One central theme is certain following Tuesday night’s election results: America is trending conservative again. President Trump tweeted, “Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!”
He’s right. There was no “blue wave.”
Conservatives gained in the Senate, a significant sign about the pulse of America looking forward to 2020. There were also several key governors’ seats that went to Republicans, including upsets for Democratic hopefuls in Florida, Ohio, and Georgia (though Democratic candidate Stacy Abrams has not conceded the inevitable loss yet).
This is much more significant than the House, which was very close, and some races still too close to call. In former President Barack Obama’s first midterm elections in 2010, the House went to the GOP by a wide margin as Democrats suffered a sweeping loss of 63 seats. In 2018, predictions were unsure until the actual numbers started coming in. No one was flatly predicting an actual blue wave.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (and the number of GOP retirements conceding the incumbent advantage) is a key reason the House did not remain in GOP control. He failed to throw his full weight and support behind the president, the party, or conservative values. He simply didn’t lead the House well. By contrast, it was the Senate under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s critical and exemplary work stewarding critical judicial appointments through a narrow Senate majority for the past two years that made all the difference in terms of advancing traditional values and the constitutional rule of law, which will protect families for generations to come.
The results also demonstrate that female voters are supporting conservatism across the country. Women bore witness to the extreme progressive agenda in action with the “believe women” movement, as hostile Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee behaved cruelly and unfairly during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation. The resulting “Kavanaugh effect” helped ensure critical conservative pick-ups in the Senate.
Even while prominent Hollywood activists like Oprah campaigned for “rising female star” candidates such as Stacy Abrams, women are showing through our vote that we will not be bullied into passive acceptance of progressive ideology. Sure, there are some exceptions in heavily Democrat districts, but to think that women generally are monolithic enough to simply vote based on gender, abortion on demand, or a single feminist issue is insulting.
Women understand profoundly what is at stake holistically for our families, children, husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. Women should support women and men who support the rule of law, and more women are recognizing the value of conservatism in the wake of the Kavanaugh drama. We need to continue encouraging even more women to galvanize and support traditional values through their voice and their vote.
For conservatives moving forward from the midterms, Republicans need to focus on new House leadership, continue to confirm excellent judicial nominees in the Senate, and ignore the Democrats’ inevitable obstructionism, all while advancing conservative policy priorities, including the administration’s emphasis on religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and defunding Planned Parenthood.
This will further galvanize and consolidate the president’s evangelical support because as was clear last night, where evangelicals (including evangelical women) turned out to vote in states such as Florida, that made the difference. In a post-election survey from the Christian Coalition, self-identified evangelicals comprised 26 percent of the vote and voted 80 percent for the GOP. Self-identified Christians were 35 percent of the vote and voted 86 percent GOP. Mass-attending Roman Catholics were 16 percent of the electorate and voted 65 percent GOP. Christian Coalition also notes that in Florida, evangelicals were 30 percent of the vote (compared to 21 percent in 2016) and voted 80 percent for Senate hopeful Rick Scott and governor-elect Ron DeSantis.
Similar increases in the evangelical vote were seen in every key Senate race and most governor races across the country. This is no small margin of influence.
Preserving and protecting liberty and freedom requires nonstop vigilance. Conservatives must continue to pray for and engage with our civil society. Every victory is important, but we must press on with action. I’m encouraged that America is genuinely trending conservative again.
Jenna Ellis (@jennaellisJDFI) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is Director of Public Policy at the James Dobson Family Institute. She is a constitutional law attorney, radio host, and the author of The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution. She can be reached at [email protected].
