Slim majorities have become more common in the U.S. House and Senate
Republicans will kick off the 119th Congress with the smallest margin of control in the U.S. House of Representatives in modern history.
Congress
2024 elections show more partisan splits between states’ presidential and Senate votes than in recent past
Four states that Republican Donald Trump carried in this month’s presidential election also elected Democratic senators.
How do states fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate? It depends on the state
In the event that a Senate seat becomes vacant, governors in 45 states have the power to appoint a temporary replacement.
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New Congress will have a few more veterans, but their share of lawmakers is still near a record low
The new House will have 80 members who’ve served in the military, or 18.4% of members. That’s up from 75, or 17.2%, in the 117th Congress.
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Public Has Modest Expectations for Washington’s Return to Divided Government
Most U.S. adults say President Joe Biden (65%) and Republican leaders in Congress (61%) will be unsuccessful getting their agendas enacted in the next two years; only about a third say the president and GOP leaders will be successful. Republicans are less confident than Democrats in midterm vote counts – but more confident than they were after the 2020 election.
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Around one-in-five candidates for Congress or governor this year are veterans
21% of the roughly 1,000 candidates for U.S. Senate, House or state governor on the fall ballot claim some degree of military experience.
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Finding 60 votes in an evenly divided Senate? A high bar, but not an impossible one
The current Senate has managed to clear the 60-vote hurdle to avoid a filibuster on several of its main legislative achievements.
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Republicans in Congress are about three times as likely as Democrats to indicate that they own a gun
At least 110 representatives and senators in the current 117th Congress have publicly stated or otherwise confirmed that they own a gun.
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Abortion Rises in Importance as a Voting Issue, Driven by Democrats
While the economy remains the dominant issue in this fall’s midterm elections, the issue of abortion has increased markedly in importance. More voters continue to view their midterm vote as an expression of opposition to Joe Biden than support for him. But across both parties, more voters now say Biden is not much of a factor in their vote.
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Some members of Congress have been there for decades, but seats typically change hands more frequently
When Congress convened in 2021, 72% of House members and 65% of senators were new since the start of the 111th Congress in 2009.
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Republicans More Likely Than Democrats To Say Partisan Control of Congress ‘Really Matters’
71% of Republican voters say their vote for Congress is “against Biden.”
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With legislative redistricting at a crucial stage, most Americans don’t feel strongly about it
Only a small share of Americans have heard a lot about redistricting in their state and a majority are not sure how they feel.
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More members of Congress, especially Democrats, are talking about Black History Month on social media
64% of members of Congress mentioned Black History Month on Facebook or Twitter in February 2021, up from just 29% in 2015.
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