-victory |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=2022-11-16}} including an upset loss in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election,{{cite web |last=Mucha |first=Sarah |date=2021-11-03 |title=Youngkin wins Virginia governor race in upset for Democrats |url=https://www.axios.com/youngkin-mcauliffe-governor-virginia-5d527110-7a39-4e10-bbae-734ab1a6c3d9.html |website=Axios |access-date=2022-11-16}} which were widely characterized as a red wave election and as a prelude to the 2022 midterms.{{cite web |last1=Shepard |first1=Steven |last2=Siders |first2=David |date=2021-11-03 |title=Democrats' nightmare, Republicans' resurgence: Takeaways from a big election night |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/03/election-night-takeaways-518914 |website=Politico |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite news |last1=Fandos |first1=Nicholas |last2=Glueck |first2=Katie |date=2021-11-03 |title=N.Y. Democrats Assess Losses to Republicans: 'This Was a Shellacking' |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/nyregion/republican-election-results-new-york.html |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=2022-11-16}} In addition, the incumbent president almost always loses seats in Congress and often at least one chamber or overall control, in particular since the post-war period.{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-01-03 |title=Why The President's Party Almost Always Has A Bad Midterm |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-the-presidents-party-almost-always-has-a-bad-midterm/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Prokop |first=Andrew |date=2022-02-17 |title=The presidential penalty |url=https://www.vox.com/22899204/midterm-elections-president-biden-thermostatic-opinion |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=Vox}}

Going into 2022, Republicans capitalized on high inflation,{{cite web |last1=Fuong |first1=Holly |last2=Skelley |first2=Geoffrey |date=2022-05-17 |title=We Asked 2,000 Americans About Their Biggest Concern |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/we-asked-2000-americans-about-their-biggest-concern-the-resounding-answer-inflation/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last1=Fuong |first1=Holly |last2=Skelley |first2=Geoffrey |date=2022-10-27 |title=Voters Don't Think Either Party Deserves To Govern |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ipsos-preelection-survey-likely-voters/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} crime,{{cite news |last=Lucas |first=Ryan |date=2021-09-27 |title=FBI Data Shows An Unprecedented Spike In Murders Nationwide In 2020 |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/27/1040904770/fbi-data-murder-increase-2020 |access-date=2022-11-12}}{{cite web |last=Cox |first=Daniel |date=2021-11-29 |title=Why Crime Likely Won't Be An Issue In The 2022 Midterms |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-crime-likely-wont-be-an-issue-in-the-2022-midterms/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-08-10 |title=How Democrats And Republicans Think Differently About Crime And Gun Violence |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-democrats-and-republicans-think-differently-about-crime-and-gun-violence/ |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and gas prices,{{cite web |last1=Potts |first1=Monica |last2=Qamar |first2=Zoha |date=2022-06-24 |title=A Gas Holiday Might Be Popular, But It's Unlikely To Do Much To Lower Inflation |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-gas-holiday-might-be-popular-but-its-unlikely-to-do-much-to-lower-inflation/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last=Barrett |first=Nicholas |date=2022-08-25 |title=Why are global gas prices so high? |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-62644537 |access-date=2022-11-12}} and gained a substantial lead in the election climate towards 2022 results similar to the red wave of 2010.{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Kaleigh |last2=Samuels |first2=Alex |last3=Skelley |first3=George |last4=Thomson-DeVeaux |first4=Amelia |date=2022-01-04 |title=5 Things To Watch Going Into The Midterms |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/5-things-to-watch-going-into-the-midterms/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} The overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States in the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision led to a spike in Democratic voters' fervor, which narrowed the gap despite Biden's underwater approval ratings,{{cite web |last1=Lodhi |first1=Humera |last2=Rakich |first2=Nathaniel |date=2022-07-26 |title=Why The Gap Between Biden's Popularity and Democrats' Polls Isn't That Weird |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-democrats-midterm-chances-dont-hinge-on-bidens-approval-rating/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} amid better-than-expected election results during this period;{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-08-24 |title=Yes, Special Elections Really Are Signaling A Better-Than-Expected Midterm For Democrats |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/yes-special-elections-really-are-signaling-a-better-than-expected-midterm-for-democrats/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} this led some observers to wonder whether the 2022 midterms could break the incumbent president's losses and reflect the 1998 United States elections, as well as the 2002 United States elections, both of which showed increased support for the incumbent president, amid the impeachment of Bill Clinton (1998) and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks (2002).{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-08-12 |title=Will This Be An Asterisk*Election? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/will-this-be-an-asterisk-election/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} By October, Republicans regained a substantial margin in pre-election polls,{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-10-24 |title=The Polls Are Getting Better For Republicans |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/gop-polls/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} which led to widespread predictions for a red wave election in favor of Republicans, including the possibility of flipping some blue seats in Southern California under those circumstances,{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-11-04 |title=Why Republicans Are Trying To Flip More Southern California House Districts |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-republicans-are-trying-to-flip-more-southern-california-house-districts/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} though polls remained within the margin of error.{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-11-03 |title=Republicans Are Just A Normal Polling Error Away From A Landslide — Or Wiping Out |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/2022-polling-error/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

After suffering losses in 2021,{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Maya |last2=Kashinsky |first2=Lisa |date=2021-11-03 |title=Progressives win big in Boston on an otherwise tough night for the left |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/03/progressives-boston-left-518858 |website=Politico |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite news |last=McKinley |first=Jesse |date=2021-11-03 |title=Buffalo mayor's race hangs in the balance with write-in ballots |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/02/us/elections/buffalo-mayor.html |access-date=2022-11-16 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite magazine |last=Milligan |first=Susan |date=2021-11-03 |title=Who Lost on Election Day? Progressives |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2021-11-03/election-losses-by-progressive-democrats-reveal-limits-of-their-influence |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=2022-11-16}} progressives within the Democratic Party saw improved but mixed results in 2022, with both progressives and moderates winning important races.{{cite news |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/06/progressives-democratic-primaries-cori-bush-rashida-tlaib |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818135233/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/06/progressives-democratic-primaries-cori-bush-rashida-tlaib |archive-date=2022-08-18 |date=2022-08-06 |last=Greve |first=Joan E |title=Progressives bullish despite mixed results in Democratic primaries |access-date=2022-11-10}}{{cite web |last=Conroy |first=Meredith |date=2022-09-27 |title=Progressives Took A Step Back In The 2022 Primaries — But They're Playing The Long Game |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/progressives-democrats-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Conroy |first=Meredith |date=2022-11-08 |title=Where Will Progressives Win Today? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/348220 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108221838/https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/348220/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} In 2022, Democratic campaign arms aided radical-right candidates in Republican primary elections, believing they would be easier opponents in the general election.{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2022-06-16 |last=Weisman |first=Jonathan |title=Democrats' Risky Bet: Aid G.O.P. Extremists in Spring, Hoping to Beat Them in Fall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905075301/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/16/us/politics/democrats-midterms-trump-gop.html |archive-date=2022-09-05 |url-access=registration |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/16/us/politics/democrats-midterms-trump-gop.html}}{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-10-18 |title=Democrats Spent Loads Boosting Republicans They Thought Were Less Electable. Will It Pay Off? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democrats-spent-loads-boosting-republicans-they-thought-were-less-electable-will-it-pay-off/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Republican primary candidates who had been endorsed by Trump tended to win,{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-05-11 |title=Trump's Candidate Lost In Nebraska — But Trump Is Still Winning Most Of His Primaries |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-candidate-lost-in-nebraska-but-trump-is-still-winning-most-of-his-primaries/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} with his support being crucial for many,{{cite news |last=Le Bars |first=Stéphanie |date=2022-08-14 |title=Trump still has a tight grip on the Republican primaries |newspaper=Le Monde |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/08/14/in-the-united-states-trump-s-grip-on-the-republican-primaries_5993578_4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220906061331/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/08/14/in-the-united-states-trump-s-grip-on-the-republican-primaries_5993578_4.html |archive-date=2022-09-06 |access-date=2022-11-29}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/us/politics/trump-endorse-primary-candidates.html |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903042441/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/us/politics/trump-endorse-primary-candidates.html |archive-date=2022-09-03 |title=Here's where Trump's endorsement record stands in Republican primaries |last1=Astor |first1=Maggie |last2=Paybarah |first2=Azi |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2022-08-16 |access-date=2022-11-29}} though his percentage was lower than in previous years, largely due to him taking riskier endorsements.{{cite web |last1=Rakich |first1=Nathaniel |last2=Wilkes |first2=Mackenzie |date=2021-12-08 |title=Trump's 2022 Endorsements Are Earlier, Bolder And More Dangerous Than When He Was President |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-2022-endorsements-are-earlier-bolder-and-more-dangerous-than-when-he-was-president/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-08-29 |title=Trump's Endorsees Have Started Losing More. But Don't Read Into That For 2024. |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-endorsees-have-started-losing-more-but-dont-read-into-that-for-2024/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Generally, candidates that received Trump's endorsements were on the far right and those who supported his false claims that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.{{cite web |last1=Rakich |first1=Nathaniel |last2=Yi |first2=Jean |date=2022-04-19 |title=More Than 70 Percent Of Trump's Endorsees Believe The 2020 Election Was Fraudulent |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/more-than-70-percent-of-trumps-endorsees-believe-the-2020-election-was-fraudulent/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{Cite news |last=Harb |first=Ali |date=2022-11-09 |title=US midterm vote: How Democrats thwarted an anticipated 'red wave' |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/9/us-midterm-vote-how-democrats-thwarted-an-anticipated-red-wave |access-date=2022-11-28}} Trump issued primary endorsements to 37 candidates who ran in the general elections in November that were rated as competitive by The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.{{cite web |last=Solender |first=Andrew |date=2022-11-09 |title=Tracking Trump's endorsement in key midterm races |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/11/09/trump-endorsement-gop-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Axios}}

{{see also|2021–2022 inflation surge}}

Voters suffered from historically high consumer prices,{{cite web |last=Nerkar |first=Santul |date=2021-12-14 |title=Why Biden Can't Win On Inflation |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-biden-cant-win-on-inflation/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last1=Nerkar |first1=Santul |last2=Thomson-DeVeaux |first2=Amelia |date=2022-04-26 |title=Were The Stimulus Checks A Mistake? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/were-the-stimulus-checks-a-mistake/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Chittenden |first=William |date=2022-10-31 |title=Why inflation will likely stay sky-high regardless of which party wins the midterms |url=http://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=The Conversation}} gas prices,{{cite web |last=Nerkar |first=Santul |date=2022-03-14 |title=Why Americans May — Or May Not — Blame Biden For Higher Gas Prices |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-americans-may-or-may-not-blame-biden-for-higher-gas-prices/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last=Suleymanova |first=Radmilla |date=2022-10-06 |title=US midterm elections: Five economic issues to watch |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/10/6/us-midterm-elections-five-economic-issues-to-watch |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} and interest rates,{{cite news |last=Aratani |first=Lauren |date=2022-10-13 |title=US prices rise in September as midterm elections loom |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/13/us-inflation-rate-september-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-22 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Lela |date=2022-11-04 |title=On the ballot in the US midterms: Economy |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/11/4/on-the-ballot-in-the-us-midterms-economy |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} which Republicans blamed on Biden's and Democratic policies,{{cite web |last=Nerkar |first=Santul |date=2022-02-10 |title=What Democrats And Republicans Get Wrong About Inflation |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-democrats-and-republicans-get-wrong-about-inflation/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/05/abortion-roe-midterms/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2022-09-05 |last1=Kitchener |first1=Caroline |last2=Knowles |first2=Hannah |title=In sprint to November, Democrats seize on shifting landscape over abortion |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905105459/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/05/abortion-roe-midterms/ |archive-date=2022-09-05}}{{cite magazine |last=Samuels |first=Alana |date=2022-10-31 |title=Is Inflation Biden's Fault? Could Tax Cuts Fix It? Here's What We Know |url=https://time.com/6226145/inflation-midterms-2022-fact-check/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |magazine=Time}} as well as government spending;{{cite news |last=Harb |first=Ali |date=2022-10-31 |title=US midterm elections: What are the key issues? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/31/us-midterm-elections-what-are-the-key-issues-2 |access-date=2022-11-03 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} Democrats argued that it was linked to the global surge of inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain issues, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The economy, inflation in particular,{{cite news |last=Horsley |first=Scott |date=2022-11-07 |title=Inflation is top issue in this week's midterms |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/07/1134832876/inflation-is-top-issue-in-this-weeks-midterms |access-date=2022-11-22}} remained the top issue for voters throughout 2022.{{cite news |last1=Bose |first1=Nandita |last2=Hunnicutt |first2=Trevor |last3=Mason |first3=Jeff |date=2022-10-25 |title=Midterm elections outlook darkens for Biden's White House |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/midterm-elections-outlook-darkens-bidens-white-house-2022-10-25/ |access-date=2022-11-01}}{{cite web |last=Saad |first=Lydia |date=2022-10-31 |title=Economy Is Top Election Issue; Abortion and Crime Next |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/404243/economy-top-election-issue-abortion-crime-next.aspx |publisher=Gallup |access-date=2022-11-01}}{{cite web |last=Potts |first=Monica |date=2022-11-06 |title=Control Of The Senate Could Rest On Abortion And Inflation In Nevada |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/control-of-the-senate-could-rest-on-abortion-and-inflation-in-nevada/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} According to an October 2022 Monmouth University poll, 82 percent of Americans considered inflation to be an "extremely or very essential issue" for the government to handle, and seven in ten Americans disapproved of Biden's handling of the cost of living rise. It is not clear whether there is a correlation between rise of inflation, particularly the rise of gas prices,{{Cite journal |last=Lucas |first=Rob |date=2022-05-02 |title=The Link Between Gas Prices and Presidential Approval Ratings |url=https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2022/05/02/the-link-between-gas-prices-and-presidential-approval-ratings/ |journal=Michigan Journal of Economics |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite news |last=Cohn |first=Nate |date=2022-09-26 |title=Is It the Gase Prices, Stupid? |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/upshot/gas-prices-midterms.html |access-date=2022-11-28 |issn=0362-4331}} and lower presidential approval ratings,{{Cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=2022-10-18 |title=Gas prices have been strongly correlated to views of President Biden and support for his party |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/18/gas-prices-election-biden/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |issn=0190-8286}} which can cause negative election results; some studies suggest that historically it can hurt the incumbent president in terms of election results, but that this got weaker in recent years.{{cite web |last=Kondik |first=Kyle |date=2022-03-17 |title=Gas Prices and Presidential Approval |website=Sabato's Crystal Ball |url=https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/gas-prices-and-presidential-approval/ |publisher=Center for Politics |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite web |last=Kondik |first=Kyle |date=2022-03-23 |title=Link between gas prices and presidential approval seems to be weakening |url=https://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2022/03/23/link-between-gas-prices-and-presidential-approval-seems-to-be-weakening/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=The Pulse}}

{{see also|Abortion in the United States}}

Following the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Democrats outperformed Biden's results in the 2020 U.S. presidential election in several House special elections, with abortion cited as a major contributor to their victories,{{cite web |date=2022-08-24 |title=Democrat who campaigned on abortion rights wins in New York special election |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/24/democrat-who-campaigned-on-abortion-rights-wins-in-new-york-special-election |access-date=2022-11-01 |agency=Reuters |website=The Guardian}} as many Republican-controlled states passed restrictive abortion laws, including a total or near-total ban on the procedure. Democrats tried to pass a federal law to protect the right to abortion but did not have enough support in the Senate, and abortion was prioritized as an issue for the general elections.{{cite news |date=2022-10-18 |title=Biden rallies supporters around abortion rights ahead of midterms |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/18/biden-rallies-supporters-around-abortion-rights-ahead-of-midterms |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} Some Democrats, including party strategists and pollsters,{{cite news |last=Oliphant|first=James|date=2022-11-09|title=Analysis-Abortion, Trump dashed Republican hopes for 'red wave' |url=https://news.yahoo.com/analysis-abortion-trump-dashed-republican-200720715.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |agency=Reuters |via=Yahoo! News}} were divided on whether this could help them or if focusing on the economy and inflation, as the latter seemed to grow a bigger concern among voters in the fall, was a better strategy.{{cite news |last1=Dias |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Lerer |first2=Lisa| date=2022-11-04 |title=At Campaign's End, Democrats See Limits of Focus on Abortion |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/us/politics/abortion-midterms-democrats-republicans.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |issn=0362-4331}} This led some observers,{{cite news |last=Jacques |first=Ingrid |date=2022-10-29|title=Abortion an answer to inflation? Democrats have overplayed their hand, and voters know it. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2022/10/29/voters-worry-inflation-economy-democrats-focus-abortion-midterms/10608961002/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |work=USA Today}} as well as several major news outlets, including among others ABC News,{{cite web |last1=El-Bawab|first1=Nadine|last2=Kekatos|first2= Mary|date=2022-10-31| title=Do voters care about abortion heading into midterms? |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/voters-care-abortion-heading-midterms/story?id=92220097 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=ABC News}} CNN,{{cite news |last=LeBlanc |first=Paul |date=2022-10-17 |title=Focus on abortion rights may not be enough to save Democrats in the face of economic concerns |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/17/politics/abortion-rights-democrats-midterms-what-matters/index.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Collinson |first=Stephen |date=2022-11-07 |title=Democrats confront their nightmare scenario on election eve as economic concerns overshadow abortion and democracy worries |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/politics/democrats-nightmare-scenario-election-eve-analysis/index.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |publisher=CNN}} and NBC News,{{cite web | last1=Allen|first1=Jonathan|last2=Edelman|first2=Adam|last3=Pettypiece|first3=Shannon|last4=Seitz-Wald|first4=Alex|date=2022-10-22|title=Democrats struggle with message on inflation in final midterm push |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/democrats-struggle-message-inflation-final-midterm-push-rcna52676 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=NBC News}} to question whether their focus on abortion was the best strategy to avoid losses in the midterms and if it had lost significance since spring.{{cite magazine|last=Hubbard|first=Kaia|date=2022-11-09|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2022-11-09/abortion-again-proves-to-be-a-winning-issue-for-democrats|title=Abortion Again Proves to be a Winning Issue for Democrats|access-date=2022-11-20 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report}}{{cite web |last=Radcliffe |first=Mary |date=2022-11-17 |title=Abortion Was Always Going To Impact The Midterms |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/abortion-was-always-going-to-impact-the-midterms/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

The Dobbs ruling made abortion more important for voters,{{cite web |date=2022-11-09 |title=KFF/AP VoteCast: Health Care In The 2022 Midterm Election |url=https://www.kff.org/other/dashboard/health-care-in-the-midterm-elections-apvotecast-polling/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=KFF}} with a rise in support among voters, particularly young women,{{cite web |last=Thomson-DeVeaux |first=Amelia |date=2022-10-04 |title=Young Women's Views On Abortion Could Reshape The Midterms — And The Future Of Politics |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/young-womens-views-on-abortion-could-reshape-the-midterms-and-the-future-of-politics/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} for Democrats coming after the decision;{{cite news |date=2022-08-24 |last=Gambino |first=Lauren |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/24/democrats-midterms-abortion-pat-ryan |title=Democrats' hopes rise for midterms amid backlash over abortion access |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904171459/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/24/democrats-midterms-abortion-pat-ryan |archive-date=2022-09-04}} at least six states had an abortion-related ballot initiative, the most ever in a single year.{{cite news |last=Weixel |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-08-21 |title=State ballot measures are new abortion battleground |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3608609-state-ballot-measures-are-new-abortion-battleground/ |access-date=2022-09-09}} After Dobbs, Republicans attempted to pass several anti-abortion laws at the state level where they were not fully banned, including removal of incest and rape exceptions, but suffered from internal division on the issue. Lindsey Graham, who was not up for reelection in 2022, introduced a federal bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks; most Republicans argued that abortion regulations should be left to the states, and Graham's proposal received a mixed response among Republicans.{{cite web |last=Thomson-DeVeaux |first=Amelia |date=2022-09-19 |title=Lindsey Graham's Abortion Ban Is Dividing GOP Senate Candidates In Swing States |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/lindsey-grahams-abortion-ban-is-dividing-gop-senate-candidates-in-swing-states/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} In several states, such as Indiana,{{cite news |last=Lange|first=Kaitlin|date=2022-08-04|title=Majority of House Republicans supported removing rape, incest exceptions from Indiana abortion bill |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/04/indiana-abortion-ban-law-house-republicans-tried-removing-rape-incest-exceptions/65391546007/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |work=The Indianapolis Star}} South Carolina,{{cite web |last=Collins|first=Jeffrey|date=2022-09-28 |title=South Carolina's lawmakers deadlocked on abortion law |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/sep/28/south-carolinas-lawmakers-deadlocked-on-abortion/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Arkansas Online |agency=Associated Press}} and West Virginia,{{cite web | last1=Douglas|first1=Eric|last2=MacGregor|first2= Caroline|date=2022-07-29 |title=New Abortion Law Stuck In Limbo; Legislature Will Return In August |url=https://www.wvpublic.org/government/2022-07-29/legislature-fails-to-pass-new-abortion-law-will-return-in-august |access-date=2022-12-07 |publisher=WVPB}} they struggled to pass new state-level bans and restrictions on abortion despite controlling the state legislatures because they could not agree on their restrictions.{{cite web|last=Thomson-DeVeaux |first=Amelia |date=2022-09-12 |title=Why Republicans Keep Failing To Pass Abortion Bans |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-republicans-keep-failing-to-pass-abortion-bans/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

{{see also|Crime in the United States|Gun violence in the United States|List of mass shootings in the United States in 2022}}

Mass shootings made gun violence and crime more important issues for voters,{{cite web |last1=Best |first1=Ryan |last2=Radcliffe |first2=Mary |last3=Rogers |first3=Kaleigh |date=2022-06-07 |title=Where Democrats And Republicans Differ On Gun Control |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/gun-control-polling-2022/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607100401/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/gun-control-polling-2022/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 7, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-06-09 |title=Over 40 Percent Of Americans Now Rate Gun Violence As A Top Issue |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/over-40-percent-of-americans-now-rate-gun-violence-as-a-top-issue/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |publisher=Gallup |date=2022-10-28 |title=Record-High 56% in U.S. Perceive Local Crime Has Increased |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/404048/record-high-perceive-local-crime-increased.aspx |access-date=2022-11-01}} in particular after the Robb Elementary School shooting in May 2022, which is common in the aftermath of school shootings.{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-05-26 |title=Support For Gun Control Will Likely Rise After Uvalde. But History Suggests It Will Fade. |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/support-for-gun-control-will-likely-rise-after-uvalde-but-history-suggests-it-will-fade/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Koerth |first=Maggie |date=2022-06-01 |title=We've Known How To Prevent A School Shooting for More Than 20 Years |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/weve-known-how-to-prevent-a-school-shooting-for-more-than-20-years/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed in June 2022, provided extended gun-safety laws and was touted by Biden and Democrats.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/01/gun-control-support-republicans-safer-communities-act |date=2022-10-01 |title=Gun reformers feel history is on their side despite bleak outlook in Congress |last=Greeve |first=Joan |website=The Guardian |access-date=2022-10-26}} Despite this, Republicans maintained a lead among voters who cited crime as a major issue.{{cite web |last=Axelrod |first=Tal |title=Crime remains top of mind for midterm voters: As Republicans pounce, Democratic leads shrink |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/crime-remains-top-mind-midterm-voters-republicans-pounce/story?id=91257218 |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=ABC News|date=2022-10-31}}{{cite web |last1=Edelman |first1=Adam |last2=Korecki |first2=Natasha |last3=Gomez |first3=Henry J. |title=In key battlegrounds, GOP onslaught of crime ads tightens Senate races |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/key-battlegrounds-gop-onslaught-crime-ads-tightens-senate-races-rcna50733 |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=NBC News|date=October 6, 2022 }}

Republicans blamed the increase in violent crime and homicides in 2020 and 2021 on progressives and liberals, as well as attempts to "defund the police",{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=2022-10-23 |title=Fact check: The GOP's dishonesty-filled barrage of 'defund the police' attack ads |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/23/politics/fact-check-defund-the-police-ads-2022-midterms/index.html |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=CNN}} a slogan supported by racial justice protesters but eventually rejected by Biden. In a June 2022 Supreme Court decision, the Roberts Court further expanded the right to keep and bear arms in the United States.{{cite web |last=Thomson-DeVeaux |first=Amelia |date=2022-06-23 |title=What the Supreme Court's Gun Ruling Means For Gun Control |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-the-supreme-courts-gun-ruling-means-for-gun-control/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Democrats pushed for stricter gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons, while Republicans sought to protect legal access to guns and the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

{{see also|Democratic backsliding in the United States|Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election}}

Democrats campaigned on strengthening democratic institutions,{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Control of US Congress at stake as midterm election underway |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/8/polls-open-in-critical-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} having said that Trumpist supporters grew increasingly authoritarian or "semi-fascist",{{cite news |last=Holland |first=Steve |date=2022-08-25 |title=Biden has harsh words for Republicans ahead of political rally |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-hold-first-political-rally-run-up-november-elections-2022-08-25/ |access-date=2022-08-25}}{{cite news |date=2022-08-26 |title=Biden slams 'semi-fascism' in GOP as he rallies for Democrats |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/26/biden-asks-democrats-to-defeat-semi-fascism-in-midterm-election |access-date=2022-11-23 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}{{cite news |last=Ford |first=Matt |date=2022-08-30 |title=It Matters That Joe Biden Used the F-Word |newspaper=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167563/biden-semi-fascism-maga-2022 |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0028-6583}} as Biden had called them in August and September 2022,{{cite news |last=Weisman |first=Jonathan |date=2022-09-01 |title=Biden Calls on Americans to Resist Threats to Democracy |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/01/us/biden-speech-philadelphia |access-date=2022-09-10 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news |last1=Kanno-Youngs |first1=Zolan |last2=Shear |first2=Michael D. |date=2022-09-01 |title=Biden Warns That American Values Are Under Assault by Trump-Led Extremism |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/us/politics/biden-speech-trump-maga.html |access-date=2022-09-10 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news |last1=Matza |first1=Max |last2=Smith |first2=Sarah |date=2022-09-02 |title=Joe Biden says Trump ideology threatens US democracy |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62761428 |access-date=2022-09-10}} since Trump and many Republicans continue to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election; as recently as September 2022, Trump said he should be reinstated as president. Democrats also argued that Republicans regaining power would harm U.S. governance,{{cite news |last=Harb |first=Ali |date=2022-10-31 |title=Eroding trust: How election deniers endanger US democracy |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/1/eroding-trust-how-election-deniers-endanger-us-democracy |access-date=2022-11-28}} citing the many Republican Trump-endorsed candidates who denied the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, which news outlets tracked. As of July 2022, at least 120 Republican candidates endorsed by Trump were 2020 election deniers, a majority of whom ran for the House.{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-07-18 |title=At Least 120 Republican Nominees Deny The Results Of The 2020 Election |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/at-least-120-republicans-who-deny-the-2020-election-results-will-be-on-the-ballot-in-november/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

During the party primaries, Republican candidates alleged fraud irrespective of the results; among those who did so and later won the party nomination, Kari Lake said: "We out-voted the fraud."{{cite web |last=Rogers |first=Kaleigh |date=2022-08-25 |title=Election Denying Primary Candidates Are Crying Fraud, Win Or Lose |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/election-denying-primary-candidates-are-crying-fraud-win-or-lose/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} During the general election campaign, Lake refused to say that she would accept the result if she does not win the election, stating that she was "going to win the election, and I will accept that result."{{cite web |last=Concepcion |first=Summer |date=2022-10-16 |title=Kari Lake refuses to say whether she would accept loss in Arizona election |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/kari-lake-refuses-say-whether-accept-loss-arizona-election-rcna52475 |website=NBC News |access-date=2022-11-23}} Additionally, Republican-controlled states passed laws restricting voting rights or making it harder to vote, as a consequence of Trump's big lie about 2020,{{cite web |last1=Meja |first1=Elena |last2=Samuels |first2=Alex |date=2022-06-16 |title=Has Your State Made It Harder To Vote? |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/voting-restrictions-by-state/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616102144/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/voting-restrictions-by-state/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} which particularly affects minority voters and critics say also reflects a legacy of racial disenfranchisement.{{cite news |last=Stepansky |first=Joseph |date=2022-10-24 |title=Q&A: Before US midterms, advocate warns of voting barriers |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/24/qa-ahead-of-us-midterms-advocate-warns-of-voting-barriers |access-date=2022-11-28}} In November 2022, Biden said that democracy was on the ballot and cited the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of the Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi, stating that Trump's false claims about a stolen election in 2020 had "fuelled the dangerous rise of political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years".{{cite news |date=2022-11-03 |title=Democracy 'on the ballot' as US midterms loom: Biden |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/3/democracy-on-the-ballot-as-us-midterms-loom-biden |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}

The Democratic Party filed lawsuits to remove Green Party candidates from the ballot, most notably the North Carolina Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh in the 2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina,{{cite news |last=Ingram |first=Kyle |date=2022-07-07 |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article263216143.html |title=Powerful Democratic law firm intervened in NC Green Party certification |work=The News & Observer |access-date=2022-11-11}}{{cite news |date=2022-08-03 |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article264097146.html |title=NC Democrats are undermining democracy with Green Party attack |work=The News & Observer |access-date=2022-11-11}}{{cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Rusty |date=2022-08-08 |title=NC Green Party claims vindication after US judge orders state to make room for party on ballot |url=https://www.wunc.org/politics/2022-08-08/nc-green-party-claims-vindication-after-federal-judge-orders-nc-to-make-room-for-greens-on-ballot |access-date=2022-11-05 |publisher=WUNC}} citing an ongoing investigation into the party for fraudulant signatures.{{cite web |last=Hoyt |first=Conrad |date=2022-07-14 |title=As investigation into false signatures continues, Green Party sues State Board of Elections |url=https://www.witn.com/2022/07/14/investigation-into-false-signatures-continues-green-party-sues-state-board-elections/ |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=WITN}} Their warning that Greens could divide progressive voters and give Republicans wins in tight races nonetheless received widespread criticism,{{cite news |last=Schoenbaum |first=Hannah |date=2022-08-04 |title=Democrats sue to keep Green Party off North Carolina ballot |publisher=Associated Press |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-lawsuits-voting-north-carolina-raleigh-48f1e61c1988c7083edcdc7bb1eace4a |access-date=2022-11-11}} and Hoh appeared on the ballot.{{cite web |last=Lu |first=Jazper |date=2022-10-24 |title=Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh running for U.S. Senate to 'disrupt the current political system' |url=https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2022/10/north-carolina-elections-green-party-candidate-matthew-hoh-united-states-senate-disrupt-current-political-system |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=Duke Chronicle}}

{{see also|Anti-gender movement|Critical race theory|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education}}

Republicans argued for parents having more control over what their children are taught in schools, being concerned in particular by discussions on topics such as race,{{cite web |last1=Gold |first1=Emelia |last2=Johnson |first2=Theodore R. |last3=Zhao |first3=Ashley |date=2022-05-09 |title=How Anti-Critical Race Theory Bills Are Taking Aim At Teachers |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-anti-critical-race-theory-bills-are-taking-aim-at-teachers/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} gender identity, and sexuality.{{cite web |last=Yi |first=Jean |date=2022-05-12 |title=Why Trans Rights Became The GOP's Latest Classroom Target |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-trans-rights-became-the-gops-latest-classroom-target/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Democrats dismissed these concerns as a push for censorship, saying that it would especially harm LGBT students. This came amid increased efforts among Republicans to ban books that discuss those topics, particularly in Republican-controlled states like Florida.{{cite web |last=Qamar |first=Zoha |date=2022-08-26 |title=Americans Don't Want Books Banned, But They're Divided Over What Schools Teach |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-dont-want-books-banned-but-theyre-divided-over-what-schools-teach/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

Twenty Republican candidates promulgated the litter boxes in schools hoax, which emerged largely as backlash against recognition of gender variance in schools.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Hayes |date=2022-10-07 |title=How a viral hoax about furries became fodder for the GOP's moral panic |work=MSNBC |url=https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/why-republicans-pretend-schools-are-setting-litterboxes-students-n1299399 |access-date=2022-11-13}}{{cite news |last1=Goggin |first1=Ben |last2=Kingkade |first2=Tyler |last3=Zadrozny |first3=Brandy |author-link3=Brandy Zadrozny |date=2022-10-14 |title=How an urban myth about litter boxes in schools became a GOP talking point |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/urban-myth-litter-boxes-schools-became-gop-talking-point-rcna51439 |access-date=2022-11-13}} House minority leader Kevin McCarthy vowed to "recover lost learning from school closures" during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

{{see also|Climate change in the United States|Environmental policy of the Joe Biden administration}}

In this election, climate change was a significant issue.{{cite web |last1=Fuong |first1=Holly |last2=Skelley |first2=Geoffrey |date=2022-09-29 |title=Do Democrats And Republicans Agree On Anything About Climate Change And Immigration? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democrats-republicans-climate-change-immigration-ipsos-poll/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Koerth |first=Maggie |date=2022-10-17 |title=Can Focusing On Climate Change Help Win Elections? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/can-focusing-on-climate-change-help-win-elections/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} 71% of voters considered climate change as a serious problem,{{cite news |last=Newman |first=Rick |date=2022-11-14 |title=What voters told Republicans in the midterm elections |work=Yahoo! News |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-voters-told-republicans-in-the-midterm-elections-212302560.html |access-date=2022-11-15}} even though there were differences in the level of concern. One poll showed that for 51% of voters climate change was one of the more important issues.{{cite web |last=Sandell |first=Clayton |date=2022-10-14 |title=Election '22: What Matters: Climate Change Is A Key Issue |url=https://www.newsy.com/stories/election-22-what-matters-climate-change-is-a-key-issue/ |website=Newsy |access-date=2022-11-13}} According to another poll, 64% of people of color were more likely to vote for a candidate that is addressing climate change as one of the three most important points in their agenda.{{cite web |last=St. Martin |first=Victoria |date=2022-10-22 |title=Poll: Climate Change Is a Key Issue in the Midterm Elections Among Likely Voters of Color |url=https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22102022/poll-climate-change-is-a-key-issue-in-the-midterm-elections-among-likely-voters-of-color/ |website=Inside Climate News |access-date=2022-11-13}} A third poll showed that 9% of voters considered climate change as the most important issue.{{cite web |date=2022-11-13 |title=Fox News Voter Analysis |url=https://www.foxnews.com/elections/2022/midterm-results/voter-analysis?year=2022&state=US |website=Fox News|access-date=2022-11-13}}

Progressive Democrats pushed for legislation to combat the negative effects of climate change, including incentives towards the adoption of renewable energy and electric cars. In August 2022, Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, which also included climate change-related policies to address it,{{cite web |last1=Qamar |first1=Zoha |last2=Rogers |first2=Kaleigh |date=2022-08-19 |title=Americans Are Well Aware Of Climate Change — But Not About The Government's Efforts To Fight It |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/climate-change-inflation/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and has been described as the first major or significant climate change law,{{cite magazine |last=Storrow |first=Benjamin |date=2022-08-08 |title=Senate Passes Historic Climate Bill—Here's What Comes Next |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/senate-passes-historic-climate-bill-heres-what-comes-next/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |magazine=Scientific American}}{{cite magazine |last=Thompson |first=Andrea |date=2022-08-12 |title=What Scientists Say about the Historic Climate Bill |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-scientists-say-about-the-historic-climate-bill/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |magazine=Scientific American}} as well as the largest investment to fight climate change in U.S. history.{{cite news |date=2022-08-16 |title=Biden signs $740bn health, climate, tax 'Inflation Reduction Act' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/16/biden-signs-740bn-health-climate-tax-inflation-reduction-act |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}

{{see also|Immigration policy of the Joe Biden administration|Martha's Vineyard migrant crisis}}

Immigration is among the issues where the United States is divided the most.{{cite news |date=2022-11-07 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2022/11/7/who-will-control-the-us-congress |title=Who will control the US Congress? |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=Inside Story |publisher=Al Jazeera}} Biden revoked some of Trump's anti-immigration policies but not others, and Republicans pledged to continue Trump's hardline policies.{{cite web |last=Tesler |first=Michael |date=2021-08-17 |title=Republican Views On Immigration Are Shifting Even Further To The Right Under Biden |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republican-views-on-immigration-are-shifting-even-further-to-the-right-under-biden/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Qamar |first=Zoha |date=2022-08-04 |title=When Republicans Talk About Immigration, They Don't Just Mean Illegal Immigration |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/when-republicans-talk-about-immigration-they-dont-just-mean-illegal-immigration/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} An increase of over 385% in border encounters from 2020 to 2022 gave Republicans an edge over Democrats, as Republicans blamed it on Biden and Democrats, and polling showed that voters moderately preferred Republicans over Democrats for solving immigration problems.{{cite web |date=2022-11-14 |title=Nationwide Encounters |url=https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters |publisher=U.S. Customs and Border Protection}}{{cite news |last1=Hesson |first1=Ted |last2=Morgan |first2=David |last3=Lange |first3=Jason |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-have-edge-crime-immigration-ahead-us-midterms-reutersipsos-2022-10-05 |title=Republicans have edge on crime, immigration ahead of U.S. midterms -Reuters/Ipsos poll |work=Reuters |date=2022-10-05 |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite web |title=Poll finds broad support in battleground states for legalizing unauthorized immigrants |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-midterms-legalization-citizenship-poll/ |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=CBS News |last=Montoya-Galvez |first=Camilo |date=2022-10-31}}

In a September 2022 political stunt, Florida governor Ron DeSantis had migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard.{{cite magazine |last1=Tomasky |first1=Michael |date=2022-09-19 |title=The Republican Meltdown on Martha's Vineyard |magazine=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167782/republican-meltdown-marthas-vineyard-migrants |access-date=2022-10-01 |issn=0028-6583}}{{cite magazine |last1=Shephard |first1=Alex |last2=Tomasky |first2=Michael |last3=Strauss |first3=Daniel |date=2022-09-20 |title=What If Ron DeSantis's Martha's Vineyard Stunt Wasn't Actually Good Politics? |magazine=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167805/media-desantis-migrant-stunt-2024 |access-date=2022-10-01 |issn=0028-6583}}{{cite web |last=Gaudiano |first=Nicole |date=2022-09-16 |title=What's next for the migrants: Govs. DeSantis and Abbott sent to Martha's Vineyard and Kamala Harris' doorstep |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/desantis-abbott-migrant-transport-marthas-vineyard-kamala-harris-2022-9 |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=Business Insider}} This was also done by Republican governors in Arizona and Texas who sent migrants to northerner, more liberal states,{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Kaleigh |last2=Qamar |first2=Zoha |date=2022-09-23 |title=How Americans Feel About Republican Governors Sending Migrants To Blue Cities |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-americans-feel-about-republican-governors-sending-migrants-to-blue-cities/ |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} which was criticized by Biden, Democrats, and migrant rights groups as a "cruel political theatre".

{{see also|Student loans in the United States}}

Since Biden revealed a plan for student loan forgiveness in August 2022 through an executive order based upon the Higher Education Relief Opportunities For Students Act of 2003,{{cite web |last=Sherman |first=Mark |date=2022-08-24 |title=Legality of Joe Biden's Student Loan Plan Relies on Coronavirus Pandemic, 2003 HEROES Law |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/legality-of-joe-bidens-student-loan-plan-relies-on-coronavirus-pandemic-2003-heroes-law/3837995/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=NBC New York}}{{cite news |last=Ford |first=Matt |date=2022-09-29 |title=Conservatives Found Someone Who's Been Traumatized by Biden's Student Debt Plan |newspaper=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167900/garrison-student-loan-lawsuit-standing |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0028-6583}} both parties sought electoral gains from the decision, with Democrats potentially attracting young voters who would benefit from the program, and Republicans targeting blue-collar workers who likely did not go to college and would be unwilling to help subsidize the education debts of others.{{cite news |last=Collinson |first=Stephen |date=2022-08-25 |title=Biden's student loan plan opens a fresh midterm front |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/25/politics/biden-student-loan-relief-2022-midterms-analysis/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907035322/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/25/politics/biden-student-loan-relief-2022-midterms-analysis/index.html |archive-date=2022-09-07 |access-date=2022-11-22}} A majority of voters were found to support student loan forgiveness in the run-up to the election.{{cite news |last=Guzman |first=Joseph |date=2022-08-24 |title=Most Americans support student loan forgiveness, poll finds |url=https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/education/3614404-most-americans-support-student-loan-forgiveness-poll-finds/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |work=The Hill}}{{cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=Harvard CAPS Harris Poll: October 12–13, 2022 |url=https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/HHP_Oct2022_KeyResults.pdf |publisher=Harvard Center for American Political Studies |access-date=2022-11-22}}

During the election campaign, conservatives and Republicans attempted to find plaintiffs,{{cite web | author-link = Mark Joseph Stern | last = Stern | first = Mark Joseph |date=2022-09-27 |title=Why the New Legal Attack on Biden's Student Loan Relief Is Already Doomed |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/09/lawsuit-student-debt-relief-biden.html |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=Slate}} as part of an effort to sue the Biden administration over the proposal, and take the case to the Supreme Court;{{cite news |last=Ford |first=Matt |date=2022-08-31 |title=Can the Conservative Legal Movement Stop Biden's Student Loan Relief Plans? |newspaper=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167574/conservative-judiciary-student-loan-forgiveness |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0028-6583}}{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Astra |date=2022-11-07 |title=Biden Can Still Counter the Bogus Right-Wing Student Loan Lawsuits |newspaper=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/168530/biden-can-still-counter-bogus-right-wing-student-loan-lawsuits |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0028-6583}} this temporarily blocked the plan, which included cancelling up to $10,000 of student debt for those making less than $125,000 a year and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients,{{cite web |last=Nerkar |first=Santul |date=2022-05-31 |title=Canceling Student Debt Could Help Close The Wealth Gap Between White And Black Americans |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/canceling-student-debt-could-help-close-the-wealth-gap-between-white-and-black-americans/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite magazine |last=Shephard |first=Alex |date=2022-08-26 |title=Centrists Don't Like Biden's Student Loan Plan. So Why Don't They Do Something About It? |magazine=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167547/student-loans-centrist-higher-education |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0028-6583}} as the courts will have to consider legal challenges.{{cite web |last=Barron-Lopez|first=Laura|date=2022-10-12 |title=Biden's student loan forgiveness plan faces challenge in federal court |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/bidens-student-loan-forgiveness-plan-faces-challenge-in-federal-court |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=PBS NewsHour |publisher=PBS}}{{cite web |last=Salter|first=Jim|date=2022-10-21 |title=Six Republican-led states appealing dismissal of lawsuit over student loan relief |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/six-republican-led-states-appealing-dismissal-of-lawsuit-over-student-loan-relief |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=PBS NewsHour |publisher=PBS}}{{cite web |last=Butler |first=Peter |date=2022-11-15 |title=Student Loan Debt Relief Now Blocked by Two Courts: Will It Ever Happen? |url=https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/loans/student-loan-debt-relief-now-blocked-by-two-courts-will-it-ever-happen/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=CNET}} In November 2022, a federal judge in Texas struck down Biden's student loan plan.{{cite news |last=Douglas-Gabriels|first=Danielle|date=2022-11-10| title=Federal judge in Texas strikes down Biden's student loan forgiveness plan |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/11/10/student-loan-forgiveness-texas-lawsuit/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0190-8286}} In response, Biden extended a moratorium on the plan from January 2023 to June 2023.{{cite news |last=Thakker |first=Prem |date=2022-11-01 |title=Biden Extends Pause on Student Loan Payments |newspaper=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/169111/biden-extends-pause-student-loan-payments |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0028-6583}}

{{see also|2022 opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration|Opinion polling on the Joe Biden administration}}

Republicans were benefiting from Biden's low U.S. presidential approval ratings, hovering from 30–40% for much of the year.{{cite web |last=Frostenson |first=Sarah |date=2022-03-16 |title=Is Biden's Approval Rating Really Rebounding? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/is-bidens-approval-rating-really-rebounding/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-07-14 |title=What's Behind Biden's Record-Low Approval Rating? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whats-behind-bidens-record-low-approval-rating/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} His ratings briefly increased after several legislative victories in August and September 2022;{{cite news |last=Spady |first=Aubrie |date=2022-09-01 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/poll-democrats-midterm-chances-improve-inflation-abortion-remain-top-election-issues |title=Poll: Democrats' midterm chances improve while inflation and abortion remain top election issues |work=Fox News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907061132/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/poll-democrats-midterm-chances-improve-inflation-abortion-remain-top-election-issues |archive-date=2022-09-07 |access-date=2022-11-22}}{{cite web |last=Potts |first=Monica |date=2022-09-02 |title=What's Driving Biden's Approval Rating Up? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whats-driving-bidens-approval-rating-up/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last=Osgood |first=Brian |date=2022-10-10 |title=What are the US midterm elections? Here's all you need to know |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/10/what-are-the-us-midterm-elections-heres-all-you-need-to-know |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} by October, they again plateaued when voters focused back on the state of the economy.{{cite news |last=Gans |first=Jared |date=2022-10-19 |title=Biden approval rating hovering near its lowest point weeks ahead of midterms: survey |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3695528-biden-approval-rating-hovering-near-its-lowest-point-weeks-ahead-of-midterms-survey/ |access-date=2022-11-22}}{{cite news |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=2022-10-26 |title=Joe Biden's poll numbers are in a very bad place for Democrats |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/26/politics/joe-biden-gallup-poll-midterm-elections/index.html |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=CNN}} Biden avoided intervention in several key Senate races, among them Arizona, Georgia, and New Hampshire, where his ratings were further below his presidential approval nationally.{{cite web |last1=Barrow|first1=Bill|last2=Long|first2=Colleen|last3=Miller|first3=Zeke|date=2022-12-02 |title=To boost Georgia's Warnock, Biden goes to ... Massachusetts |url=https://apnews.com/article/herschel-walker-biden-georgia-1091b7502bca21c9c847d564042fa845 |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=Associated Press}}

{{see also|Cyberwarfare by Russia}}

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was the major foreign policy issue,{{cite web |last=Potts |first=Monica |date=2022-03-03 |title=What Do Americans Think About War? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-americans-are-unlikely-to-support-a-war-in-ukraine/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-03-04 |title=Americans Care About The Invasion Of Ukraine — But That Doesn't Mean They Will Rally Around Biden |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-care-about-the-invasion-of-ukraine-but-that-doesnt-mean-they-will-rally-around-biden/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-03-04 |title=Americans Are Still Unsure How The U.S. Should Respond To The Invasion Of Ukraine |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-are-still-unsure-how-the-u-s-should-respond-to-the-invasion-of-ukraine/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} shifting support for Biden and highlighting the Republican Party's perceived support for Russia and Vladimir Putin.{{cite web |last=Azari |first=Julia |date=2022-03-10 |title=Why It's Important To Debate Foreign Policy Even In Times Of Conflict |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-its-important-to-debate-foreign-policy-even-in-times-of-conflict/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last=Lauter |first=David |date=2022-03-11 |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2022-03-11/politics-war-ukraine-scrambles-plans-2022-midterm-election-essential-politics |url-status=live |title=Essential Politics: War in Ukraine scrambles GOP and Democratic strategies for midterms |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827125519/https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2022-03-11/politics-war-ukraine-scrambles-plans-2022-midterm-election-essential-politics |archive-date=2022-08-27 |access-date=2022-11-22}}{{cite news |last1=Bradner |first1=Eric |last2=Krieg |first2=Gregory |date=2022-03-27 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/27/politics/2022-midterm-elections-russia-ukraine-invasion/index.html |url-status=live |title=The 2022 campaign story was set. Then Russia invaded Ukraine |publisher=CNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605005657/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/27/politics/2022-midterm-elections-russia-ukraine-invasion/index.html |archive-date=2022-06-05 |access-date=2022-11-22}} One day before election day, Russian entrepreneur Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was in the center of accusations of hidden propaganda activities by the Russian government, in regard to Russian interference in U.S. elections, wrote on Vkontakte: "We have interfered, we are interfering and we will continue to interfere."{{cite news |last=McKay |first=Hannah |date=2022-11-07 |title=Russia's Prigozhin admits interfering in U.S. elections |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/russias-prigozhin-admits-interfering-us-elections-2022-11-07/ |access-date=2022-11-22}}

With a total of almost 17 billion U.S. dollars in expenditure, the election campaigns for the 2022 midterm elections were the most expensive in the history of the United States.{{cite web |date=2022-11-03 |title=Press release: Total cost of 2022 state and federal elections projected to exceed $16.7 billion |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/11/press-release-total-cost-of-2022-state-and-federal-elections-projected-exceed-16-7-billion/ |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=OpenSecrets News}}

{{main|2022 United States Senate elections}}

Thirty-five of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate were up for election, including all 34 Class 3 senator seats. Concurrent with the regularly scheduled Class 3 elections, a special election was held to fill a Class 2 vacancy in Oklahoma. As senators serve six-year terms, the last regularly scheduled elections for Class 3 senators were held in 2016. The winners of the Senate elections were sworn in on January 3, 2023, for the 118th U.S. Congress. Going into the election, Democrats and Republicans both held 50 seats,{{efn|name=ind}} but Democrats had a majority due to their control of the vice presidency, which has the power to break ties in the Senate. In the Senate elections, Republicans defended 21 seats, including six seats left open by retirements. Democrats defended fourteen seats, one of which was an open seat.{{cite web |date=2020-03-19 |title=United States Senate elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}}

File:Voters in Londonderry during the 2022 midterms.jpg]]

This was the third consecutive midterm election in the incumbent president's first term in which the party not occupying the White House was able to win control of the House but was unable to win the Senate. Democrats performed better than expected in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania (where they gained a seat – the sole flipping seat), and Nevada,{{cite web |last1=Riccardi |first1=Nicholas |last2=Ritter |first2=Ken |date=2022-11-12 |title=Cortez Masto wins in Nevada, giving Democrats Senate control |url=https://apnews.com/article/nevada-senate-race-live-updates-c8edd4399c9766e1a184a24928fc7edf |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Associated Press }}{{cite web |last=Korecki |first=Natasha |title=Cortez Masto defeats Laxalt in Nevada, handing Democrats control of the Senate |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/cortez-masto-defeats-laxalt-nevada-handing-democrats-control-s-rcna54936 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=NBC News|date=November 13, 2022 }} which allowed them to retain control of the Senate,{{cite news |last1=Macaya |first1=Melissa |last2=Meyer |first2=Matt |last3=Rocha |first3=Veronica |last4=Vogt |first4=Adrienne |date=2022-11-12 |title=Nov. 12, 2022 US election coverage |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/election-results-congress-senate-house-11-12-2022/index.html |access-date=2022-11-17 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-11-30 |title=How Either Candidate Could Win Georgia's Senate Runoff |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-either-candidate-could-win-georgias-senate-runoff/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-12-06 |title=Warnock Has A Small Polling Lead In Georgia — But Walker Could Still Win |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/georgia-polls-2022-runoff/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and with an increased majority after winning the runoff election in Georgia.

Two special elections took place in 2022 to replace senators who resigned during the 117th U.S. Congress:{{cite web |date=2020-11-01 |title=United States Congress elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Congress_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}}

• California Class 3: Incumbent Kamala Harris was elected as Vice President of the United States and resigned from the Senate on January 18, 2021, to take office also as the ex officio President of the Senate.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/17/politics/kamala-harris-resigns-senate/index.html |title=Kamala Harris to resign Senate seat Monday |publisher=CNN |date=2021-01-17 |access-date=2022-11-28 |last=Wright |first=Jasmine}}{{cite news |last1=Chugtai |first1=Alia |last2=Glasse |first2=Jennifer |date=2022-11-01 |title=Infographic: All you need to know about the US midterm elections |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/1/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-29 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} Governor Gavin Newsom used his power to appoint the secretary of state of California, Alex Padilla, to succeed her. A special election to fill the remaining weeks of Harris's tenure was held on November 8, 2022, the same day as the regular election for a six-year term, as a writ proclaimed by Newsom.{{cite web |last=Newsom |first=Gavin |title=Proclamation and Writ of Election |url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Proclamation-and-Writ-of-Election-signed.pdf |publisher=Executive Department, State of California |access-date=2022-11-28 |date=2021-01-18}}{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Reid |date=2021-09-28 |title=California rule change means Padilla faces extra election |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/574242-california-rule-change-means-padilla-faces-extra-election |url-status=live |access-date=2022-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928225230/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/574242-california-rule-change-means-padilla-faces-extra-election |archive-date=2021-09-28}}{{cite news |last1=Chughtai |first1=Alia |last2=Glasse |first2=Jennifer |date=2022-11-01 |title=Infographic: All you need to know about the US midterm elections |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/1/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-28}} Padilla won both the special election and the regularly scheduled election.{{cite news |last1=Castleman |first1=Terry |last2=Fry |first2=Hannah |last3=Mehta |first3=Seema |title=Alex Padilla makes history as first Latino elected to U.S. Senate from California |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-11-08/2022-california-midterm-election-padilla-first-latino-u-s-senate-california |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2022-11-09 |access-date=2022-11-28}}
• Oklahoma Class 2: Incumbent Jim Inhofe announced in February 2022 that he would resign from the Senate at the end of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2023. A special election to fill the remaining four years of his term was held on November 8, 2022, concurrently with the regular election for the Class 3 seat, held by James Lankford.{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Jonathan |date=2022-02-24 |title=James Inhofe, Oklahoma Senator, Is Said to Plan an Early Retirement |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/us/politics/jim-inhofe-senate-retirement.html |access-date=2022-02-24 |issn=0362-4331}} Republican Congressman Markwayne Mullin won the special election to fill the remainder of Inhofe's term.{{cite news |last=Murphy |first=Sean |title=Republican's Lankford, Mullin win Oklahoma Senate seats |url=https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-senate-race-2022-midterm-elections-67ab19c188b8235373f6e357e065a1f0 |publisher=Associated Press |date=2022-11-08 |access-date=2022-11-28}}

{{further|Party switching in the United States}}

In early December 2022, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced she would leave the Democratic Party and register as an independent. She justified her decision in an op-ed for The Arizona Republic on December 9,{{cite news |last=Sinema |first=Kyrsten |date=2022-12-09|title=Sen. Kyrsten Sinema: Why I'm registering as an independent |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2022/12/09/sen-kyrsten-sinema-of-arizona-why-im-registering-as-an-independent/69712395007/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |work=The Arizona Republic }} saying: "Like a lot of Arizonans, I have never fit perfectly in either national party."{{cite news |last1=Chiacu |first1=Doina|last2=Cowan |first2=Richard |date=2022-12-09 |title=Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democratic Party, adding drama to tight U.S. Senate margin |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/arizonas-sinema-switches-political-affiliation-independent-politico-2022-12-09/ |access-date=2022-12-09}} While she did not say if she would caucus with the Senate Democrats, as the Senate's two other independent senators do, she ruled out caucusing with Republicans.{{cite news |last1=Hulse |first1=Carl |last2=Victor |first2=Daniel |date=2022-12-09 |title=Kyrsten Sinema Says She Will Leave the Democratic Party |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/09/us/politics/kyrsten-sinema-democrats.html |access-date=2022-12-09 |issn=0362-4331}}

{{main|2022 United States House of Representatives elections}}

All 435 voting seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election. Forty-nine representatives and one non-voting delegate (30 Democrats, 20 Republicans) did not seek re-election, and three seats were vacant at the time of the election. The incumbents in the 2022 elections were determined in the 2020 U.S. House of Representatives elections and subsequent special elections. These elections were the first conducted after the 2020 U.S. redistricting cycle, causing several districts to lack an incumbent or have multiple incumbents. Democrats held a 220–212 majority at the time of the election.{{cite web |date=2020-11-06 |title=United States House of Representatives elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} The race was competitive and closer than expected, with Republicans gaining control of the chamber with a slim 222–213 majority.{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=US midterm elections: Live results in maps and charts |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/live-results-us-midterm-election-day-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite news |last1=Clarke |first1=Seán |last2=de Hoog |first2=Niels |last3=Leach |first3=Anna |last4=Voce |first4=Antonio |date=2022-11-15 |title=US midterm elections results 2022: live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2022/nov/15/house-election-results-2022-live-senate-us-midterm-state-map-latest-winners-congress |url-status=live |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207020444/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2022/nov/15/house-election-results-2022-live-senate-us-midterm-state-map-latest-winners-congress |archive-date=2022-12-07 |access-date=2022-12-07}}

Nine special elections were held in 2022:{{cite web |date=2020-12-26 |title=Special elections to the 117th United States Congress (2021–2022) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Special_elections_to_the_117th_United_States_Congress_(2021-2022) |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}}

• Florida's 20th congressional district: Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Republican Jason Mariner to succeed Democrat Alcee Hastings, who died on April 6, 2021, from pancreatic cancer.{{cite news |last=Homan |first=Timothy R. |date=2021-04-06 |title=Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings dead at 84 |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/546638-florida-rep-alcee-hastings-dead-at-84 |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=The Hill}}{{cite news |last=Daugherty |first=Alex |title=DeSantis schedules special election for Alcee Hastings' seat in 2022 |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article251160659.html |date=2021-05-04 |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=Miami Herald}}{{cite news |title=Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick wins House seat in Florida special election |first=David |last=Weigel |date=2021-01-11 |access-date=2022-11-28 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-election-florida/2022/01/10/22c9ea00-7278-11ec-b202-b9b92330d4fa_story.html |url-access=subscription |issn=0190-8286}} The district has a partisan index of D+28.{{cite web |title=Introducing the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index |date=2021-04-15 |last1=Flinn |first1=Ally |last2=Wasserman |first2=David |author-link2=Dave Wasserman |url=https://cookpolitical.com/analysis/national/pvi/introducing-2021-cook-political-report-partisan-voter-index |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=The Cook Political Report}}
• California's 22nd congressional district: Republican Connie Conway defeated Democrat Lourin Hubbard in a runoff to succeed Republican Devin Nunes, who resigned on January 1, 2022, to become CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group.{{cite web |last=Korte |first=Lara |date=2021-12-06 |title=Devin Nunes' retirement could mean an opening for California Democrats. Who might run? |url=https://sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article256384562.html |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Sacramento Bee}}{{cite news |title=Connie Conway is going to Washington D.C., wins Nunes' seat in Congress |orig-date=2022-06-07 |date=2022-06-08 |access-date=2022-06-08 |work=Visalia Times Delta |url=https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2022/06/08/connie-conway-ahead-big-early-results-devin-nunes-seat-congress/7487017001/}} The district has a partisan index of R+6.
• Texas's 34th congressional district: Republican Mayra Flores defeated Democrat Dan Sanchez to succeed Democrat Filemon Vela Jr., who resigned on March 31, 2022, to work for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.{{cite news |last=Livingston |first=Abby |date=2022-03-31 |title=U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela steps down, setting up a heated battle for his South Texas district |work=The Texas Tribune |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/31/filemon-vela-resignation/ |url-status=live |access-date=2022-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401002748/https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/31/filemon-vela-resignation/ |archive-date=2022-04-01}} The district has a partisan index of D+5.
• Nebraska's 1st congressional district: Republican Mike Flood defeated Democrat Patty Pansing Brooks to succeed Republican Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned on March 31, 2022, after he was indicted and arrested for lying to the FBI about campaign contributions.{{cite news |last1=Alfaro |first1=Mariana |last2=Paúl |first2=María Luisa |title=Rep. Fortenberry to resign after being found guilty of lying to FBI |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/26/fortenberry-resigns-lying-fbi/ |access-date=2022-03-26 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2022-03-26 |issn=0190-8286}} The district has a partisan index of R+11.
• Minnesota's 1st congressional district: Republican Brad Finstad defeated Democrat Jeff Ettinger to succeed Republican Jim Hagedorn, who died on February 17, 2022, from kidney cancer.{{cite news |date=2022-02-18 |title=US Rep. Hagedorn dies at age 59 |publisher=KSTP-TV |url=https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/us-rep-hagedorn-dies-at-age-59/ |access-date=2022-02-18 |last=Omastiak |first=Rebecca}}{{cite news |title=Republican Brad Finstad will win special election in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, CNN projects |last1=Cohen |first1=Ethan |last2=Krieg |first2=Gregory |date=2022-08-10 |access-date=2022-08-10 |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/politics/brad-finstad-minnesota-congressional-special-election/}} The district has a partisan index of R+8.
• Alaska's at-large congressional district: Democrat Mary Peltola defeated Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III to succeed Republican Don Young, who died on March 18, 2022.{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=James |title=Alaska's first ranked-choice election will be a special vote to replace Rep. Don Young |url=https://www.adn.com/politics/2022/03/19/alaskas-first-ranked-choice-election-will-be-a-special-vote-to-replace-rep-don-young/ |access-date=2022-03-19 |work=Anchorage Daily News |date=2022-03-02}} The district has a partisan index of R+9.
• New York's 19th congressional district: Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican Marc Molinaro to succeed Democrat Antonio Delgado, who resigned on May 25, 2022, to become Lieutenant Governor of New York.{{cite news |last1=Fandos |first1=Nicholas |last2=Ferre-Sadurni |first2=Luis |title=Hochul Chooses Antonio Delgado as New Lieutenant Governor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/nyregion/antonio-delgado-new-york-lieutenant-governor-hochul.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2022-05-03 |access-date=2022-05-03 |issn=0362-4331}} The district has a partisan index of R+3.
• New York's 23rd congressional district: Republican Joe Sempolinski defeated Democrat Max Della Pia to succeed Republican Tom Reed, who resigned on May 10, 2022, amid sexual assault allegations.{{cite news |title=Congressman Tom Reed resigns, effective immediately, following sexual misconduct accusation |first=August |last=Erbacher |date=2022-05-10 |access-date=2022-05-12 |publisher=WKBW-TV |url=https://www.wkbw.com/news/politics/congressman-tom-reed-resigns-effective-immediately-following-sexual-misconduct-accusation}} The district has a partisan index of R+9.
• Indiana's 2nd congressional district: Republican Rudy Yakym defeated Democrat Paul Steury to succeed Republican Jackie Walorski, who died on August 3, 2022, in a traffic collision.{{cite news |title=Indiana Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski dies in car accident that also killed 2 staffers |publisher=CNN |last1=Fordan |first1=Clare |last2=Zanona |first2=Melanie |date=2022-08-03 |access-date=2022-08-03 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/03/politics/jackie-walorski-died-indiana-republican/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803215246/https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/03/politics/jackie-walorski-died-indiana-republican/index.html |archive-date=2022-08-03}} The district has a partisan index of R+13.

File:USStateControl2022postelections 2.svg

{{main|2022 United States gubernatorial elections}}

Elections were held for the governorships of 36 U.S. states and three insular areas. As most governors serve four-year terms, the last regularly scheduled elections for most seats up for election in 2022 were held in 2018. The governors of New Hampshire and Vermont each serve two-year terms, so incumbents in these two states were determined in 2020. Prior to the election, Republicans held a total of 28 seats, 20 of which were up for election in 2022, and Democrats held 22 seats, 16 of which were up for election.{{cite web |date=2020-11-01 |title=Gubernatorial elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Gubernatorial_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} Democrats picked up the seats of retiring and term-limited Republican incumbents in Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts, while Republicans held onto Arkansas.

Democratic incumbents won high-profile contests in Michigan and Wisconsin, while Democrat Josh Shapiro's defeat of Republican Doug Mastriano allowed Democrats to retain control of Pennsylvania's gubernatorial office.{{cite news |date=2022-11-09 |last1=Harte |first1=Julian |last2=Trotta |first2=Daniel |title=Democrats win governors' races in three crucial 'blue wall' states |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/desantis-wins-re-election-florida-governors-race-2022-11-09/ |work=Reuters |access-date=2022-11-12}} A Democratic incumbent also prevailed in a closely contested race in Kansas,{{cite news |last=Edelman |first=Adam |date=2022-11-09 |title=Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly wins re-election, defeating GOP challenger Derek Schmidt |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/kansas-governor-election-2022-laura-kelly-wins-race-rcna55330 |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=NBC News}} while the party held onto Oregon in another closely contested race.{{cite news |last=Borrud |first=Hillary |date=2022-11-09 |title=Tina Kotek wins Oregon governor's race, fending off strongest Republican bid in a decade |work=The Oregonian/OregonLive |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/11/tina-kotek-wins-oregon-governors-race-fending-off-strongest-republican-bid-in-a-decade.html |access-date=2022-11-30}} Tina Kotek of Oregon is set to be one of the first lesbian governors in the United States,{{cite web |last1=Rush |first1=Claire |last2=Selsky |first2=Andrew |date=2022-11-10 |title=Democrat Tina Kotek wins Oregon governor's race |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-united-states-portland-oregon-government-and-politics-f44da06cdc42ce0f4686615083ed339a |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Associated Press }} along with Maura Healey in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Republican incumbents won reelection in major races in Florida, Georgia, and Texas, and Mike Dunleavy won reelection to a second term, becoming the first Republican governor of Alaska to be reelected to a second term since Jay Hammond in 1978 and the first governor, regardless of political affiliation, to be reelected to a second term since Tony Knowles in 1998.{{cite web |last=Bohrer |first=Becky |date=2022-11-25 |title=Mike Dunleavy is 1st Alaska governor reelected since '98 |website=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-alaska-bill-walker-acfca581940b7d4045df3f2e13f1538d |access-date=2022-11-27}} Democrats made a further gain in Arizona, which set the record for most female governors in U.S. history.{{cite web |last=Parris |first=Pat |date=2022-11-07 |title=Arizona's unique history of governors includes record number of women |url=https://www.kgun9.com/news/elections/arizonas-unique-history-of-governor-includes-record-number-of-women |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=KGUN 9 Tucson News}}{{cite news |last=Barchenger |first=Stacey |date=2022-11-14 |title=Katie Hobbs elected Arizona's 5th female governor, defeating election denier Kari Lake |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/14/katie-hobbs-elected-arizona-governor-defeating-kari-lake/10700050002/ |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Arizona Republic}} The sole gain for Republicans was in Nevada, where Joe Lombardo narrowly defeated the incumbent Democratic governor Steve Sisolak.{{cite news |last=Reston |first=Maeve |title=Republican Joe Lombardo will defeat Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, CNN projects |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/11/politics/joe-lombardo-steve-sisolak-nevada-governor-result/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=2022-11-11 |access-date=2022-11-24}}{{cite news |last=Lochead |first=Colton |date=2022-11-12 |title=Joe Lombardo wins Nevada governor's race after Sisolak concedes |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/joe-lombardo-wins-nevada-governors-race-after-sisolak-concedes-2674682/ |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal}}

{{see also|List of U.S. statewide elected officials|State constitutional officer}}

{{further|2022 United States attorney general elections|2022 United States secretary of state elections|2022 United States treasurer elections}}

File:2022 United States attorney general results.svg

Various state-wide executive positions across several states held elections in 2022. State attorneys general were elected in thirty U.S. states, three territories, and one federal district. The previous elections for this group of states took place in 2018.{{cite web |date=2021-01-07 |title=Attorney General elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Attorney_General_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Ballotpedia}} The attorney general of Vermont serves two-year terms and was last elected in 2020.{{cite web |date=2021-08-06 |title=Vermont Attorney General election, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Vermont_Attorney_General_election,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} While Democrats flipped Vermont and Charity Clark became the state's first female attorney general,{{cite news |date=2022-11-09 |title=Clark wins Vt. attorney general contest |url=https://www.wcax.com/2022/11/09/clark-wins-vt-attorney-general-contest/ |access-date=2022-11-24 |publisher=WCAX}}{{cite news |last1=Krieg |first1=Gregory |last2=Menezes |first2=Andrew |date=2022-11-09 |title=Meet the history-makers of the 2022 midterm elections |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/politics/2022-midterm-election-historic-firsts/index.html |access-date=2022-11-24 |publisher=CNN}} one notable Republican upset was Brenna Bird's narrow win over Tom Miller,{{cite news |last=Gruber-Miller |first=Stephen |date=2022-11-09 |title=Republican Brenna Bird defeats Democrat Tom Miller in Iowa attorney general race |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/09/brenna-bird-topples-incumbent-tom-miller-in-iowa-attorney-general-race/69610291007/ |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Des Moines Register}} the incumbent Democratic attorney general of Iowa and the longest-serving state attorney general in U.S. history.{{cite web |last=Stern |first=Seth |date=2022-11-09 |title=Longest-Ever Serving State Attorney General Defeated in Iowa (2) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/longest-ever-serving-state-attorney-general-defeated-in-iowa |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=Bloomberg Law}}

Secretaries of state were elected in twenty-seven U.S. states. The previous elections for this group of states took place in 2018.{{cite web |date=2022-12-23 |title=Secretary of State elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Secretary_of_State_elections,_2022 |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=2022-11-22}} The secretary of state of Vermont serves two-year terms and was last elected in 2020.{{cite web |date=2021-05-12 |title=Vermont Secretary of State election, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Vermont_Secretary_of_State_election,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} State treasurers and equivalents were elected in twenty-seven U.S. states, plus a special election in Utah. The previous elections for this group of states took place in 2018.{{cite web |date=2021-02-09 |title=Treasurer elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Category:Treasurer_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} The treasurer of Vermont serves two-year terms and was last elected in 2020.{{cite web |date=2021-07-26 |title=Vermont Treasurer election, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Vermont_Treasurer_election,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}}

{{see also|State court (United States)}}

Numerous states held judicial elections in 2022.{{cite web |date=2021-01-18 |title=State judicial elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/State_judicial_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} Republicans gained a majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court by picking up two seats, raising the possibility of mid-decade redistricting. In another election with major redistricting implications, Republicans retained a majority on the Supreme Court of Ohio.{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Zach C. |last2=Ebert |first2=Alex |last3=Wheeler |first3=Lydia |title=GOP High Courts in Ohio, North Carolina Hold Redistricting Power |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/gop-high-courts-in-ohio-north-carolina-hold-redistricting-power |website=Bloomberg Law |date=2022-11-09 |access-date=2022-11-22}}{{cite news |last1=Keith |first1=Douglas |last2=Powers |first2=Amanda |title=Key 2022 State Supreme Court Election Results and What They Mean |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/key-2022-state-supreme-court-election-results-and-what-they-mean |publisher=Brennan Center for Justice |date=2022-11-09 |access-date=2022-11-22}}{{cite news |last=Benshoff |first=Laura |title=How GOP state supreme court wins could change state policies and who runs Congress |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/22/1138344117/republican-state-supreme-court-abortion-voting-redistricting-ohio-north-carolina |date=2022-11-22 |publisher=NPR | access-date=2022-11-28}}

{{main|2022 United States state legislative elections}}

In 2022, 46 states held regularly scheduled elections in 88 legislative chambers, although not all seats were up in the legislatures holding elections, as some states use staggered terms. Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia did not hold regularly scheduled state legislative elections, as those states all hold such elections in odd-numbered years. The District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also held legislative elections in 2022. As in the U.S. House of Representatives, these elections were the first conducted after the 2020 U.S. census and the 2022 U.S. redistricting. Prior to the election, Republicans controlled 60 legislative chambers, Democrats controlled 37 chambers, and a cross-party coalition controlled the Alaska House of Representatives.{{efn|Republicans also held de facto control of Nebraska's officially non-partisan unicameral legislature.}}{{cite web |date=2019-01-15 |title=State legislative elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/State_legislative_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}}{{cite web |title=NCSL State Elections 2022 |url=https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/ncsl-state-elections-2022.aspx |publisher=National Conference of State Legislatures |date=2022-09-21 |access-date=2022-11-11}}

Democrats successfully defended every legislative chamber they had held prior to the election, the first time the president's party accomplished this feat in a midterm since the 1934 U.S. elections.{{cite news |last1=Kight |first1=Stef W. |last2=McCammond |first2=Alexi |date=2022-11-11 |title=Democrats make quiet history with state-level gains |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/11/11/state-legislatures-governors-democrats |website=Axios |access-date=2022-11-16}} However, Republicans established a cross-party coalition in the Alaska House of Representatives, shifting the majority from a predominantly Democratic caucus to a predominantly Republican caucus.{{Cite web |last1=Maguire |first1=Sean |last2=Samuels |first2=Iris |date=January 18, 2023 |title=Alaska House elects Wasilla Republican Cathy Tilton as speaker |url=https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2023/01/18/alaska-house-elects-republican-tilton-as-speaker/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=Anchorage Daily News |language=en}} Democrats picked up the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,{{cite news |last1=Lai |first1=Jonathan |last2=Marin |first2=Max |last3=Orso |first3=Anna |title=Democrats appear to have won a majority of seats in the Pa. House for the first time in 12 years |url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/democrats-set-to-win-control-of-pa-house-20221116.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=2022-11-17 |access-date=2022-11-28}} the Minnesota Senate, both state legislative chambers in Michigan,{{cite news |last1=Greenberger |first1=Scott S. |date=2022-11-09 |title=Democrats Hold Governorships, Make State Legislative Gains |url=https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/11/09/democrats-hold-governorships-make-state-legislative-gains |website=Pew Charitable Trust |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=2022-11-11}} and also established a cross-party coalition in the Alaska Senate.{{cite news |date=2022-11-26 |title=Alaska Democrats, Republicans form coalition Senate majority |url=https://apnews.com/article/alaska-anchorage-kodiak-gary-stevens-bert-stedman-9fd236cde1085a9fad4f5a52e123082a |website=Associated Press |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=2022-11-26}} Democrats had not controlled the Michigan Senate since 1984,{{cite news |last=Narea |first=Nicole |date=2022-11-11 |title=Democrats have notched wins in state legislatures — with likely more to come |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23450012/state-legislature-2022-midterms-results-michigan-minnesota-pennsylvania-arizona |work=Vox |access-date=2022-11-11}} one reason being that although Democrats won the popular vote several times (2012, 2018, and 2020), Republicans continued to win more seats due to a more favorable map. This map was redrawn by an independent commission in 2021, which was established by a 2018 ballot initiative. As a result of victories in state legislative and gubernatorial elections, Democrats gained government trifectas in Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota. In addition, Republicans lost a trifecta in Arizona, which they held since 2009,{{cite news |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-10-26 |title=The Most Important Elections Of 2022 Could Be In State Legislatures |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/state-government-elections/ |website=FiveThirtyEight |access-date=2022-11-17}} while Democrats lost a trifecta in Nevada. Following the election, although Republicans held trifectas in more states, more people lived in Democratic-controlled states than in Republican-controlled states.{{cite news |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-11-17 |title=The Midterms Made State Governments Bluer |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/2022-governor-state-government/ |website=FiveThirtyEight |access-date=2022-11-17}}

Though Republican governor Phil Scott won reelection, Democrats gained a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers of the Vermont General Assembly. Republicans gained supermajorities in the Wisconsin Senate, the North Carolina Senate, the South Carolina House of Representatives, and both chambers of the Florida Legislature.{{cite news |last=McCausland |first=Phil |title=Democrats make big gains in state legislatures after beating expectations |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/democrats-make-big-gains-in-state-legislatures-after-beating-expectations.html |publisher=CNBC |date=2022-11-10 |access-date=2022-11-28}} At the same time, the Republican Party fell short of attaining a supermajority in the Wisconsin State Assembly and the North Carolina House of Representatives,{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=2022-11-18 |title=Why the Democrats' biggest wins of the midterms weren't in Washington DC |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/18/democrats-state-legislature-wins |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Guardian}} meaning that Democratic governors in both states will retain the ability to veto legislation that is passed without Democratic support.{{cite web |last=Bowden |first=Bridgit |title=Wisconsin Republicans fail to achieve veto-proof majority |url=https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-republicans-fail-achieve-veto-proof-majority |publisher=Wisconsin Public Radio |access-date=2022-11-28 |date=2022-11-09}}{{cite news |last=McCausland |first=Phil |title=Democrats make big gains in state legislatures after beating expectations |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/democrats-make-big-gains-in-state-legislatures-after-beating-expectations.html |publisher=CNBC |access-date=2022-11-28 |date=2022-11-10}}

{{main|2022 United States ballot measures}}

{{further|Labor unions in the United States|Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|Minimum wage in the United States}}

Of the many proposed for 2022,{{cite web |date=2021-01-22 |title=Potential 2022 ballot measures |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Potential_2022_ballot_measures |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} 132 ballot measures were certified in 37 states.{{cite web |date=2021-01-07 |title=2022 ballot measures |url=https://ballotpedia.org/2022_ballot_measures |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ballotpedia}} In response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that held there was no constitutional right to abortion in the United States and gave individual states the full power to regulate any aspect of abortion, six states had an abortion‑related ballot measure: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont. During the August primaries, 59% of Kansas voters rejected their state's Value Them Both Amendment, which would have removed the right to an abortion from the Kansas Constitution.{{cite news |last1=Glueck |first1=Katie |last2=Smith |first2=Mitch |date=2022-08-03 |title=Kansas Votes to Preserve Abortion Rights Protections in Its Constitution |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/us/kansas-abortion-rights-vote.html |access-date=2022-08-03 |issn=0362-4331}} California voters considered Proposition 1 during the general election,{{cite news |last=Colliver |first=Victoria |title=Abortion rights land on California's November ballot |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/27/abortion-rights-california-november-ballot-00042668 |work=Politico |date=2022-06-27 |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Abortion on the Ballot |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-abortion.html |access-date=2022-11-09 |issn=0362-4331}} which was approved, and amended the Constitution of California to explicitly grant the right to an abortion and contraceptives. All other abortion-related ballot measures also passed.{{cite news |last=Beaumont |date=2022-11-11 |first=Hilary |title=US abortion rights advocates celebrate five-state election sweep |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/11/us-abortion-rights-advocates-celebrate-five-state-election-sweep |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}{{cite web |last=Thomson-DeVeaux |first=Amelia |date=2022-12-05 |title=Where Americans Voted To Protect Abortion Rights In The Midterms |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/videos/where-americans-voted-to-protect-abortion-rights-in-the-midterms/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=FiveThirtyEight }}

In Nebraska, Nevada, and Washington, D.C., voters approved to increase the minimum wage, which was in line with most such measures being approved regardless of state partisanship; Republicans had pushed for ballot measures to be made harder to be certified or approved,{{cite web |last=Potts |first=Monica |date=2022-08-30 |title=Why Republican Voters Support Ballot Initiatives Their Red States Do Not |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-republican-voters-support-ballot-initiatives-their-red-states-do-not/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and one such attempt (requiring 60 percent for any ballot measure to pass) failed in Arkansas. Among electoral reform ballot measures,{{cite web |date=2022-09-22 |title=Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked Choice Voting Initiative (2022) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_Question_3,_Top-Five_Ranked_Choice_Voting_Initiative_(2022) |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Ballotpedia}}{{cite web |last=Meyers |first=David |date=2022-11-09 |title=Ballot measures will change how democracy is practiced in many states |url=https://thefulcrum.us/Government/State/election-results-2022 |work=The Fulcrum | access-date=2022-11-28}} voters in Nevada also approved to replace the traditional primary system and first-past-the-post voting with top-five ranked-choice voting statewide, though they will need to confirm the measure in 2024 for it to take effect by 2026, as it would change the state constitution;{{cite news |last=Clyde |first=Don |date=2022-11-13 |title=Nevada voters back big changes to their election system |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/13/1136342255/nevada-election-open-primary-ranked-choice-voting |access-date=2022-11-25}} unlike the other ballot measures, this was opposed by both Democrats and Republicans.{{cite news |last=Golonka |first=Sean |date=2022-10-25 |title=Question 3 backers promote ranked-choice voting with major out-of-state money |page=1 |work=Nevadan Independent |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/question-3-backers-promote-ranked-choice-voting-with-major-out-of-state-money |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite web |last=Meyers |first=David |date=2022-11-09 |title=Ballot measures will change how democracy is practiced in many states |url=https://thefulcrum.us/Government/State/election-results-2022 |work=The Fulcrum |access-date=2022-11-28}}{{cite news |last=Richardson |first=Katelynn |date=2022-11-10 |title=All three Nevada ballot questions seem to have majority support as vote count continues |pages=1 |newspaper=The Center Square |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/nevada/all-three-nevada-ballot-questions-seem-to-have-majority-support-as-vote-count-continues/article_32060c38-615b-11ed-98a4-2fc258cb1399.html |access-date=2022-11-28}} In Arizona, voters approved a ballot measure that limited medical debt interest rates. In South Dakota, voters approved to expand Medicaid coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act.{{cite web |last=Japsen |first=Bruce |date=2022-11-09 |title=Medicaid Expansion Wins In Red State South Dakota |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2022/11/09/medicaid-expansion-wins-in-red-state-south-dakota/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Forbes}} In Tennessee, voters voted on Amendment 1,{{cite web |date=2020-10-26 |title=Tennessee 2022 ballot measures |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_2022_ballot_measures |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Ballotpedia}} which would amend the Constitution of Tennessee to make it illegal for workplaces to require employees to be members of labor unions as a condition for employment; voters in Tennessee approved for the state to have a right-to-work law, while those in Illinois approved for a state constitutional right to collective bargaining.

In five states, voters were asked to make the possession and use of marijuana legal for people 21 and older.{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Marijuana and Drug Policy on the Ballot |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-marijuana.html |access-date=2022-11-11 |issn=0362-4331}} In Maryland and Missouri, the measures were approved, while voters in Arkansas, as well as in North and South Dakota, rejected legalization. In Colorado, voters approved the decriminalization and regulation of certain psychedelic plants and fungi. Also on the ballot in five states were measures to abolish slavery in prisons.{{cite news |last=Bogel-Burroughs |first=Nicholas |date=2022-10-22 |title=Why a Question About Slavery Is Now on the Ballot in 5 States |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/22/us/prison-labor-slavery-ballot-measures.html |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0362-4331}} Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, and Vermont abolished slavery in prisons; the measure did not pass in Louisiana.{{cite web |last=Morrison |first=Aaron |date=2022-11-09 |title=Slavery, involuntary servitude rejected by 4 states' voters |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-slavery-on-ballot-561268e344f17d8562939cde301d2cbf |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=Associated Press}}{{cite news |last=Radde |first=Kaitlyn |date=2022-11-17 |title=Louisiana voters rejected an antislavery ballot measure. The reasons are complicated |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/17/1137398039/louisiana-voters-rejected-an-antislavery-ballot-measure-the-reason-is-complicate |access-date=2022-11-23 |publisher=NPR}}

{{main|2022 United States local elections}}

Since the beginning of 2022, elections were held for the office of mayor,{{cite web |date=2021-05-04 |title=United States mayoral elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_mayoral_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Ballotpedia}} as well as several other municipal and county-level positions.{{cite web |date=2021-05-06 |title=United States municipal elections, 2022 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_municipal_elections,_2022 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Ballotpedia}} Major U.S. cities saw incumbent mayors re-elected, including Fort Smith, Arkansas (George McGill);{{cite news |title=Eight running for Fort Smith city director positions; primary voting in one race |first=Monica |last=Brich |date=2022-07-31 |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jul/31/eight-running-for-fort-smith-city-director/}}{{cite web |date=2022-11-10 |title=Fort Smith directors see new member in At-Large Position 5 seat; mayor and directors Martin, Settle reelected |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/nov/10/fort-smith-directors-see-new-member-in-at-large/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Arkansas Online}} Little Rock, Arkansas (Frank Scott Jr.);{{cite web |last=Flaherty |first=Joseph |date=2022-11-09 |title=Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. defeats Steve Landers and two other challengers to win second term |url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/nov/09/little-rock-mayor-frank-scott-jr-defeats-steve/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Arkansas Online}} Tallahassee, Florida (John E. Dailey);{{cite web |last=Burlew |first=Jeff |date=2022-11-08 |title='What a night': After bitter battle, Dailey defeats Dozier in Tallahassee mayor's race |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/08/tallahassee-mayor-john-dailey-kristin-dozier-election-results/10616547002/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Tallahassee Democrat}} Lexington, Kentucky (Linda Gorton);{{cite web |last1=Kang |first1=Hanna |last2=Zavarise |first2=Isabella |date=2022-11-17 |title=Results: Mayor Linda Gorton defeats David Kloiber in Lexington, Kentucky's mayoral election |url=https://news.yahoo.com/mayor-linda-gorton-faces-off-013956514.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Insider |via=Yahoo! News}} Flint, Michigan (Sheldon Neeley); Reno, Nevada (Hillary Schieve);{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Madison |last2=Zavarise |first2=Isabella |date=2022-11-16 |title=Results: Mayor Hillary Schieve defeats Eddie Lorton in Reno, Nevada's mayoral election |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/mayor-hillary-schieve-faces-off-014201479.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Insider |via=Yahoo!}} Newark, New Jersey (Ras Baraka);{{cite web |date=2022-05-12 |title=Baraka wins reelection in Newark mayoral race |url=http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/05/12/baraka-wins-reelection-in-newark-mayoral-race/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=New York Amsterdam News}} Charlotte, North Carolina (Vi Lyles),{{cite web |date=2022-07-26 |title=Mayor Vi Lyles wins third term, Bokhari wins tight District 6 race |url=https://www.wbtv.com/2022/07/26/voters-cast-ballots-tuesday-charlotte-municipal-election/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |publisher=WBTV}} and Raleigh, North Carolina (Mary-Ann Baldwin);{{cite web |last1=Kang |first1=Hanna |last2=McFall Johnsen |first2=Morgan |date=2022-11-16 |title=Results: Mary-Ann Baldwin defeated Terrance Ruth in Raleigh, North Carolina's mayoral election |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/live-results-mary-ann-baldwin-003239635.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Insider |via=Yahoo!}} Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (David Holt);{{cite news |last1=Gore |first1=Hogan |last2=Hayes |first2=Jana |date=2022-02-08 |title=David Holt wins second term as Oklahoma City mayor |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/02/08/okc-voting-results-oklahoma-city-election-mayor-david-holt-reelected/9317399002/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=The Oklahoman}} Clarksville, Tennessee (Joe Pitts);{{Cite web |title=Joe Pitts re-elected as Clarksville mayor |url=https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/09/clarksville-tn-mayor-election-results-2022-joe-pitts-re-elected/69611717007/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=The Leaf-Chronicle |language=en-US}} Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Shane McFarland);{{Cite web |date=2022-08-05 |title=Shane McFarland remains Murfreesboro mayor; Scales-Harris retains council seat |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/shane-mcfarland-remains-murfreesboro-mayor-040133916.html |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Yahoo Sports}} Denton, Texas (Gerard Hudspeth);{{cite news |last=D'Annunzio |first=Francesca |date=2022-05-09 |title=These North Texas cities have new mayors after the May 7 election |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/elections/2022/05/09/which-north-texas-cities-have-new-mayors-after-may-7-election/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=The Dallas Morning News}} and Washington, D.C. (Muriel Bowser).{{cite web |last1=Casillas |first1=Mauricio |last2=DiMargo |first2=Carissa |date=2022-11-08 |title=DC Election Results: Bowser Wins 3rd Term as Mayor; Voters OK More Pay for Tipped Workers |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/decision-2022/dc-election-results-bowser-wins-3rd-term-as-mayor-voters-consider-pay-for-tipped-workers/3201606/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |publisher=NBC4 Washington}}{{cite web |last1=Kang |first1=Hanna |last2=Zavarise |first2=Isabella |date=2022-11-09 |title=Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser defeats Republican Stacia Hall in Washington, DC's mayoral election |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/democratic-mayor-muriel-bowser-defeats-182813129.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Insider |via=Yahoo!}}

Open mayoral seats were won in Anaheim, California (Ashleigh Aitken);{{cite news |title=Aitken Declares Victory in Anaheim Mayor Race; Resort Ally On Track to Lose Council Race |first=Hosam |last=Elattar |work=Voice of OC |date=2022-11-17 |access-date=2022-11-19 |url=https://voiceofoc.org/2022/11/aitken-declares-victory-in-anaheim-mayor-race-resort-ally-drops-further-council-race/}} Chula Vista, California (John McCann);{{cite web |title=John McCann swears in as 41st Mayor of Chula Vista |date=2022-12-13 |access-date=2022-12-13 |publisher=KUSI-TV |url=https://www.kusi.com/john-mccann-swears-in-as-41st-mayor-of-chula-vista/}} Long Beach, California (Rex Richardson);{{cite web |last=Lloyd |first=Jonathan |date=2022-11-15 |title=Rex Richardson to Become Long Beach's First Black Mayor |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/decision-2022/rex-richardson-long-beach-mayor-election/3034352/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=NBC Los Angeles}} Los Angeles, California (Karen Bass);{{cite web |last1=Rakich |first1=Nathaniel |last2=Sweedler |first2=Maya |date=2022-06-07 |title=The 6 Political Neighborhoods Of Los Angeles |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-6-political-neighborhoods-of-los-angeles/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Blood |first=Michael R. |date=2022-11-16 |title=LA elects US Rep Karen Bass mayor, first Black woman in post |url=https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-mayor-karen-bass-02f20ef45e3cbbfc94e2eb073e1e860d |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} Oakland, California (Sheng Thao);{{cite web |title=Sheng Thao to Be Next Mayor of Oakland |date=2022-11-22 |access-date=2022-12-13 |publisher=KNTV |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/sheng-thao-to-be-next-mayor-of-oakland/3086141/}} and San Jose, California (Matt Mahan);{{cite web |title=Matt Mahan to be next mayor of San Jose after Cindy Chavez concedes in contentious race |last=Fehely| first=Devin |date=2022-11-16 |access-date=2022-12-13 |publisher=KPIX-TV |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/matt-mahan-to-be-next-mayor-of-san-jose-after-cindy-chavez-concedes/}} Augusta, Georgia (Garnett Johnson);{{cite news |last1=Legoas |first1=Miguel |last2=Luciani |first2=Kim |last3=McCord |first3=Susan |date=2022-06-22 |title=Georgia runoff election 2022 results: Johnson wins Augusta mayor's race |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/georgia-runoff-election-day-2022-090147550.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=The Augusta Chronicle |via=Yahoo! Finance}} Louisville, Kentucky (Craig Greenberg);{{cite web |last1=Kang |first1=Hanna |last2=Paradis |first2=Tim |date=2022-11-17 |title=Results: Democrat Craig Greenberg defeats Republican Bill Dieruf in Louisville, Kentucky's mayoral election |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/results-craig-greenberg-bill-dieruf-louisville-kentucky-mayoral-election-2022 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Insider}} Henderson, Nevada (Michelle Romero),{{cite web|title=Henderson, Boulder City elect new mayors; North Las Vegas race goes to runoff |last=Passoth| first=Kim |publisher=KVVU-TV |date=2022-06-15 |access-date=2022-12-13 |url=https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/06/16/henderson-boulder-city-elect-new-mayors-north-las-vegas-race-goes-runoff/}} and North Las Vegas, Nevada (Pamela Goynes-Brown);{{cite news |title=Goynes-Brown defeats Culinary-backed Spearman, becoming North Las Vegas's first Black mayor |first=Naoka |last=Foreman |date=2022-11-15 |access-date=2022-12-13 |work=The Nevada Independent |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/goynes-brown-defeats-culinary-backed-spearman-becoming-north-las-vegass-first-black-mayor}} Columbia, Missouri (Barbara Buffaloe);{{cite news |last=Muckerman |first=Brooke |date=2022-04-16 |title=New mayor, council member to be sworn in Monday |url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/elections/new-mayor-council-member-to-be-sworn-in-monday/article_c9730fd2-bd8a-11ec-9f71-37adcd3ebcbb.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=Columbia Missourian}} Providence, Rhode Island (Brett Smiley);{{cite news |date=2022-09-14 |title=Smiley will be Providence's next mayor after Democratic primary win |url=https://pbn.com/smiley-will-be-providences-next-mayor-after-democratic-primary-win/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=Providence Business News}}{{cite news |date=2022-11-11 |title=Mayor-elect Smiley readies for host of city challenges |url=https://pbn.com/mayor-elect-smiley-readies-for-host-of-city-challenges/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=Providence Business News}} Austin, Texas (Kirk Watson);{{cite web |title=Kirk Watson lost Travis County, but won tightest Austin mayoral race in decades |last1=Adams|first1=Cristopher|last2=Reader|first2=Grace |publisher=KXAN-TV |date=2022-12-15 |access-date=2022-12-15 |location=Austin |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/kirk-watson-lost-travis-county-but-won-tightest-austin-mayoral-race-in-decades/}} Laredo, Texas (Victor Trevino);{{cite web |title=Dr. Victor Trevino Elected Laredo's Next Mayor |last=Garza|first=Jerry |publisher=KGNS-TV |date=2022-12-17 |url=https://www.kgns.tv/2022/12/18/dr-victor-trevino-elected-laredos-next-mayor/}} Lubbock, Texas; (Tray Payne);{{cite news |title=Out-right win: Tray Payne takes more than two thirds of vote in Lubbock mayor's race |work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |date=2022-05-07 |access-date=2022-12-13 |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2022/05/07/tray-payne-takes-large-early-voting-lead-lubbock-mayors-race/9694136002/}} and Newport News, Virginia (Phillip Jones).{{cite web |title=Phillip Jones declares victory in Newport News mayor race |first=Brett |last=Hall |publisher=WAVY-TV |date=2022-11-08 |access-date=2022-12-13 |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/newport-news/phillip-jones-declares-victory-in-newport-news-mayor-race/}} Bass succeeded two-term incumbent Eric Garcetti,{{efn|Garcetti has been nominated to the post of U.S. Ambassador to India and it is unknown if he will end his term early. Should this occur, the Los Angeles City Council will appoint an interim mayor to finish the remainder of his term.}} and in doing so became the first woman and the second Black person (after Tom Bradley) to be elected mayor of Los Angeles.{{cite news |last=Wick |first=Julia |date=2022-11-16 |title=Karen Bass elected mayor, becoming first woman to lead L.A. |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-16/2022-california-election-bass-wins-los-angeles-mayor-caruso |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

In San Bernardino, California, city worker Helen Tran was elected to replace incumbent John Valdivia, who was defeated in the blanket primary.{{cite news |last=Toohey |first=Grace |date=2022-11-10 |title=Daughter of Vietnamese refugees to become San Bernardino's first Asian American mayor |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-10/san-bernardino-first-asian-american-mayor-helen-tran-california |access-date=2022-11-30 |work=Los Angeles Times}} In Shreveport, Louisiana, incumbent Adrian Perkins lost re-election in the Louisiana primary, and was succeeded by the winner of the runoff on December 10,{{cite web |date=2022-11-09 |title=Fuller, Perkins concede mayoral race; Tarver and Arceneaux to meet in runoff Dec. 10 |url=https://www.ksla.com/2022/11/09/fuller-perkins-concede-mayoral-race-votes-still-coming/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |publisher=KSLA}} former city councilor Tom Arceneaux, who became the first Republican elected to the position in 28 years.{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-12-11/shreveport-elects-its-first-republican-mayor-in-28-years|title=Shreveport Elects Its First Republican Mayor in 28 Years|work=U.S. News & World Report|agency=Associated Press|date=2022-12-11|access-date=2022-12-20}} In Norman, Oklahoma, Larry Heikkila defeated one-term incumbent mayor Breea Clark.{{cite web |date=2022-04-05 |title=Norman's Heikkila Defeats Incumbent Clark in Mayor's Race |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oklahoma/articles/2022-04-05/normans-heikkila-defeats-incumbent-clark-in-mayors-race |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=U.S. News & World Report |agency=Associated Press}} In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, acting mayor Cavalier Johnson defeated Bob Donovan in a special election to complete the term of Tom Barrett, who resigned in December 2021 to become the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg. He is the first African-American and first millennial to be elected mayor of Milwaukee.{{cite news |last1=Durr |first1=Alison |last2=Glauber |first2=Bill |last3=Spicuzza |first3=Mary |date=2022-04-05 |title=Cavalier Johnson becomes first African American elected mayor of Milwaukee, defeats Bob Donovan in the spring general election |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/05/cavalier-johnson-wins-milwaukee-mayoral-spring-general-election-defeats-bob-donovan-april-5-2022/7233501001/ |access-date=2022-11-30}}

{{see also|Native Americans in the United States|Native American reservation politics}}

Several notable Native American tribes held elections for tribal executive positions during 2022. The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska reelected tribal president Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson to a fifth term;{{cite news |last=Brollini |first=Lyndsey |date=2022-04-25 |title=Tlingit and Haida delegates reelect president, pass resolutions at Tribal Assembly |work=KTOO Public Media |location=Juneau, Alaska |url=https://www.ktoo.org/2022/04/25/tlingit-and-haida-delegates-reelect-president-pass-resolutions-at-tribal-assembly/ |access-date=2022-10-25}} Lynn "Nay" Valbuena was also elected to serve a fifth term as chair of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.{{cite news |last=Benallie |first=Kalle |date=2022-09-07 |title=2022 tribal council elections so far |work=Indian Country Today |location=Pine Ridge, South Dakota |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/2022-tribal-council-elections-so-far |access-date=2022-10-25}} Terry Rambler won election to a fourth consecutive term as chair of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.{{cite news |title=San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Rambler wins historic, unprecedented fourth consecutive term |author= |date=2022-11-11 |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/the-press-pool/san-carlos-apache-tribe-chairman-rambler-wins-historic-unprecedented-fourth-consecutive-term |work=Indian Country Today}} Osage Nation principal chief Geoffrey Standing Bear,{{cite news |title=Geoffrey Standing Bear, RJ Walker win Principal Chief and Assistant Principal Chief |last=Corn |first=Louise Red |work=Osage News |date=2022-06-07 |location=Pawhuska, Oklahoma |url=https://osagenews.org/geoffrey-standing-bear-rj-walker-win-principal-chief-and-assistant-principal-chief/ |access-date=2022-11-28}} tribal council chief Beverly Kiohawiton Cook of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe,{{cite news |title=SRMT releases unofficial election results for Tribal Chief |first=Delaney |last=Keppner |date=2022-06-06 |publisher=WWTI/ABC50 |location=Watertown, New York |url=https://www.informnny.com/abc50-now/srmt-releases-unofficial-election-results-for-tribal-chief/ |access-date=2022-07-13}} Mark Fox of the Three Affiliated Tribes,{{cite news |last=Skurzewski |first=Joe |date=2022-11-09 |title=Mark Fox, new tribal councilmembers sworn in on Fort Berthold |work=KFYR-TV |location=Bismarck, North Dakota |url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/2022/11/10/mark-fox-new-tribal-councilmembers-sworn-fort-berthold/ |access-date=2022-11-14}} Jamie Azure of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians,{{cite news |last=Skurzewski |first=Joe |date=2022-11-02 |title=Final election results for Turtle Mountain Tribe |work=KFYR-TV |location=Bismarck, North Dakota |url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/2022/11/03/final-election-results-turtle-mountain-tribe/ |access-date=2022-11-14}} Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr.,{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Dale |title=Rickey Armstrong Sr. elected Seneca Nation president for the third time |date=2022-11-01 |language=en |work=The Buffalo News |location=Buffalo, New York |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/government-and-politics/rickey-armstrong-sr-elected-seneca-nation-president-for-the-third-time/article_f47f5a22-5a57-11ed-8183-7f68af08c1f1.html |access-date=2022-12-29}} and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Chairperson Cheryl Andrews-Maltais,{{cite news |last=Pollard |first=Aidan |date=2022-11-20 |title=Cheryl Andrews-Maltais Reelected for Third Consecutive Term |work=The Vineyard Gazette |location=Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts |url=https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2022/11/20/cheryl-andres-maltais-reelected-chairperson-wampanoag-tribe-gay-head-aquinnah |access-date=2022-11-21}} were all reelected to third terms. Chairman Marshalle Pierite of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe,{{cite web |last=J. |first=Alex |title=Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Re-Elects Chairman Marshall Pierite |date=2022-04-13 |publisher=Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana |url=https://www.tunicabiloxi.org/tunica-biloxi-tribe-re-elects-chairman-marshall-pierite/ |access-date=2022-11-28}} the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma chief Craig Harper,{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/PeoriaTribe/posts/pfbid027mv7f5otfmP2V8KmdGVxw5Ht5g6nwWuA7hXjvU68suadEWUAzeJNnZYUDXH2wv3sl |title=Results for the March 5, 2022 Election for Chief |date=2022-03-05 |author=Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma |access-date=2022-07-13 |via=Facebook}} as well as Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation tribal chairman Joseph Rupnik,{{cite news |last=Berbermeyer |first=Greg |date=2022-08-05 |title=Rupnick re-elected PBP tribal chair |work=MSC News |location=Hiawatha, Kansas |url=https://www.mscnews.net/news/index.cfm?nk=74209 |access-date=2022-10-25}} were all reelected to a second term. Also reelected were Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community president Martin Harvier and Quapaw Nation chairman Joseph Byrd.{{cite news |last=Hancock |first=Andrea |date=2022-07-25 |title=Byrd reelected, but two ousted from Quapaw Nation Business Committee |work=NonDoc |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |url=https://nondoc.com/2022/07/25/joseph-byrd-reelected-guy-barker-lloyd-buffalo-ousted-quapaw-nation-business-committee/ |access-date=2022-10-25}} Bill Sterud was reelected as chair of the Puyallup Tribe; he first joined the Puyallup Tribal Council in 1978.{{cite news |title=Puyallup Tribal Council welcomes re-elected members, selects leadership |author= |work=Indian Country Today |location=Pine Ridge, South Dakota. |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/the-press-pool/puyallup-tribal-council-welcomes-re-elected-members-selects-leadership |access-date=2022-10-25 |date=2022-06-10}}

Brad KillsCrow was elected to his first full term as chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians.{{Cite web |author=Delaware Tribe of Indians |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=669600557897575&set=a.598593254998306 |date=2022-11-05 |via=Facebook |title=Election Results}} Reid D. Milanovich was elected chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, replacing the retiring Jeff Grubbe.{{cite news |title=Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Announces Tribal Council Election Results |date=2022-04-06 |work=Indian Gaming |location=Liberty Lake, Washington |url=https://www.indiangaming.com/agua-caliente-band-of-cahuilla-indians-announces-tribal-council-election-results/ |access-date=2022-11-28}} Clayton Dumont Jr. won an open seat to become chairman of the Klamath Tribes,{{cite news |title=Klamaths under new leadership |last=Juillerat |first=Lee |date=2022-05-10 |work=Herald and News |location=Klamath Falls, Oregon |url=https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/klamaths-under-new-leadership/article_5beec030-4a1e-5517-b1f4-d9daaede216d.html |access-date=2022-11-28}} Arden L. Kucate was elected governor of the Pueblo of Zuni, Kimberly Jenkins was elected chair of the Kaw Nation,{{cite web |url=https://kawnation.com/?p=13725 |title=Certified Election Results for September 11, 2022 |website=Kaw Nation |date=2022-09-22 |access-date=2022-11-12 |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112180902/https://kawnation.com/?p=13725 |url-status=dead }} and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in the Dakotas elected J. Garret Renville as their new tribal chair.{{Cite news |last=Hupa |first=Ernestine Anunkasan |date=2022-12-02 |title=Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate elect new leadership |work=Native Sun News Today |location=Rapid City, South Dakota |url=https://www.nativesunnews.today/articles/sisseton-wahpeton-oyate-elect-new-leadership/ |access-date=2022-12-29}} Lawrence Spottedbird won a contentious race to become chairman of the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.{{Cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Tres |last2=Brinkman |first2=Bennett |date=2022-07-18 |title='People looking for hope': Lawrence Spottedbird, Jacob Tsotigh sworn in as Kiowa Tribe executives |work=NonDoc Media |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |url=https://nondoc.com/2022/07/18/lawrence-spottedbird-jacob-tsotigh-sworn-in-kiowa-tribe/ |access-date=2023-01-12}} In the Wabanaki Confederacy, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkmikuk reelected William Nicholas to a fourth term as chief, chief Kirk Francis was elected to serve a sixth term as head of the Penobscot Nation, and tribal representative Rena Newell was elected chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, ousting chief Maggie Dana.{{cite news |date=2022-08-16 |title=Chief Kirk Francis re-elected as Penobscot leader for sixth term |author= |work=News Center Maine |location=Bangor, Maine |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/state/chief-kirk-francis-reelected-as-penobscot-leader-for-sixth-term-maine/97-f0e3b31a-da72-4888-afae-c4b217d98b67 |access-date=2022-10-25}}{{cite news |last=French |first=Edward |date=2022-09-23 |title=Newell elected tribal chief at Sipayik |work=The Quoddy Tides |location=Eastport, Maine |url=http://quoddytides.com/newell-elected-tribal-chief-at-sipayik.html |access-date=2022-10-25}}

Several tribal leaders were defeated when seeking reelection. Buu Nygren defeated Jonathan Nez to become president of the Navajo Nation; Nygren's running mate, Richelle Montoya, is the first woman elected as Navajo Nation vice president.{{cite news |last=Fonseca |first=Felicia |date=2022-11-08 |title=Buu Nygren wins Navajo Nation president, beats incumbent |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/navajo-president-2022-midterm-elections-ba7983dd63d29b84b5831e514ec80535 |access-date=2022-11-09}} Lora Ann Chaisson defeated August "Cocoa" Creppel in the election for principal chief of the United Houma Nation.{{cite news |title=United Houma Nation Announces Lora Ann Chaisson as Principal Chief Elect |date=2022-06-06 |work=The Houma Times |location=Houma, Louisiana |url=https://www.houmatimes.com/news/united-houma-nation-announces-lora-ann-chaisson-as-principal-chief-elect/ |access-date=2022-11-28}} Kasey Velasquez defeated chairwoman Gwendena Lee-Gatwood to become the second woman elected to lead the White Mountain Apache Tribe.{{cite news |title=It's official, Kasey Velasquez is WMAT Chairman-elect |last=Bruce |first=Barbara |date=2022-04-12 |work=White Mountain Independent |location=Show Low, Arizona |url=https://www.wmicentral.com/covid-19/its-official-kasey-velasquez-is-wmat-chairman-elect/article_98b11655-64bf-5464-8bc6-ed514ffff6fd.html |access-date=2022-11-28}} RoseMary LaClair defeated incumbent Nooksack Indian Tribe chairman Roswell Cline Sr.{{cite news |title=Nooksack chairman loses tribal election |last=Lerner |first=Julia |date=2022-03-20 |work=Cascadia Daily News |location=Bellingham, Washington |url=https://www.cascadiadaily.com/news/2022/mar/20/nooksack-chairman-loses-tribal-election/ |access-date=2022-11-28}} Former Red Lake Band of Chippewa chairman Floyd "Buck" Jourdain defeated incumbent chairman Darrell Seki Sr.{{cite news |title=Red Lake Nation Releases Unofficial Results for 2022 General Election |last=Hazelton |first=Hanky |date=2022-05-19 |work=Lakeland PBS |location=Bemidji, Minnesota |url=https://lptv.org/red-lake-nation-releases-unofficial-results-for-2022-general-election/ |access-date=2022-11-28}} Ryman LeBeau defeated incumbent Harold Fraizer to become chairman-at-large of the Cheyenne River Sioux.{{cite news |title=Ryman LeBeau defeats incumbent Harold Frazier in Chairman-at-Large race |last=Scherer |first=Kimmy |date=2022-11-09 |work=West River Eagle |location=Eagle Gutte, South Dakota |url=https://www.westrivereagle.com/articles/ryman-lebeau-defeats-incumbent-harold-frazier-in-chairman-at-large-race/ |access-date=2022-11-12}}

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Tribal Government, formed in 2021 to unite 56 Yup'ik, Cup'ik, and Athabascan tribal governments in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta region, held its first elections in November 2022. James Akerelrea was elected tribal president.{{Cite press release |first=Stephen, Jr. |last=Maxie |title=[Election Results] |date=2022-11-17 |publisher=Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Tribal Government Speaker |url=https://ykrtg.org/news/f/press-release |access-date=2024-10-07}}

Several native groups weighed referendums regarding how tribal membership is determined. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, in two advisory referendums, approved removing blood quantum provisions from the tribe's constitution and allowing individual bands or reservations to determine membership requirements.{{cite news|title=Minnesota Chippewa Tribe members vote to eliminate blood quantum|last=Kraker |first=Dan |date=2022-07-24 |work=Pioneer Press |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |url=https://www.twincities.com/2022/07/24/minnesota-chippewa-tribe-members-vote-to-eliminate-blood-quantum/ |access-date=2023-01-12}} Shareholders of Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation, similarly voted to drop blood quantum requirements.{{cite news |title=Blood quantum requirement dropped for Sealaska Corporation enrollment |last=Denning |first=Angela |date=2022-07-01 |work=KTOO |location=Juneau, Alaska |url=https://www.ktoo.org/2022/07/01/blood-quantum-dropped-sealaska-enrollment/ |access-date=2023-01-12}} The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon approved a measure to limit tribal disenrollment.{{cite news|title=Grand Ronde members vote to limit disenrollment |last=Aadland |first=Chris |date=2023-01-05 |work=Salem Reporter |agency=Indian Country Today |location=Salem, Oregon |url=https://www.salemreporter.com/2023/01/05/grand-ronde-members-vote-to-limit-disenrollment/ |access-date=2023-01-12}}

{{see also|Political party strength in U.S. states}}

This table shows the partisan results of president, congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative races held in each state and territory in 2022. Note that not all states and territories hold gubernatorial, state legislative, and Senate elections in 2022. The five U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., do not elect members of the Senate, and the territories do not take part in presidential elections; instead, they each elect one of the six non-voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The unicameral Nebraska Legislature and the governorship and legislature of American Samoa are elected on a non-partisan basis, and political party affiliation is not listed.

The race for Congress was much closer than expected;{{cite news |last=Smolar |first=Piotr |date=2022-11-09 |title=US midterm elections: Uncertainty over Congress is a nasty surprise for Republicans |work=Le Monde |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/11/09/us-midterms-uncertainty-over-congress-a-nasty-surprise-for-republicans_6003545_4.html |access-date=2022-11-11}}{{cite web |last=Kamarck |first=Elaine |date=2022-11-09 |title=The 2022 midterms show some swing states are leaning Democratic |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2022/11/09/what-can-the-2022-midterms-tell-us-about-2024/ |access-date=2022-11-11 |publisher=Brookings Institution}}{{cite web |last=Galston |first=William A. |date=2022-11-09 |title=What do the 2022 midterms mean for 2024? |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2022/11/09/what-do-the-2022-midterms-mean-for-2024/ |access-date=2022-11-11 |publisher=Brookings Institution}} control of Congress remained uncertain for several days,{{cite news |date=2022-11-10 |title=US midterm results: Where things stand in House, Senate races |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/10/us-midterms-where-things-stand-in-house-senate-races |access-date=2022-11-28}} and the House remained too close to call for over a week, which was not thought to be likely in a national environment favorable to the Republican Party. Organizations that make election calls projected on November 12 that the Democratic Party retained control of the Senate, while later projecting on November 15–16 that Republicans gained control over the House with a slim majority.{{cite web |last=Seitz-Wald |first=Alex |date=2022-11-16 |title=Republicans win control of the House, NBC News projects, overtaking Democrats by a slim margin |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/republicans-win-control-house-nbc-news-projects-overtaking-democrats-s-rcna57223 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=NBC News}}{{cite web |last1=Burnett |first1=Sara |last2=Colvin |first2=Jill |last3=Weissert |first3=Will |date=2022-11-16 |title=Republicans win back control of House with narrow majority |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} Abortion and the economy were major issues,{{cite news |last1=Edwards-Levy |first1=Ariel |last2=Luhby |first2=Tami |date=2022-11-08 |title=Exit polls: High inflation dominates voters' views in the midterm elections |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/politics/exit-polls-midterm-election-analysis/index.html |access-date=2022-12-02 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Kurtzleben |first=Danielle |date=2022-11-25 |title=What we know (and don't know) about how abortion affected the midterms |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/25/1139040227/abortion-midterm-elections-2022-republicans-democrats-roe-dobbs |access-date=2022-11-28}} and young and independent voters, which Democrats narrowly won while keeping enough of their key voting blocs and could explain their key wins,{{cite news |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=2022-11-09 |title=The single most important number from the midterm exit polls |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/politics/midterm-election-exit-polls-independent-vote/index.html |access-date=2022-12-02 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Brownstein |first=Ronald |date=2022-11-14 |title=While Democrats may have bucked the national trend, Republicans still hold a large sway in GOP-led states |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/14/politics/abortion-midterm-voters-politics-democrats-republicans-fault-lines/index.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |publisher=CNN}} turned out in record numbers particularly in some key swing states, which were won by Democrats; it is not agreed among experts only to what extent and by how much the youth vote helped Democrats.{{cite news |last1=Simmons |first1=Dan |last2=Wines |first2=Michael |date=2022-11-12 |title=Young Voters Helped Democrats. But Experts Differ on Just How Much |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/12/us/young-voter-turnout-election-democrats.html |access-date=2022-11-28 |issn=0362-4331}} 2022 is the first midterm since the 1934 U.S. elections in which the president's party did not lose any state legislative chambers or incumbent senators. It was also the first midterm since the 1986 U.S. elections in which either party achieved a net gain of governorships while holding the presidency, which last happened for Republicans in the 1986 U.S. gubernatorial elections, and the first since 1934 in which the Democrats did so under a Democratic president. This also marked the first time since the 1962 U.S. elections that Democrats made a net gain in the Senate while losing House seats.

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}}

Democrats lost just 9 seats in the House, which is below the average losses for the president's party since the 1950s,{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-11-17 |title=Republicans Won The House — Barely |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/house-control-republicans/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and gained in the Senate,{{cite web |last1=Potts |first1=Monica |last2=Rakich |first2=Nathaniel |last3=Rogers |first3=Kaleigh |last4=Samuels |first4=Alex |last5=Skelley |first5=Geoffrey |date=2022-11-28 |title=What Can The 2022 Midterms Tell Us About 2024? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-can-the-2022-midterms-tell-us-about-2024/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} even though the president's party usually lose many seats in the midterm elections; it was the best performance for the president's party in a midterm election in two decades in terms of seat losses, and historically good when considering Biden's underwater approval ratings.{{cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=2022 Election: Live Analysis and Results |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/#349796/ |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight |quote=... Democrats' strong showing in this district speaks to a trend that we've been seeing — that this has been a historically good midterm for Democrats. ... Democrats are on track to have the best outcome for the president's party since 1950, given the president's low approval rating.}} In addition, Democrats gained a Senate seat in Pennsylvania where John Fetterman defeated Mehmet Oz, winning the seat of retiring Republican senator Pat Toomey,{{cite web |last=Levy |first=Marc |date=2022-11-08 |title=Democrat John Fetterman wins US Senate race in Pennsylvania |url=https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-senate-race-2022-midterm-elections-93709b5b7ab4cef658f45751cd76c090 |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}}{{cite news |last1=Krieg |first1=Gregory |last2=Merica |first2=Dan |date=2022-11-10 |title=How Fetterman flipped Pennsylvania |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/10/politics/how-john-fetterman-won-pennsylvania |publisher=CNN |access-date=2022-11-11}} while they held their seat in Georgia in a runoff election, after no candidate won a majority of the vote.{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-11-09 |title=Runoffs Are Sort Of Georgia's Thing Now |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/runoffs-are-sort-of-georgias-thing-now/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last1=Allison |first1=Natalie |last2=Everett |first2=Burgess |last3=Levine |first3=Marianne |date=2022-11-11 |title='They completely f--ked up': How the GOP lost its grip on the Senate majority |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/11/republicans-senate-majority-00066009 |work=Politico |access-date=2022-11-11}}

Many factors have been attributed to the lack of a red wave and better-than-expected performance for Democrats,{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections |url-status=live |title=Midterm Elections 2022 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press |date=2022-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123152621/https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections |archive-date=2022-11-23 |access-date=2022-11-23}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2022 |url-status=live |title=US midterm elections 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=2022-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123164804/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2022 |archive-date=2022-11-23 |access-date=2022-11-23}} including the quality of candidates,{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |author-link=Nate Silver |date=2022-11-09 |title=Candidate Quality Mattered |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/candidate-quality-mattered/ |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} youth turnout, and some vote splitting in key races.{{cite web |date=2022-11-11 |title=Analysis Reveals How Abortion Boosted Democratic Candidates in Tuesday's Midterm Election |url=https://www.kff.org/other/press-release/analysis-reveals-how-abortion-boosted-democratic-candidates-in-tuesdays-midterm-election/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=KFF}}{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-11-28 |title=Few Midterm Voters Backed Different Parties For Senate And Governor |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/few-midterm-voters-backed-different-parties-for-senate-and-governor/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Incumbent president Joe Biden, a Democrat, and incumbent Florida governor Ron DeSantis of the Republican Party, as well as reproductive rights, have been widely considered as the biggest winners,{{cite news |last=Stanage |first=Niall |date=2022-11-10 |title=Winners and losers of the 2022 midterm elections |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/3728462-winners-and-losers-of-the-2022-midterm-elections/ |access-date=2022-11-13 |work=The Hill}} while former president Donald Trump was considered to be the biggest loser by the election results.{{cite news |last=Gabbatt |first=Adam |date=2022-11-13 |title=Who were the big winners and losers of the US midterm elections? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/13/us-midterms-winners-losers-trump-biden-desantis |access-date=2022-11-13 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Ben |date=2022-11-09 |title=3 winners and 4 losers from the midterm results so far |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23448316/midterm-elections-2022-results-winners-losers |access-date=2022-11-13 |website=Vox}}{{cite news |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=2022-11-09 |title=Winners and losers from the 2022 election so far |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/politics/winners-losers-2022-midterm-elections/index.html |access-date=2022-11-13 |publisher=CNN}} Sean Patrick Maloney, the chair of the Democratic House coalition's fundraising arm, lost his reelection bid after ten years in Congress.

Democrats made gains at the gubernatiorial level. In the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election, Wes Moore, a Democrat, became the state's first African-American governor, while the 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial election and 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election resulted in Maura Healey and Tina Kotek, both Democrats, becoming the first open lesbian governors in U.S. history.{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Oregon Governor Election Results |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-oregon-governor.html |access-date=2022-11-11 |issn=0362-4331}} Gretchen Whitmer, the incumbent Democrat, won the 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election. On the Republican side, incumbent governors performed well. Greg Abbott won the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election, while Brian Kemp won the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election; in both cases, they defeated the Democratic opponents, Beto O'Rourke and Stacey Abrams, respectively, who had lost by narrower margins in 2018. In the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, DeSantis won in a landslide, challenging the state's battleground status;{{cite news |last1=Merrill |first1=Curt |last2=Wolf |first2=Zachary B. |date=2022-11-09 |title=Anatomy of a close election: How Americans voted in 2022 vs. 2018 |url=https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/politics/exit-polls-2022-midterm-2018-shift/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite web |last=Siders |first=David |date=2022-11-09 |title=The red wave that wasn't: 5 takeaways from a disappointing night for the GOP |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/09/2022-election-results-analysis-and-takeaways-00065878 |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Politico}} results showed that he performed better than other Republicans among Hispanics,{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Exit polls for Midterm Election Results 2022 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/election/2022/exit-polls/national-results/house/0 |access-date=2022-11-10 |publisher=CNN}} who got mixed results.{{cite web |last1=Coronado |first1=Acacia |last2=Gomez Licon |first2=Adriana |date=2022-11-20 |title=GOP sees slight Latino vote gains, painful candidate losses |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-miami-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-cbf587e647900019b502a9cfbf93ac6d |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} Both parties elected female governors, resulting in the most female governors in U.S. history.{{cite web |last1=Conroy |first1=Meredith |last2=Thomson-DeVeaux |first2=Amelia |date=2022-11-16 |title=A Historic Number Of Women Will Be Governors Next Year |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-historic-number-of-women-will-be-governors-next-year/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Incumbent Laura Kelly of the Democratic Party narrowly won the 2022 Kansas gubernatorial election, while Sarah Huckabee Sanders of the Republican Party won the 2022 Arkansas gubernatorial election. Democrats also won the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, an office that was previously held by a term-limited Republican, as Katie Hobbs won over Kari Lake.{{cite web |date=2022-11-14 |title=The Uncalled Races Of The 2022 Election: Live Updates |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-election-house/ |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Despite losses, Republicans flipped a governorship from Democrats by winning the 2022 Nevada gubernatorial election, in which Joe Lombardo defeated the incumbent Steve Sisolak, and in the 2022 Alaska gubernatorial election a Republican governor was reelected to a second term for the first time since 1998.

In state legislative elections, Democrats gained full control of government in Minnesota and made gains in Pennsylvania, where a more neutral, independent redrawn map (like in Michigan) gave them a shot to regain control of the state legislature. In one of the most historic results of the night, Democrats gained a trifecta in Michigan for the first time since 1983.{{cite news |last=Boucher |first=Dave |date=2022-11-09 |title=Michigan Democrats take control of state House, Senate in historic power shift |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/09/michigan-house-senate-democrats-election-results/69632658007/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |work=Detroit Free Press}} For over a week, control of the state legislatures of Alaska,{{cite news |last=Maguire |first=Sean |date=2022-11-10 |title=Alaska election results point toward a closely divided Legislature |url=https://www.adn.com/politics/2022/11/09/alaska-election-results-point-toward-a-closely-divided-legislature/ |work=Anchorage Daily News |access-date=2022-11-11}} Arizona, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania was not determined. In Alaska, where for six years Democrats had a cross-coalition majority in the House with independents and moderate Republicans, a similar majority was established in the Senate.{{cite web |last=Cole |first=Shannon |date=2022-11-26 |title=Alaska State Senate forms Senate majority |url=https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2022/11/26/alaska-state-senate-forms-senate-majority/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Alaska's News Source}} In New Hampshire, where Democrats made gains,{{cite web |last=Timmins |first=Annmarie |date=2022-11-09 |title=Democrats make gains in New Hampshire House, retain federal seats |url=https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2022/11/09/democrats-make-gains-in-new-hampshire-house-retain-federal-seats/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=New Hampshire Bulletin}} the race for the House was so close that a series of recounts and legal challenges have followed, leaving the state of the race uncertain.{{cite news |last=Slater |first=Joanna |date=2022-11-18 |title=Inside a 'wild' New Hampshire recount with the state House at stake |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/18/new-hampshire-legislature-recount/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |issn=0190-8286}}{{cite news |last=Ramer |first=Holly |date=2022-11-23 |title=GOP gains in NH recount, but matter isn't settled yet |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-recounts-manchester-new-hampshire-concord-69a64bfcb002bb4e2aad036ceb916172 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=2022-11-28}} In Pennsylvania, Republicans retained control of the Senate but the House was too close;{{cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=2022 Election: Live Analysis and Results |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/349963 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110171405/https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2022-midterm-election/349963/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 10, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight |quote=And in Pennsylvania, the House is currently 100–100, with three seats still TBD ... .}} by November 16, Democrats regained control of the House for the first time since 2010.{{cite news |last1=Lai |first1=Jonathan |last2=Marin |first2=Max |last3=Orso |first3=Anna |date=2022-11-16 |title=Democrats won a majority of seats in the Pa. House for the first time in 12 years |url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/democrats-set-to-win-control-of-pa-house-20221116.html |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer}}{{cite web |last=Weber |first=Peter |date=2022-11-17 |title=Democrats appear to have flipped the Pennsylvania House, may be short votes to pick a speaker |url=https://news.yahoo.com/democrats-appear-flipped-pennsylvania-house-093618930.html |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=Yahoo! News}} Referendums to preserve or expand abortion access won in all six states where they were on the ballot (California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont). Those related to increasing the minimum wage (Nebraska, Nevada, and Washington, D.C.) and expanding Medicaid coverage (South Dakota) also passed, while those related to cannabis legalization, some of which for medical uses and some for recreational usage, achieved mixed results. Nevada also approved state ranked-choice voting election reform. Those related to the abolition of penal labor in the United States also generally passed at the state level (Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, and Vermont), with the exception of Louisiana.

{{main|January 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election}}

Biden described the results as a "strong night" for Democrats, and he urged for cooperation in Congress.{{cite news |last1=Kestler-D'Amours |first1=Jillian |last2=Najjar |first2=Farah |date=2022-11-09 |title=Biden urges cooperation in next Congress after divisive midterms |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2022/11/9/us-midterm-elections-live-news-eyes-on-key-races-for-senate-house |access-date=2022-11-22 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} Senator Lindsey Graham commented: "It's certainly not a red wave, that's for darn sure. But it is clear that we will take back the House."{{cite web |date=2022-11-09 |title=US elections: the Republicans do not break through, the Senate in the balance. Biden: 'Back in the running in 2024' |url=https://news.italy24.press/world/184372.html |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Italy 24 Press News}} On November 9, when the results for the House were still uncertain, the Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy launched his bid to succeed long-time House Democrats leader Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Emily |date=2022-11-25 |title=Whip List: McCarthy searches for 218 GOP Speakership votes |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3748648-whip-list-mccarthy-searches-for-218-gop-speakership-votes/ |work=The Hill |access-date=2022-12-01}} In a letter asking for support among Republicans, he wrote: "I trust you know that earning the majority is only the beginning. Now, we will be measured by what we do with our majority. Now the real work begins." On November 17, after Republicans were projected to win back the House, Pelosi announced that she would not seek reelection as speaker.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=David |date=2022-11-17 |title=Pelosi to depart as top House Democrat to make way for 'new generation' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/17/nancy-pelosi-house-speaker-speech-steps-down |access-date=2022-11-23 |work=The Guardian}} On November 30, Hakeem Jeffries was selected by acclamation as the Democratic nominee for the House speakership.{{cite web |last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |date=2022-11-30 |title=Jeffries wins historic bid to lead House Dems after Pelosi |url=https://apnews.com/article/nancy-pelosi-hakeem-jeffries-congress-government-and-politics-e6dee438b2cfd776b70ff29495072ab5 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=2022-12-01}}

Earlier on November 15, McCarthy won an internal Republican caucus poll as their speaker nominee.{{cite web |last=Kinnard |first=Meg |date=2022-11-17 |title=Why AP has called control of the US House for Republicans |url=https://apnews.com/article/house-control-republicans-2022-election-explained-947add904c9372b99869773332898076 |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} As several members of the Republican caucus did not vote for him and have expressed opposition to his speakership, it cast doubt on how the U.S. speaker election on January 3 would unfold.{{cite news|last=Brooks|first=Emily|work=The Hill|title=Whip List: McCarthy searches for 218 GOP Speakership votes|date=2022-11-25|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3748648-whip-list-mccarthy-searches-for-218-gop-speakership-votes/|access-date=2022-11-30}}{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-12-09 |title=How Kevin McCarthy Could Lose The Election For Speaker Of The House |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-votes/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} McCarthy would ultimately be elected speaker, but on the 15th ballot, due to internal divisions within the House Republican Conference. This resulted in the first speaker election since 1923 in which the speaker was not elected on the first ballot.{{cite web|last1=Mascaro|first1=Lisa|last2=Amiri|first2=Farnoush|title=McCarthy elected House speaker in rowdy post-midnight vote|url=https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15|website=AP News|date=January 7, 2023|access-date=January 7, 2023}}

Polls both prior to and after the elections found that the status of the economy and inflation was the most important issue for voters,{{cite news |last1=Finnerty |first1=Deirdre |last2=Sheerin |first2=Jude |date=2022-11-08 |title=US election: Control of Congress hangs in balance after midterms |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63551469 |access-date=2022-11-10}} with concern about abortion being relatively low compared to them, and it was widely expected that this would benefit Republicans and potentially produce a red wave election in their favor, which did not happen;{{cite news |last=Ax |first=Joseph |date=2022-11-10 |title=U.S. Senate up for grabs as Republicans move toward House majority |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-close-us-house-majority-senate-still-up-grabs-2022-11-10/ |access-date=2022-11-10}} Florida and New York were the exception to this national trend.{{cite magazine |last=Chotiner |first=Isaac |date=2022-11-10 |title=The Accurate Election Polls That No One Believed |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/the-accurate-election-polls-that-no-one-believed |access-date=2022-11-30 |magazine=The New Yorker}}{{cite news |last=Cohn |first=Nate |date=2022-11-11 |title=Why Some States Went in Different Directions in Midterms |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/upshot/midterm-election-abortion-democracy.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web |last1=Druke |first1=Galen |last2=Silver |first2=Nate |date=2022-11-14 |title=Why Democrats Beat Historical Trends In 2022 |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/politics-podcast-why-democrats-beat-historical-trends-in-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} The lack of a red wave election was attributed to, among others, issues that in part favored Democrats, including significant concern over extremism among Republicans and the democratic backsliding in the United States that worsened since Trump won in 2016, abortion rights and the status of abortion in the United States since June 2022 after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned the long-held precedent since 1973 of Roe v. Wade that gave a constitutional right to abortion, and the role of Trump and his imminent announcement of a campaign for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.{{cite news |last=Wolf |first=Zachary B. |date=2022-11-14 |title=These Republicans are admitting the party has an extremism problem |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/14/politics/republican-party-extremism-problem-what-matters/index.html |access-date=2022-11-30}} Increasing concerns over climate change and the higher approval of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 compared to the previous climate policy also played a role in it,{{cite news |last=Hatch |first=Chris |date=2022-11-10 |title=A 'green wave' in America |work=Canada's National Observer |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/newsletters/zero-carbon/2022/11/10/green-wave-america |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite web |last=Skibell |first=Arianna |date=2022-11-11 |title=Midterms: A lesson in climate politics |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2022/11/10/midterms-a-lesson-in-climate-politics-00066211 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=Politico}} as did turnout. Whether youth turnout in particular helped to explain the results was also debated.

Democrats performed better than expected in states like New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania,{{cite web |last=Wren |first=Adam |date=2022-11-09 |title=Democrats fortify their blue wall — and Electoral College math — for 2024 |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/09/democrats-blue-wall-electoral-college-2024-00066127 |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Politico}} where Fetterman improved on Biden's 2020 results from white voters without a college degree.{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-12-19 |title=The Voters Who Helped Democrats Keep the Senate |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/biden-coalition-2022-senate-democrats/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Democrats also performed well in Colorado and New England, while Republicans made gains in Florida and New York. Redistricting and gerrymandering affected results. Gerrymanders in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Ohio, gave Republicans an advantage in the House, while Democrats won 24 of 30 seats, or 80 percent, in Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon, with 54% of the popular vote across these four states.{{cite web |last=Donnini |first=Zachary |date=2022-11-29 |title=Republicans Are Developing a Geography Problem in the US House |url=https://decisiondeskhq.com/the-us-house-was-biased-toward-democrats-in-2022-why-republicans-are-developing-a-geography-problem/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=Decision Desk HQ}} In New York, where Democrats suffered major losses, a gerrymander had been rejected by the courts, while gerrymanders in Florida and Tennessee gave Republicans more seats by virtue of the redistricted map being much more Republican-leaning. Defensive gerrymanders helped both parties hold competitive seats in various states; Republican gains in New York and Democratic gains in North Carolina and Ohio were made possible because state supreme courts overturned gerrymanders passed by their state legislatures.{{cite web |last1=Mejia |first1=Elena |last2=Rakich |first2=Nathaniel |date=2022-12-01 |title=Did Redistricting Cost Democrats The House? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/redistricting-house-2022/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Rogers |first=Kaleigh |date=2022-12-05 |title=How North Carolina's Political Warfare Could Impact The Entire Country |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-north-carolinas-political-warfare-could-impact-the-entire-country/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

While it is normal to take several days to know the results, including blue shifts and red mirages as Democrats vote by mail more often than Republicans,{{cite news |date=2022-11-07 |title=When will we know the results of the US midterm elections? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/7/when-will-we-know-the-results-of-the-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} the fact the race for Congress was competitive, and also closer than expected,{{cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=2022 midterms live updates: Latest election news from AP |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-live-updates-896439f8b5fe09824d8f6cd98580a051 |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=AP News}} resulted in control of the House being uncalled for over a week, with the outcome of several races in western states uncertain;{{cite web |date=2022-11-09 |title=2022 race calls |url=https://apnews.com/hub/2022-race-calls |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}}{{cite news |last1=Ax |first1=Joseph |last2=Reid |first2=Tim |title=Control of U.S. Congress hangs in balance as states labor to count ballots |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-close-us-house-majority-senate-still-up-grabs-2022-11-10/ |work=Reuters |date=2022-11-11 |access-date=2022-11-11}} the Senate also remained too close to call. By November 11, control of the Senate remained too close to call but with Democrats slightly favored,{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-11-09 |title=Who Will Control The House And Senate? Here's What We Can Say At 4:30 a.m. |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/house-senate-results-so-far/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} as they made a gain in Pennsylvania's open race, where John Fetterman defeated Mehmet Oz in an upset,{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Ben |date=2022-11-17 |title=John Fetterman shows how Democrats can win back working-class Trump voters |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/17/john-fetterman-blueprint-democrats-win |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Guardian}} while three races remained uncalled, all of which are Democratic-held; races had not yet been called in Arizona and Nevada. Democrats had to win two of these three races to maintain control of the Senate,{{cite news |date=2022-11-09 |title=Key takeaways – so far – from the US midterm elections |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/9/key-takeaways-so-from-the-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} and had to defend their net gain in the Georgia runoff election in December 2022,{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-11-09 |title=Can Raphael Warnock Pull Off Another Senate Runoff? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/runoffs-are-sort-of-georgias-thing-now/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-11-15 |title=Congress Will Have The Most Black Republicans In Over A Century |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/congress-will-have-the-most-black-republicans-in-over-a-century/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} a competitive election where polls gave Warnock a small edge but remained within the margin of error and both candidates could win, as some polls came from pollsters without established records.{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-12-06 |title=Warnock Has A Small Polling Lead In Georgia — But Walker Could Still Win |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/georgia-polls-2022-runoff/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Republican attempts to stop early voting, such as the Saturday after Thanksgiving, were blocked by a state court.{{cite web |last1=Edelman|first1=Adam|last2=Gile|first2=Charlie|last3=Gregorian|first3=Dareh|date=2022-11-19|title=In win for Democrats, Georgia judge allows early voting in Senate runoff on Saturday after Thanksgiving |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/win-democrats-georgia-judge-allows-early-voting-senate-runoff-saturday-rcna57983 |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=NBC News}}{{cite news |last=Brumback |first=Kate |date=2022-11-23 |title=Georgia high court allows Saturday voting for Senate runoff |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-11-23/georgia-high-court-allows-saturday-voting-for-senate-runoff |access-date=2022-12-09 |work=Los Angeles Times }} There was also some concern that Georgia's new state law, which shortened the runoff campaign period,{{cite web |last=Fernandez |first=Madison |date=2022-11-28|title=Georgia runoff, by the numbers |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-score/2022/11/28/georgia-runoff-by-the-numbers-00070906 |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=Politico}} would have negative effects on turnout;{{cite web |last=Amy|first=Jeff|date=2022-11-13 |title=Shorter voting window could cut turnout in Georgia runoff |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-georgia-93f3ee7ff34e5d6aa2bd96d048832a8e |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} research shows that this particularly affects turnout among voters of color.{{cite web |date=2022-12-06 |title=Georgia Senate Runoff: How Raphael Warnock Secured Democrats A 51st Senate Seat |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/georgia-senate-warnock-walker/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Alex |date=2022-12-08 |title=Georgia Can't Be Reduced To One Political Color |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/georgia-cant-be-reduced-to-one-political-color/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}

By November 12, Democrats had retained the Senate,{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-11-13 |title=A Blue Nevada Means Democrats Will Keep Control Of The Senate |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-blue-nevada-means-democrats-will-keep-control-of-the-senate/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} as the Democratic incumbents in Arizona and Nevada (Mark Kelly and Catherine Cortez Masto, respectively) were projected to have retained their seat. The winner of the Senate race in Alaska, one of the few states to use ranked-choice voting in the United States, which saw Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski and Republican challenger and Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka as the two remaining potential victors of the race, was not determined until November 24, when Murkowski was projected to have won;{{cite web |last=Bohrer |first=Becky |date=2022-11-24 |title=GOP's Lisa Murkowski wins reelection in Alaska Senate race |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-alaska-223ea5a590c1b9c4f7905ab4b7849e6f |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} Warnock, the Democratic incumbent, won the runoff in Georgia on December 6, allowing Democrats to maintain their narrow but newly increased majority; 2022 became the first time since the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the 1914 U.S. Senate elections in which no Senate incumbents lost reelection.{{cite news |last=Ulloa |first=Jazmine |date=2022-11-11 |title=Despite Discontent, Midterm Voters Did Not Kick Out Incumbents |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/us/politics/midterm-incumbent-results.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2022-11-11 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web |last=Girous|first=Greg|date=2022-12-07|title=Warnock Win Seals Perfect 2022 for Senators Seeking Re-election |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/warnock-win-seals-perfect-2022-for-senators-seeking-re-election |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Bloomberg Law}} Some gubernatorial races, such as in Arizona and Nevada, were not projected for several days, as they were too close call. Kari Lake, the Republican candidate in Arizona who denied Trump's loss in 2020,{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Maanvi |date=2022-11-20 |title='Extremists didn't make it': why Republicans flopped in once-red Arizona |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/20/arizona-latino-voters-reject-voting-restrictions-lake-masters-finchem |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Guardian}} refused to concede.{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=2022-11-17 |title=Election denier Kari Lake refuses to concede Arizona governor race she lost |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/17/kari-lake-refuse-concede-arizona-governor-election-republican |access-date=2022-11-23 |work=The Guardian}}

Over two weeks later, results in many races were still unknown. Several tossup or key races were won by Democrats,{{cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Live Election Results: Top Races to Watch |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-key-races.html |access-date=2022-11-12 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news |last=Salam |first=Erum |date=2022-11-20 |title=How Democratic wins in key toss-up seats helped stave off the 'red wave' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/20/democratic-midterm-wins-republican-red-wave-analysis |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Guardian}} including upsets in {{ushr|CO|8|S}}, {{ushr|NC|13|S}}, and {{ushr|WA|3|S}} congressional districts,{{cite web |date=2022-11-18 |title=How A Data Processing Error Changed Our Deluxe Forecast |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-a-data-processing-error-changed-our-deluxe-forecast/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} and narrowly missed by 550 votes a further upset for the {{ushr|CO|3}} seat held by Lauren Boebert.{{cite web |last=Rogers |first=Kaleigh |date=2022-11-17 |title=Why Lauren Boebert Didn't Cruise To Victory |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-lauren-boeberts-race-is-so-close/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |date=2022-12-02 |title=Boebert's race against Frisch in Colorado goes to recount |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-colorado-lauren-boebert-election-recounts-aspen-13aceebf899465494f94e0f83146f2a1 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}} On November 10–12, Republicans were favored to regain control of the House with a narrow majority of 3 seats (221–214) according to NBC News,{{cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=House of Representatives Midterm Election 2022: Live Updates, Results & Map |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-elections/house-results |url-status=live |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=NBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110210856/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-elections/house-results |archive-date=2022-11-10}}{{cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=Midterms latest: Biden says he 'gets' voter frustration but results are 'clear message to preserve democracy' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/us-midterms-latest-trump-biden-republicans-democrats-house-senate-live-12740728 |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Sky News |quote=This first live counter shows the make-up of the House of Representatives so far. The latest estimate from NBC News has the Republicans winning 221 House seats compared with the Democrats' 214, meaning they would still take control but with much less authority than the 40+ gains anticipated by some pollsters. A margin for error is attached to that estimate as well, so what it truly means is that either party could still win.}} with 218 seats needed for a majority. On November 13, Republicans and Democrats were projected to win 210–200 seats in the House according to Decision Desk HQ,{{cite web |title=2022 House Results |url=https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-house |website=Decision Desk HQ |date=2022-11-13 |access-date=2022-11-15}} 211–203 according to the Associated Press, and 211–206 according to ABC News.{{cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=Election 2022 Results and Live Updates: House Results |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2022-us-house-election-results-live-map |url-status=live |website=ABC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115094641/https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2022-us-house-election-results-live-map |archive-date=2022-11-15 |access-date=2022-11-15}} By November 14, Republicans were projected to possibly have a narrow majority in the House by as little as a single seat. On November 15, the projected seats in favor of Republicans were 217–203 per Decision Desk HQ, 217–205 per the Associated Press, and 215–207 per ABC News. Later on the same day, Decision Desk HQ projected a Republican majority of the House,{{cite tweet |author=Decision Desk HQ |user=DecisionDeskHQ |number=1592657104476962817 |title=Decision Desk HQ projects Republicans have won a majority in the U.S. House with at least 218 seats. Final count pending calls in 14 outstanding races. |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite news |last=Bullock |first=J.J. |title=Republicans projected to secure House majority |url=https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/elections-2022/power-balance-house-midterms-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |work=NewsNation |date=2022-11-15}} which was followed on November 16 by NBC News, and by the Associated Press on November 17.

While Republicans won the popular vote by about 3 percent, the larger-than-reflected popular vote margin compared to seats was in part due to the fact Democrats did not contest several seats, which may have cost them about 1–2 percent in the final popular vote margin. Although Republicans would have still won the popular vote, it underscored how close the race for the House was both in terms of the popular vote between each party and the number of seats they won. Harry Enten of CNN observed that Republicans won the House and Senate popular votes by about 3 and 0.1 points, respectively, while Democrats won the gubernatorial popular vote by less than 0.3; this made the overall 2022 elections a historically close election cycle. Enten attributed the overall close results to political polarization, which resulted in a shrinking of the pool of swing voters in the country.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/26/politics/midterm-election-2022-historically-close/index.html|title=The most underdiscussed fact of the 2022 election: how historically close it was|publisher=CNN|last=Enten|first=Harry|date=December 26, 2022|accessdate=December 26, 2022}}

Starting in 2012, Democrats suffered losses among the American working class, particularly whites. Since 2016, Republicans made gains among minorities who are working class or Hispanic and Latino Americans; at the same time, Democrats continued to improve among college-educated whites, which helped them win in 2020. In 2022, Republicans made further gains among working-class peoples of color, and also among Hispanic voters,{{cite web |last=Catenacci |first=Thomas |date=2022-11-08 |title=Fox News Voter Analysis: Republicans make significant inroads with Hispanic voters |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-voter-analysis-republicans-make-significant-inroads-hispanic-voters |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=Fox News}} though not to the extent they expected, as Democrats continued to win a majority of their vote. The education divide remained polarized.{{cite web |last1=Elwood-Dieu |first1=Kai |last2=Jin |last3=Piper |first3=Jessica |date=2022-11-13 |title=Elections 2022: The educational divide that helps explain the midterms |url=https://politico.com/interactives/2022/midterm-election-house-districts-by-education/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Politico}}

According to exit polls, such as from Edison Research,{{cite news |last=Slobin|first=Sarah|editor-last=Goldenberg|editor-first=Suzanne|date=2022-11-08|title=Pressing issues for voters surface in exit polls|work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-ELECTION/EXIT-POLLS/myvmomejqvr/ |access-date=2022-12-07}}{{cite news |last=Edwards-Levy |first=Ariel |date=2022-11-12 |title=Why were the midterm elections close? Exit polls offer clues |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/12/politics/exit-polls-midterm-elections-2022/index.html |access-date=2022-12-02 |publisher=CNN}} Democrats won a majority of voters under $30,000 and $30,000–49,999, while Republicans won a majority of voters in the $50,000–99,999 and $100,000–199,999 income brackets, with the bigger gap between the two parties being that of those over $200,000, whom Republicans also won. Compared to 2018, which was a blue wave election and saw higher turnout among Democrats, Republicans made gains among women, older people, suburban voters, and whites without college degrees. Most American voters supported abortion rights; in the House, Republicans also won about a quarter of voters who said they support legal abortion.

Many pundits in the media failed to predict the Democratic resilient performance;{{cite news |last1=Kestler-D'Amours |first1=Jillian |last2=Glasse |first2=Jennifer |last3=Najjar |first3=Farah |last4=Osgood |first4=Brian |last5=Stepansky |first5=Joseph |date=2022-11-08 |title=Republican 'red wave' appears to be ripple in US midterms vote |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2022/11/8/live-news-us-votes-in-key-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}{{cite web |last=Kilgore |first=Ed |date=2022-11-09 |title=How Accurate Were the Polls in the 2022 Elections? |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/election-results-midterms-polls-right.html |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Intelligencer}}{{cite magazine |last=Eskind |first=Amy |date=2022-11-10 |title=Why Did Polls Prepare Us for a Red Wave? Experts Weigh In on the Surprising Midterm Election Results |url=https://people.com/politics/why-midterm-polls-falsely-predicted-red-wave/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |magazine=People}} Simon Rosenberg was one exception.{{cite web |last=Narea |first=Nicole |date=2022-11-27 |title=The guy who got the midterms right explains what the media got wrong |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/27/23475262/midterms-red-wave-democrats-election |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Vox}} Republican pollsters such as the Trafalgar Group had a notable polling miss, with errors well outside the margin of error in races such as the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Washington.{{cite web |last=Hart |first=Benjamin |date=2022-11-17 |title=The Pollster Who Predicted a Red Wave Explains Himself |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/11/trafalgar-groups-robert-cahaly-explains-his-polling-miss.html |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Intelligencer}} Since 2016 and 2020, the latter of which was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, polling companies attempted to understand the misses in recent years and how to get better.{{cite web |last1=Rakich |first1=Nathaniel |last2=Skelley |first2=Geoffrey |date=2020-10-13 |title=What Pollsters Have Changed Since 2016 — And What Still Worries Them About 2020 |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-pollsters-have-changed-since-2016-and-what-still-worries-them-about-2020/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite news |last1=Coaston |first1=Jane |last2=Omero |first2=Margie |last3=Silver |first3=Nate |date=2022-10-19 |title=Has Polling Broken Politics? |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/opinion/midterms-polling-politics.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web |last1=Feldman |first1=Sarah |last2=Mendez |first2=Bernard |date=2022-10-26 |title=Who Are The People Who Don't Respond To Polls? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nonresponse-bias-ipsos-poll-findings/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} There were also fewer polls in general, and a larger share came from partisan sources.{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-10-25 |title=You're Not Imagining It: There Are Fewer Polls This Cycle |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/youre-not-imagining-it-there-are-fewer-polls-this-cycle/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} On election eve, an unweighted average of 17 polls indicated that Republicans were expected to defeat Democrats by 2.5% in the generic congressional vote.{{cite web |date=November 7, 2022 |title=2022 Generic Congressional Vote |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/2022-generic-congressional-vote-7361.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108003824/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/2022-generic-congressional-vote-7361.html |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |website=RealClearPolitics}} Date span: October 18–November 6. Republicans +2.5% (mean), +3% (median).

Polls were relatively good, especially when compared to 2020, though not as good as what FiveThirtyEight, a polling aggregator website, defines as the Gold Standard (2006–2012). Prior to the elections, it discussed the bias of polls in previous election cycles, which overstated or underestimated both parties, and whether there was now a systematic bias in favor of Democrats since 2016, which was also reflected in 2020,{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2021-03-25 |title=The Death Of Polling Is Greatly Exaggerated |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-death-of-polling-is-greatly-exaggerated/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} but did not exclude that 2022 could be akin 1998 or 2002 (after Dobbs) or have a bias in favor of Republicans,{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-09-16 |title=Will The Polls Overestimate Democrats Again? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/will-the-polls-overestimate-democrats-again/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-11-07 |title=The 3 Big Questions I Still Have About Election Day |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-3-big-questions-i-still-have-about-election-day/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} as it happened. Their own forecasting model, which gave Republicans 59 and 84 percent of winning the Senate (slight favored) and the House (favored), respectively,{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-06-30 |title=2022 FiveThirtyEight Election Forecast |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630140054/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{cite web |last1=Best |first1=Ryan |last2=Skelley |first2=Geoffrey |date=2022-10-06 |title=The Seats Republicans Could Flip To Win The House In 2022 |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/gop-house-2022/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006125411/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/gop-house-2022/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} assumed the possibility that polls underestimated Republicans; its polls-only version saw the Senate as a tossup.{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-10-28 |title=Where Our Model Thinks The Polls Might Be Biased |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/where-our-model-thinks-the-polls-might-be-biased/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Many pollsters had their own worries,{{cite news |last=Bui |first=Quoctrung |date=2022-10-24 |title=Frustrated With Polling? Pollsters Are, Too |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/24/opinion/frustrated-with-polling-pollsters-are-too.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |issn=0362-4331}} and many feared they would miss Republican overperformances as it happened in 2016 and 2020 in particular.{{cite web |last=Shepard |first=Steven |date=2022-09-26 |title=Pollsters fear they're blowing it again in 2022 |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/26/pollsters-fear-elections-2024-00058506 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Politico}}

Some environmental organizations and media described the result as a green wave, saying candidates addressing climate change did better compared to those considered who did not.{{cite web |last1=Forrest |first1=Jack |last2=Johnson |first2=Lamar |last3=Northey |first3=Hannah |date=2022-11-10 |title=Enviros pounce on wish lists post midterm 'green wave' |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/enviros-pounce-on-wish-lists-post-midterm-green-wave/ |website=E&E News |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite web |last=Maysmith |first=Pete |date=2022-11-15 |title=Memo: LCVVF Post-Election Updates – Senate Protected, Green Wave In The States, House Still Too Close To Call |url=https://www.lcv.org/article/memo-lcvvf-post-election-updates-senate-protected-green-wave-in-the-states-house-still-too-close-to-call/ |publisher=League of Conservation Voters |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite web |last1=R. Platt |first1=John |last2=Lohan |first2=Tara |title=Midterms 2022: A Green Wave on the Horizon? |url=https://therevelator.org/midterms-2022-green-wave/ |website=The Revelator |date=2022-11-10 |access-date=2022-11-23}} Among Republicans who won, they did not campaign against climate measures in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Biden specifically thanked young climate voters. This was also reflected at the state and local level, where voters approved several climate-related initiatives.{{cite news |last=Garza |first=Frida |date=2022-11-18 |title=Voters pass historic climate initiatives in 'silent surprise' of US midterms |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/18/climate-initiatives-passed-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-24 |work=The Guardian}}

Democrats performed well in states that could be key to the 2024 U.S. elections, and their better-than-expected performance may have avoided a damaging primary for the incumbent president; their net gain in the Senate could also help them as they face a harder map in the 2024 U.S. Senate elections,{{cite web |last=Price |first=Michelle L. |date=2022-11-28 |title=Democrats kept the Senate this year, but 2024 may be harder |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-pennsylvania-arizona-nevada-new-york-6a8b17c560e545e4124e61fa14b3f4ad |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=AP News |publisher=Associated Press}}{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-12-08 |title=Are The Democrats Screwed In The Senate After 2024? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democrats-senate-chances-2024-and-beyond/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} with many more seats to defend than Republicans.{{cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-12-07 |title=Republicans Still Have A Clear Path To Retaking The Senate In 2024 |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-senate-2024-map/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} As some moderate Republicans admitted that the party had an extremist problem and had a moment of reckoning, including criticism of Trump among conservatives on social media and cable news,{{cite news |last1=Bender |first1=Michael C. |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |date=2022-11-10 |title=Trump Under Fire From Within G.O.P. After Midterms |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/politics/trump-republicans-midterms.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |issn=0362-4331}} as well as infighting,{{cite web |last=Kapur |first=Sahil |date=2022-11-17 |title=Republican infighting escalates over poor 2022 election results as Trump re-emerges |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/republican-infighting-escalates-poor-2022-election-results-trump-re-em-rcna57540 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=NBC News}} many analysts believed that the results set up a potential contest between DeSantis and Trump for the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Nate |date=2022-11-16 |title=Why DeSantis Is A Major Threat To Trump's Reelection |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-desantis-is-a-major-threat-to-trumps-reelection/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} Despite losses, Trump called the results a "great evening", though those close to him reported him "livid" and "furious with everyone" for the losses, in particular the Senate open seat in Pennsylvania. About DeSantis, Trump stated that he was ready to reveal what he described as "bad things" about him, claiming to know him "more than anyone else, perhaps more than [his wife]."

On November 15, the beginning of the Trump 2024 presidential campaign was officially announced.{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=David |last2=Mansfield |first2=Erin |last3=Looker |first3=Rachel |title=Donald Trump announces his 2024 presidential campaign as GOP debates future: recap: recap |url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/11/16/donald-trump-president-candidacy-2024-live-updates/10297004002/ |work=USA Today |date=2022-11-15 |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{cite web |last=Rakich |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-11-16 |title=Why Trump Is Favored To Win The 2024 Republican Presidential Primary |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-2024-president/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}}{{Cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Robert |date=2022-11-16 |title=Apparently the Trump show must go on |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/donald-trump-2024-presidential-bid-built-on-alternative-facts-rcna57354 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=NBC News}} On November 18, attorney general Merrick Garland announced that he appointed Jack Smith as a special counsel to run part of the Department of Justice's probe into the January 6 Capitol attack, which could affect his eligibility under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as argued by some legal experts, as well as the FBI investigation into Trump's handling of government documents.{{cite news |last=Taddonio |first=Patrice |date=2022-11-16 |title=As Trump Announces 2024 Run, a Look at His Impact |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/donald-trump-2024-announcement-documentaries-impact-on-america/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |work=Frontline |publisher=PBS}} Trump's 2024 campaign announcement received wide media coverage and a mixed response from both Democrats and Republicans. Some Democrats warily welcomed the campaign,{{cite news |last1=Hunnicutt |first1=Trevor |last2=Renshaw |first2=Jarrett |date=2022-11-17 |title=Biden's team warily welcomes Trump's 2024 presidential run |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bidens-team-warily-welcomes-trumps-2024-presidential-run-2022-11-16/ |access-date=2022-12-02}}{{cite web |last=Spady |first=Aubrie |date=2022-11-28 |title=Why some Democrats are rooting for Trump to be the 2024 GOP nominee over DeSantis |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-rooting-trump-2024-gop-nominee-desantis |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Fox News}} viewing Trump as beatable,{{cite magazine |last=Thomas |first=Alex |date=2022-09-28 |title=Is Trump or DeSantis the Weaker Nominee? The Democrats Will Not Pick Their Poison |magazine=The New Republic |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/167876/democrats-primary-meddling-trump-desantis |access-date=2022-12-02 |issn=0028-6583}}{{cite web |last=Richard |first=Lawrence |date=2022-11-16 |title=Democratic Party responds to Trump's 2024 announcement: 'He will lose again' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-party-responds-trumps-2024-announcement |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Fox News}} while other Democrats, along with many observers and some Republicans, opposed it, citing the negative effects it could have on U.S. democracy.{{cite magazine |last=Lemon |first=Jason |date=2021-11-14 |title=Trump 2024 Run Could Tear the Fabric of U.S. Democracy, Warns GOP Lawyer |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-2024-run-could-tear-fabric-us-democracy-prominent-gop-lawyer-warns-1649097 |access-date=2022-12-02 |magazine=Newsweek}}{{cite news |date=2022-11-16 |title=America Deserves Better Than Donald Trump |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/15/opinion/trump-2024-announcement.html |access-date=2022-12-02 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite magazine |last=Tamkin |first=Emily |date=2022-11-16 |title=What will Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid mean for American democracy? |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/world/americas/north-america/us/2022/11/donald-trump-announcement-2024-presidential-campaign |access-date=2022-12-02 |magazine=New Statesman}} Some Republicans, consisting mostly of Trump loyalists, welcomed the campaign, while others opposed it, viewing him as a weak candidate who had lost Republicans the past several election cycles including the 2022 midterms and engaged in conspiracy theories, and also cited his legal troubles.{{cite news |last=Mudde |first=Cas |date=2022-11-16 |title=Oh, how Donald Trump has fallen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/15/oh-how-donald-trump-has-fallen |access-date=2022-12-02 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |last=Gabbatt |first=Adam |date=2022-11-16 |title=Rightwing media's coverage of Trump's presidential bid shows it just can't turn away |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/15/donald-trump-presidential-bid-rightwing-media-sean-hannity |access-date=2022-12-02 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |last=McGreal |first=Chris |date=2022-11-15 |title=Trump v DeSantis: Republicans split over 2024 run and predict 'blood on the floor' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/15/trump-v-desantis-republicans-divided-2024-presidential-election |access-date=2022-12-02 |work=The Guardian}}

Voter turnout was relatively high by midterm standards, with an estimated 46.6% of the voting-eligible population{{efn|"Voting-eligible population" includes all people eligible to register and cast a ballot based upon their age, but excluding foreign nationals and those ineligible to vote under state rules due to current or prior incarceration status.}} casting a ballot.{{cite web |last=McDonald |first=Michael P. |date=2023-01-10 |title=2022 November General Election Turnout Rates |url=https://www.electproject.org/2022g |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=United States Election Project}} After the blue wave of 2018, it was the second highest since the 1970 U.S. elections.{{cite web |last=Potts |first=Monica |date=2022-11-15 |title=Turnout Was High Again. Is This The New Normal? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/turnout-was-high-again-is-this-the-new-normal/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=FiveThirtyEight}} The trend was further confirmed by turnout among young voters (18–29),{{cite web |last1=Messerly|first1=Megan|last2=Ollstein|first2=Alice Miranda|date=2022-11-09|title=A predicted 'red wave' crashed into wall of abortion rights support on Tuesday |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/09/abortion-votes-2022-election-results-00065983 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Politico}} which was also the highest (after 2018) since the 1970s,{{cite news |last1=Keating |first1=Dan |last2=Melgar |first2=Luis |last3=Perry |first3=Kati |last4=Rabinowitz |first4=Kate |date=2022-11-09 |title=Where voter turnout exceeded 2018 highs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/voter-turnout-2022-by-state/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2022-11-11 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}} and helped Democrats, even as Republicans turned out in greater numbers; for example, youth and Latino voters turnout in a battleground state like Arizona was historically high. According to the Edison Research National Election Pool, the youth vote for the House was 63–35 in favor of Democrats. Pollster Antonio Arellano commented that young voters were the only age group in which more than 50 percent of voters supported Democrats.

Arkansas, Massachusetts, and New York elected female governors for the first time, and Arkansas and Massachusetts became the first states in which women concurrently served as governor and lieutenant governor. Alabama elected its first female senator, California elected a Latino senator for the first time, and Maryland elected its first African-American governor.{{cite news |date=2022-11-10 |title=The historic firsts of the 2022 US midterm elections |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/10/the-historic-firsts-of-the-2022-us-midterm-elections |access-date=2022-11-28 |publisher=Al Jazeera}} Markwayne Mullin became the first Native American to represent Oklahoma in the Senate since Robert Latham Owen retired in 1925. In Florida, Maxwell Frost became the first member of Generation Z elected to the House. Marcy Kaptur's reelection made her the longest-serving woman in Congress following the completion of her term. Becca Balint became the first female member of Congress from Vermont—the last of the 50 states to elect a woman to Congress—and Summer Lee became the first black woman from Pennsylvania elected to Congress.{{cite news |last1=Krieg |first1=Gregory |last2=Menezes |first2=Andrew |date=2022-11-09 |title=Meet the history-makers of the 2022 midterm elections |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/politics/2022-midterm-election-historic-firsts/index.html |access-date=2022-11-12 |publisher=CNN}}

The 2022 election was the first time that LGBTQ candidates appeared on the general election ballot in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.{{cite web |last=Lavietes |first=Matt |title=In a historic first, LGBTQ Americans will be on the ballot in all 50 states |date=2022-10-27 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/historic-first-lgbtq-americans-will-ballot-50-states-rcna54107 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=NBC News}} With their respective victories, Tina Kotek of Oregon and Maura Healey of Massachusetts became the first openly lesbian state governors.{{cite news |last=Epstein |first=Reid J. |date=2022-11-10 |title=Tina Kotek, a Progressive, Will Be Oregon's Next Governor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/us/politics/oregon-governor-kotek-drazan.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2022-11-12 |issn=0362-4331}} James Roesener, elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, became the first transgender man to win a state legislative seat.{{cite web |last=Treisman |first=Rachel |date=2022-11-09 |title=James Roesener is the first out trans man elected to a U.S. state legislature |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/09/1135417129/new-hampshire-trans-lawmaker-james-roesener |access-date= 2022-11-15 |publisher=NPR}}

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Legend

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Total television viewers
8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Eastern

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{{Portal|United States|Politics|2020s}}

• Party divisions of United States Congresses
• Political polarization in the United States
• Red states and blue states

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• {{cite web|title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 2022|url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/2022election/|publisher=U.S. House of Reps, Office of the Clerk|access-date=13 April 2023}}

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2022

Category:November 2022 in the United States

2022