Last Tuesday evening, the country saw some close calls, tight races and — most notably — a change in the tides. What many Republicans expected to be the “Red Wave” in this midterm election became more of a raindrop. The results were still there, but they didn’t bring the thunder. 

Looking on the home front, there was a split ticket here in Wisconsin. 

Incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R) achieved a victory over Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) — by the skin of his teeth. But, so did incumbent Gov. Tony Evers (D) as his challenger Tim Michels (R) fell flat — with not even the strong hand of Trump’s support to keep him afloat. In fact, it might have been exactly what led to his downfall. 

Bad news for Republicans, but a bright light at the end of a Trump tormented tunnel for Democrats. As we see an increase in the concern over bipartisan issues, we see ties being cut — favoring principle over partisanship.  

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, conservative politicians became more vocal about reproductive rights and grew deeper roots in their pro life stance. With this newfound voice — or simply a rise in the volume of it — some pro choice conservatives stopped listening and stepped away. 

Whether it was a wake up call or simply too worrisome to ignore, the landmark overturn became all too real for many women in America. For me, leaving the fate of my reproductive rights in the hands of lawmakers who don’t seem to respect my own autonomy was too frightening to bear. 

The Democratic margin of young women who say they’re likely to vote increased by nine points from the spring season until fall preceding the midterm elections. And for many of these voters, the key issue was abortion. 

A key reason why the Democratic defiance of history is so shocking lies with President Biden’s low approval ratings. Because of all time high inflation and a dissimilar dip in the general public’s assent towards Biden, victories in many key states for Democrats seemed unlikely — yet they prevailed. 

In fact, to call this a successful midterm election for Democrats would be an understatement. As we reflect back on recent presidencies, we see a much different picture. And for supporters of the current president or just oppositionists of the former one, this is great news.

President Biden made a statement noting that while “any seat lost is painful” it was still a more successful midterm election cycle than president’s have seen for their parties in the last 40 years. 

Much of the blunders of the midterm elections for Republicans can be traced back to one common thread. 

I would venture to say that many Republican candidates shot themselves in the foot by attaching themselves to Trump and his rhetoric. Candidates for governor endorsed by Trump faced losses in Michigan, New York and Wisconsin. As his political and personal reputation undergoes enduring trouble, some people believe that he is not a viable face for the Republican Party any longer. 

“Republicans have followed Donald Trump off the side of a cliff,” said David Urban, a longtime Trump adviser.

Even former Speaker of the House, Paul Walker (R), who has kept his head mostly in the sand for the last six years had things to say about these midterm results.

Ryan encouraged his party to go about “a lot of soul searching” to figure out why the elusive red wave did not hold steady in this election. Also stating that the Republican Party is suffering from a “Trump hangover.”

For a long time now, many politicians have used Trump as a political crutch – noticing that his support base is too strong and too significant to risk losing. But, this midterm election marked what may become a step in a new direction. 

It’s hard to say now whether or not the tight grip Trump has held on Americans will be lost altogether, but this midterm election served as a first sign of hope that it might loosen.

If somebody told me going into this midterm election that it could serve as a turning point away from the Trump loyalist regime, I would have found that statement laughable. But, the one thing that strikes more hearts than fear, is failure. Many Republicans have been under Trump’s thumb due to the fear of losing his support base, but now that his endorsement proved to fail for many candidates, it seems his Republican allies are straying in avoidance of playing a losing game.

This story was written by Grace Cady. She can be reached at [email protected].