Why the 2016 Local Elections Are So Important

The 2016 election could be the most important since 2008. Not just because we are electing a President. The down ballot race results also matter.

The 2016 election will go down as one of the nastiest in modern times. Republican hard-liners spent the weekend breaking away from the party in droves. Who is to blame for this? His name would be Donald J. Trump. Since October 1st, it seems like almost daily we have some new scandal arriving. (Which begs the question, how did the other Republican candidates miss all of this?) This might be the first time Republicans seeking re-election to Congress are actively trying to distance themselves from their presidential nominee. Even in 1996, when Dole was actively losing, there wasn’t this sort of acrimony.

Hillary Clinton hasn’t made it out of the election unscathed either. WikiLeaks’s founder and editor-in-chief, Julian Assange seems to have a personal vendetta against her, and this weekend released another 2,050 private emails between Clinton and campaign Chairman John Podesta. Most of the email contain excerpts of Clinton’s paid speeches that could be deemed as “problematic” or “potentially damaging.”

They say timing is everything. For Clinton, the timing of her emails by WikiLeaks’s could not come at a more convenient time. Despite his best efforts to change the subject, the Wikileaks story hasn’t been able to break through. Everyone’s attention is drawn to the salacious Trump video that the story has not been covered with much intensity.

ST LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 09: Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listen during the town hall debate at Washington University on October 9, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. This is the second of three presidential debates scheduled prior to the November 8th election. (Photo by Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images)

We can all agree the presidential election is critical, but it is not the only election taking place. The former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Tip O’Neill said it best, “All politics is local.” He could not be more right this year. All politics is local–and just as important.

With the election day looming the stakes could not be higher. November 8th, 2016, the U.S. Congress has a total of 469 seats open (34 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for election. For the Democratic Party to have the majority in the U.S House they would have to keep all their seats and pick up 30 more seats. It might not be mathematically possible, but Trump is in no way helping any Republican incumbents seeking re-election.

The Senate is an entirely different story. Democrats only need to keep all their seats and add five more to have the majority. Many of the Republican Senators running this election are first-year incumbents who were voted in by the Tea Party movement. Chances are high at this point that Senator Chuck Schumer will be majority leader if Hillary takes office on January 20th, 2017. But for that, people need to step out and vote for more than just her. They need to vote for their local senators and house representatives.

Moreover, the 2017 Senate will confirm a new Supreme Court Justice. The seat left open earlier this year with the passing of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. The current crop of Republican Senators had stalled voting on a new Justice even when President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland months ago. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is slated to hear arguments with huge implications for our country. Just in the 2016-2017 SCOTUS session, they are going to hear cases about freedom of religion, voting rights, the death penalty, and equal protection.

Next: 5 WTF Moments From The Second Presidential Debate

While the presidential election is critical this year, but please do not forget your representative races in your state. The relationship between the President and the Congress is imperative to keep this country safe and moving forward.

If you would like to register to vote or are not sure if you are registered, use the link.