(UnitedVoice.com) – The November general election is just around the corner. Polls are tight right now, showing a potential match between President Joe Biden and former POTUS Donald Trump would be a nail-biter. While voters across the US have to wait several months to vote in the big election, two special elections just took place in Pennsylvania and New York. Could the results be a glimpse into the general election?
Special Elections
On February 13, former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) faced off against Republican Mazi Pilip in a race to replace the seat vacated by former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who was kicked out of Congress. New York’s Third District was held by Suozzi until Santos unseated him in 2022. Election experts thought it might be a close race because the district has been trending purple in recent years and favoring Republicans at the local level.
However, Suozzi pulled off a victory with a comfortable seven-point margin, beating the GOP candidate 53.9% to 46.1%.
There was another special election held the same day in neighboring Pennsylvania. Republican Candace Cabanas went up against Democrat Jim Prokopiak for control of Pennsylvania’s 140th state House district. The district is located in Bucks County, which is considered an important suburban district because of its voter base. It was closely watched on Tuesday, and like New York, the Democrat trounced the GOP candidate.
Prokopiak won by more than 30 points, 67.7% to 32.3%. The win allowed Democrats to retain control of the State House, another blow to the Republican Party.
A Problem for Democrats
Although much can be made about the two races and what it means for the 2024 November election, there’s a big problem for Democrats in the fall: President Joe Biden.
The president is wildly unpopular with the American people. His disapproval ratings have outweighed his approval ratings since 2021. According to FiveThirtyEight, on Valentine’s Day, Biden’s approval rating was a measly 39%, and his disapproval rating was 56%.
In addition to his approval ratings being in the toilet, many Americans think the commander-in-chief is too old to serve as the president. An Ipsos poll found 59% of Americans believe Biden (81) and former POTUS Trump (77) are too old to serve second terms in office. Biden’s age was on full display in a report by Special Counsel Robert Hur that accused the president of not remembering basic facts.
With a president as unpopular as Biden, the Democratic Party’s down-ballot candidates may still face an uphill battle. But the election is still months away, and predictions are all but a waste of time at this point.
Copyright 2024, UnitedVoice.com
