Weekend Election Update 5/1

Courtesy of The New York Times

By: Jeremy Perillo

As the United States continues its fight against the coronavirus, developments in the 2020 election continue to unfold. An election year that puts the presidency, all House seats, and 33 Senate seats on the ballot remains highly contentious, even during a global pandemic.

In an off-the-record conference call with supporters this week, Georgia Senator David Perdue issued a warning: Democrats could very likely turn the state blue in November. His cause for concern, being a senator from a state considered safe from losing Republican seats, sheds some light on the new challenges faced by incumbent politicians in the age of COVID-19.

Invigorated to make a stand against President Donald Trump and the Republican party in November, Democrats are well-funded and targeting Republican incumbents to switch the Senate to a Democratic majority. Their success in more conservative states, like Georgia, will be difficult, but not impossible.

The coronavirus pandemic has become the defining moment in the Trump presidency. His response, and how voters have perceived his response, will be a paramount metric for how Americans decide who will lead the country over the next four years. 

For a Republican lawmaker, having too close a relationship with the Trump White House may put them at risk of losing their seat in 2020. Trump has been suffering from declining poll numbers following several weeks of daily press conferences. Trump’s approval rating is at 42.9%, after taking a hit for his controversial “disinfectant” comments made during a White House Coronavirus Press Briefing.

The situation national politics finds itself in during the coronavirus remains unprecedented. While the country is struggling with the effects of COVID-19, a presidential election looms nearly six months away. Both Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden and Trump have had to adapt to increasing pressure from their supporters in how they respond to such a monumental situation. Americans will assuredly associate the 2020 election with how the country will recover from the past several months of devastation.