American voters are fractured politically and culturally ahead of Election Day, and they are anxious about where their country is heading. Here's what they're saying.
By GARY FIELDS, GILLIAN FLACCUS and MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press American voters are fractured politically and culturally ahead of Election Day, and they are anxious about where their country is heading — on inflation, abortion, immigration, crime, and much more.
Midterms are always important because a switch in control of the House or Senate can stunt the plans of a sitting president. Control of Congress could also affect various investigations into Trump, including his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Montes, 21, is majoring in political science at Portland State University, and will vote this election for the second time in his life.
In the past, someone on the other side of an issue simply had"a different perspective as to why or how we can better our country," he said."Now it's whether or not somebody believes you have a right to be here, whether or not somebody believes you have a right to exist. And that is deeply personal.
"It's not fair, and it's not safe for that to happen," said Bergida, the father of a 2-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son and a former quarterback at Grinnell College in Iowa.— By AP Writer Heather HollingsworthWORRIED ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY, WEALTH DISPARITYCynthia Jones was severely injured at work more than a decade ago and has relied on Social Security disability benefits to help pay bills and hold on to the ranch-style house left by her father.
"I don't want to be not counted," she said."I don't want to be seen as a third-class citizen. I don't want anybody to feel that way."PUSHING FOR LATINO TURNOUT, GOOD GOVERNANCERon Flores is a Republican retiree in his 70s who lives in a surf-friendly California beach community not far from the mostly Latino city of Santa Ana, where he lived as a child.
"That impacts me, number one," said Flores, who said he raised six children and worked in product design and consulting. Now, as homicides spike in Portland, Elledge is choosing the independent candidate in Oregon's gubernatorial election. She feels Democrats have strayed too far to the left on public safety and it bothers her deeply.
"You have to agree not to agree," Elledge said."I think in all of this, we have to be careful that we don't become angry with everything."TRANSGENDER DRAG PERFORMER FOCUSED ON 'RIGHT TO EXIST'It took Emma Scott Lavin most of her life to realize who she was, and she's no longer willing to hide. "There may be a lot of people who see this and say, 'This person, this person is everything that's wrong with America right now,'" she said, gesturing to her red lipstick, red-and-black dress, stiletto red suede boots and wig.
But the 38-year-old registered Republican considers himself an optimist and believes Americans can rebuild a greater sense of shared purpose. "You can just go up and talk to people, face to face, shake their hand," he said."Do you care whether or not your cashier at Giant is a Democrat or Republican?"SOCIAL WORKER LAMENTS 'JUST TWO PARTIES'Abi Suddarth has always opposed abortion. When she got pregnant in college, she knew she would keep the baby.
"When you become a president, you're not for one color skin," she said, tearing up as she described how some of her social work clients complain about her accent."You are governing everybody. Even the ones who did not vote for you, you still have a responsibility to them because they are still paying taxes."
Federal and state election officials and Trump's own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. The former president's allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed. Those are things Cheng didn't have in China, where he was born and spent most of his life before settling in Philadelphia for good three years ago.
Cheng doesn't just talk about democracy, he lives it. He became involved in Asian American civic engagement for the first time this election. He educates people –- many of them older and native Chinese speakers -– about voting, how government works, and issues impacting the community. Because of close contests and extended vote counting, it could take days or weeks before the final outcome is known in several key races.1. Red wave rising? All signs point to Republicans making significant gains on Tuesday. But whether it's a red ripple or a tsunami remains to be seen.
Operatives in both parties expect the GOP to win the House majority, which would require a net gain of five seats. But with a big wave, the GOP could win 25 new seats or more. Sensing opportunity, Republican groups invested millions of dollars in Democratic-leaning districts in California, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania in the election's final days.
At the same time, races for governor and statewide officers like secretary of state loom larger than normal. The political environment is giving Republicans confidence in gubernatorial races in blue states like Oregon and New Mexico.2. The Roe effect After the Supreme Court eliminated Roe v. Wade in June, Republicans, including Trump, worried aloud that the decision might trigger a backlash against GOP candidates who oppose abortion rights.
The GOP is also bullish about its standing in Florida's Miami-Dade County, home to 1.5 million Latinos of voting age and a Democratic stronghold for the past 20 years. The GOP made significant gains there in the last presidential election. He is not on the ballot, of course, but dozens of Trump-endorsed candidates are. They include several controversial picks who beat out alternatives backed by the party's establishment.
Good-government advocates are particularly worried about dozens of election deniers running for state office across several presidential battlegrounds. Lake, Arizona's Republican candidate for governor, is already thought to be a potential Trump running mate. And in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for reelection Tuesday, is also considering a 2024 presidential bid, whether Trump runs or not.
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