2018 Midterm Elections

Here & Now's coverage of the 2018 midterm elections, and our election road trip

Campaign boards outside the Adams Street Library in Dorchester. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Spending On Statewide Campaigns In 2018 Down From Last Cycle

Candidates for statewide office in Massachusetts spent $26.4 million during the last election cycle, a big number but 20 percent less than what was spent by statewide candidates four years...

Local Coverage

Feb 3, 2019

Appointed U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Democrat Mike Espy greet each other before their televised Mississippi U.S. Senate debate in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. (Rogelio V. Solis, Pool/AP)

Polling Suggests Mississippi Senate Runoff Isn't Over Yet

The country's last ongoing Senate race shows Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith with an edge over former Agriculture Secretary Democrat Mike Espy. However, a series of gaffes may change that.

09:39Nov 23, 2018

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker celebrates with supporters during an election night rally Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Boston. (Winslow Townson/AP)

Predictability In A Turbulent Time: In His 2nd Term, Expect More Of The Same From Charlie Baker

Baker’s model may not be every governor’s cup of tea, writes John Sivolella, but it has served him well during an era of extreme national discord.

Cognoscenti

Nov 20, 2018

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, the 2018 Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, speaks during a campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, in El Paso, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

Populism Isn't A Dirty Word — It's Time For Democrats To Reclaim It

The left must renounce the Democratic Party’s fealty to corporations and offer hope to marginalized voters, writes Miles Howard.

Cognoscenti

Nov 19, 2018

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a rally, Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, in San Antonio. (Eric Gay/AP)

One Lesson From The Midterms: The 'Latino Vote' Is Up For Grabs

Latinos in America represent a patchwork quilt of different races, ethnicities, nationalities and political persuasions, writes Josiane Martinez. Treating them as a monolith is a big mistake.

Cognoscenti

Nov 15, 2018

A firefighter monitors a wildfires burning along a hillside Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, in Malibu, Calif. Fire officials say the lull allowed firefighters to gain 10 percent control of the so-called Woolsey fire, which has burned more than 130 square miles in western Los Angeles County and southeastern Ventura County since Thursday. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Week Ahead: California Wildfires, Election Recounts, Trump And The Attorney General

A big week ahead in the news. Top reporters open their notebooks and share what they’re watching for in the week ahead.

47:13Nov 12, 2018

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

6 Ideas To Help Democrats Win Voters In Rural America

Purging Trumpism means Democrats must win over more rural voters, writes Rich Barlow. That means supporting practical bipartisan policies that will improve people’s lives.

Cognoscenti

Nov 9, 2018

Democrat Ayanna Pressley gives her victory speech at an election night party after being elected to represent Massachusetts' 7th congressional district, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Boston. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

The Women's Wave Is About More Than Opposition To Trump

The new women in Congress will not vote as a monolith, writes Joanna Weiss. But their experiences mean old debates will be infused with at least a few new perspectives.

Cognoscenti

Nov 8, 2018

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., gives her victory speech at a Democratic election watch party in Boston. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

The Bluest State? More Like The Most Practical

It’s easy to make fun of Massachusetts for being too liberal. But the results of the midterms tell a different story. And anyway, writes Tom Keane, our politics get results....

Cognoscenti

Nov 8, 2018

Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a news conference to announce a criminal law enforcement action involving China, at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. Justice Department and FBI leaders announced criminal charges and an operation to thwart Chinese economic espionage. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

With Attorney General Jeff Sessions Out, What Happens Next In The Justice Department?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to resign Wednesday, sparking questions about the future of the Russia investigation.

46:58Nov 8, 2018

This combination of photos show U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in 2017, left, and state Rep. Jared Golden in 2018, right, in Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP File Photo)

Maine's 2nd Congressional District Will Be Decided By Ranked-Choice Voting

The contest between incumbent Republican Bruce Poliquin and Democrat Jared Golden will be decided by Maine's new, first-in-the-nation instant runoff system for federal races.

Local Coverage

04:03Nov 7, 2018

Democrat House candidate Sharice Davids speaks to supporters at a victory party in Olathe, Kan., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. Davids defeated Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder to win the Kansas' 3rd Congressional District seat. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Putting The Record-Setting Election For Women In Context

There were 277 female candidates up for Congress and governor, and over 110 of them won.

Nov 7, 2018

Democratic candidate for Georgia Governor Stacey Abrams, left, speaks as her Republican opponent Sec. State Brian Kemp looks on during a debate Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore/AP)

A Big Night For Racism

Naked racial animus -- liberated by Donald Trump from the dark shadows in which it once dwelled -- set the tone for too many of these midterm races, writes Eileen...

Cognoscenti

Nov 7, 2018

New York Democratic Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to supporters, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 in Queens the Queens borough of New York, after defeating Republican challenger Anthony Pappas in the race for the 14th Congressional district of New York. (Stephen Groves/AP)

Faith Not Fear: Trumpism Was Never Going To Be Undone In One Night

Fear and rage are powerful motivators. We learned that lesson, yet again, on Tuesday. But we also learned that most Americans are alert to the danger of those forces, writes...

Cognoscenti

Nov 7, 2018

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., right, claps between her two grandsons on stage with House Democrats after speaking about Democratic wins in the House of Representatives to a crowd of Democratic supporters during an election night returns event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Welcome To Divided Government. Will Democrats Overplay Their Hand?

The midterm outcome didn’t match the hyperbole of the build-up, writes John Sivolella. It has, however, set the stage for a profound juxtaposition of presidential vulnerability and power.

Cognoscenti

Nov 7, 2018

Kristen Leach votes with her six-month-old daughter, Nora, on election day in Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (David Goldman/AP)

Midterm Election Analysis: With Congress Divided, Where Do Democrats, Republicans Stand?

The wins, losses and messages that voters sent to Washington in the midterm elections. We’ll check in with top reporters across the country.

46:51Nov 7, 2018

Democrat Ilhan Omar speaks after winning in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District race during the election night event held by the Democratic Party Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in St. Paul, Minn. (Hannah Foslien/AP)

Year Of The Women: How Female Candidates Fared In The Midterm Elections

A record number of women ran for office. We look at how they did and how they might lead.

47:17Nov 7, 2018

Karen Hassenien, center and Sharon Connolly, right, both New England Baptist nurses, speak with a voter outside of Florian Hall. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Election Day Is Here: Polls Are Open Across Massachusetts

Polls are now open in Massachusetts. Stay with us all day for coverage.

Local Coverage

Nov 6, 2018

A child waits while their parent votes at Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. (Otto Kitsinger/AP)

Putting The Election In Perspective, For Our Kids (And For Ourselves)

As parents, we can teach our children that an election is not an apocalypse, but an opportunity to discuss and debate and be heard, writes KJ Dell'Antonia, and no one...

Cognoscenti

Nov 6, 2018

Let's Stop Trying To Change Each Other And Start Trying To Understand Each Other

Maybe talking more frankly and listening more carefully about our lives could mend us more than trying to convince each other about political views, writes Janna Malamud Smith.

Cognoscenti

Nov 6, 2018