Virginia House Races Could Offer Early Clues for How GOP Will Fare in 2022 Midterm Elections

As the midterm elections approach, candidates are scrambling to gain last-minute support from voters. These elections will be crucial in determining which party controls the House and Senate.

As President Joe Biden enters the final two years of his first term, Democrats are fighting to maintain their majorities in Congress. Republicans are favored to win control of the House, while the race for Senate control is tight.

This weekend, the president was busy campaigning for Democrats in tight races in New York and Pennsylvania. Former President Barack Obama joined him to help Senate candidate John Fetterman in his bid to beat GOP opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz.

"This crowd is so loud, I think they can hear us in Latrobe," Biden told a raucous crowd at Temple University. He was apparently referencing former President Donald Trump, who was campaigning for Oz outside Pittsburgh.

On Sunday, Biden campaigned for Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is facing a close race against Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin. Another former president, Bill Clinton, campaigned with Hochul in Brooklyn on Saturday, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

As of Monday morning, more than 42 million ballots have been cast in the midterm elections. On Tuesday, election officials and U.S. prosecutors will be closely monitoring the polls for any signs of voter intimidation.

A judge in Maricopa County has placed restrictions on extremist groups that have been posting armed men in tactical gear at early voting polls. This county played a pivotal role in the 2020 election.

Virginia will be one of the first states to close its polls on Tuesday night, with voting ending at 7 p.m. ET. For those watching election results at home, there are three House races in the commonwealth whose outcomes could offer clues as to how Republicans will fare nationwide in their quest to win a big majority in the House.

All three races feature female Democratic incumbents locked in tight contests against relatively moderate Republican challengers, two of them women. These races could have a major impact on the future of the Democratic Party.

In Virginia's 2nd District, which includes Virginia Beach, Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria is seen as particularly vulnerable in her race against state Sen. Jen Kiggans. Luria has been a strong supporter of gun control, while Kiggans has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

In the 7th District, which includes Washington D.C.'s outer suburbs and two rural counties, Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is facing Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega. Crime and abortion have been the main issues in the campaign.

Further north, in the most affluent and well educated part of the state just outside D.C., Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton is defending her seat against Hung Cao, a Navy veteran. President Joe Biden won Wexton's district by double digits in 2020.

Each state has its own election schedule, so polling times can vary significantly from one state to another on Election Day. The table below shows the poll closing times for each state.

Polls in Kentucky will close at 6 p.m. ET, regardless of which time zone the county is in. This is because schedules are organized by state, not by time zone. So for example, while half of Kentucky is in the Eastern time zone and the other half is in Central time, all polls in the state will close at 6 p.m. ET.

This is not an official list of poll closing times. Some counties keep polls open longer to accommodate heavy turnout, so please check with your local election board to determine when your own polls close.

Kentucky and Indiana are two states located in the United States. Kentucky is located in the southeastern part of the country, while Indiana is located in the Midwest. Both states are known for their agriculture and for their scenic beauty. Kentucky is home to the Kentucky Derby, while Indiana is home to the Indianapolis 500.

The states of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming all have something in common: they are all part of the United States of America.

Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia are all states located in the southeastern United States. They are all known for their beautiful scenery and friendly people.

Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin all have something in common: they are all states in the United States of America.
New York is one of the most populous cities in the United States and is the center of the New York metropolitan area, one of the most populous urban areas in the world. New York City is a global city, with influences in art, fashion, finance, media, and politics.

New Hampshire's polling hours vary by county, but all polls close no earlier than 7 p.m. In Tennessee, polling hours also vary by county, while in North Dakota, polls close between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Voters in California, Kentucky, Michigan and Vermont will decide during the midterm elections whether abortion should be protected under their state constitutions. This is a highly controversial topic, with passionate arguments on both sides. Those who support abortion rights argue that a woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body, including whether or not to have an abortion. Those who oppose abortion argue that it is a form of murder, and that the government should not allow it to be performed. It will be interesting to see how these four states vote on this issue.

But Michigan and Kentucky are shaping up as the two biggest battlegrounds on abortion in the midterms. Michigan is poised to become a safe haven for abortion rights in the Midwest, where access is shrinking.

Kentucky is set to entrench its abortion ban unless reproductive rights activists are able to achieve a victory in the conservative Southern state.

Voters in a handful of states are set to decide Tuesday whether to legalize recreational marijuana, paving the way for its sale and cultivation in newly regulated markets across the country. This includes four states that traditionally favor Republicans.

Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota could join 19 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing recreational marijuana. The votes come about a month after President Joe Biden urged state and local officials to follow his lead in pardoning those convicted on prior federal charges of simple marijuana possession.

Twitter's new CEO Elon Musk said that he supports Republicans in their bid to take congressional majorities in the midterm elections. He believes that "shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties."

Musk urged independent-minded voters to support a Republican-led Congress, arguing that divided government would be best for the country.

Musk continued, saying that independent voters are the ones who actually decide who's in charge. This is because hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side.

Musk's tweets have come under intense scrutiny since he acquired Twitter last month for $44 billion. Some have criticized his leadership style, saying that it is too aggressive and that he should be more careful with his words. Others have defended him, saying that he is a visionary leader who is not afraid to take risks.

The changeover was characterized by widespread layoffs, a hostile reception from some advertising groups, and confusion about the platform's policy changes. Musk's frequent, often outrageous comments on Twitter added even more chaos to the mix.

He blamed "activist groups" for Twitter's recent drop in revenue, even though nothing has changed with the platform's content moderation. Days later, Musk announced that any Twitter handles impersonating people without clearly labeling themselves as parody accounts would be permanently suspended.

He has also hit back at many of his critics, including progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and has replied favorably to numerous prominent conservative media figures.

The battle for the midterms is still raging, but it's clear that some key players are already preparing for 2024 and beyond.

Former President Donald Trump has hinted that he may seek the White House again, and this weekend he made some of his strongest suggestions yet.

Trump promised Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania that the next very short period of time will be very happy for everyone. He said that they are going to take back what is rightfully theirs and that everyone will be hearing about it very soon.

Trump, who never conceded his loss to President Joe Biden in 2020, considered announcing his next presidential bid at that rally, but opted not to distract from the Oz and Mastriano campaigns, a source told NBC News. Trump decided against announcing his candidacy at the rally in order to avoid taking attention away from the Oz and Mastriano campaigns.

Trump also took a shot at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at that rally, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious." DeSantis is widely seen as having presidential ambitions.

Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has reportedly decided against a run for president in the next cycle. According to reports, Biden has privately told allies he is planning to run again.

The midterm elections on Tuesday will decide which party controls the Senate. The party in control will have the power to investigate, pass legislation, and approve or block President Joe Biden's judicial nominees.

The candidates in a few key Senate races appear to be evenly matched, and Republicans need to win just one more seat to gain a majority.

The 2022 elections are expected to cost a record-breaking $16.7 billion, according to a study by the nonpartisan OpenSecrets. This is sure to be the most expensive midterm election cycle in history.

Sheila Krumholz, executive director of OpenSecrets, said that the 2022 midterm elections are seeing more money spent at the state and federal levels than any other election in history. Krumholz said that we are seeing record-breaking totals spent on elections at all levels, and that Election Day is Tuesday.

The battle for control of the House and Senate saw massive spending, according to the OpenSecrets data. Republicans are hoping to win back control of both chambers for the final two years of President Joe Biden’s first term.

As of October 31, outside groups had spent approximately $1.9 billion to influence federal elections, surpassing the 2018 midterm outside spending record of $1.6 billion (adjusted for inflation).

Two Republican political action committees have been among the biggest spenders on federal races this election cycle.

The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has poured over $205 million into the midterms while backing Republicans running for Senate. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a hybrid PAC supported by House GOP leaders, has spent more than $188 million. This is a huge investment by the GOP in the midterm elections, and it shows that they are committed to winning back control of Congress.

As we approach the 2022 midterms, megadonors from both sides of the aisle have poured millions of dollars into the race. Some of the top donors this cycle include billionaires George Soros, Richard Uihlein, Ken Griffin, and Sam Bankman-Fried. With so much money being pumped into the election, it's sure to be a close race come Election Day.

Both parties sent out their all-star surrogates over the weekend in the final days leading up to the Nov. 8 midterm elections. It was a busy weekend on the campaign trail as both sides looked to gain an edge in the close race.