United States House Of Representatives Elections, 2022

Punchbowl reported: "As the Afghanistan crisis unfolded this week, vulnerable Democrats -- and those lawmakers running for other offices -- are walking a fine line on the issue. They’re stuck between a need to express their dismay at the debacle in Kabul and their desire to avoid sharply criticizing President Joe Biden. As a result, reading their statements is an instructive exercise in how endangered lawmakers are trying to thread that needle. A common theme we noticed is Democrats saying they’re horrified about the situation in the Southwest Asian nation, which is followed immediately by an acknowledgement that the “blame game” should take place at some future, unspecified date."^[1]

American Action Network surveyed Americans in 7 middle-of-the-road congressional districts to gauge voter sentiment about economic proposals being considered in Congress. The data show the left's "Build Back Better" agenda is viewed as toxic, and Americans believe the liberal $3.5 trillion spending proposal will only increase the economic pain families are already feeling.^[2]

A former strategist for the Clintons has admitted that Democrats may lose its appeal to suburban voters, stating that the party:^[3]

“	...have gone too far to the left on key issues for educated suburban voters.	”
—Mark Penn, former Clinton adviser and pollster

Amidst strong speculations of a red wave in 2022, Republican congressional leader Tom Emmer of Minnesota's 6th district posed an ultimatum to swing district Democrat representatives:^[4]

“	Vulnerable House Democrats have a choice to make over Thanksgiving. Retire or lose.	”
—Tom Emmer, November 2021

Following the upset victory of Republican Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election attributed to strong support from the suburban voter bloc who had shift away from the GOP in the Trump era, the NRCC expanded its aims in 2022 for unseating Democrats.^[5]

California[edit]

For the first time in the state's history, its Congressional delegation lost a seat (from 53 to 52, but it still remains the largest delegation).

The California Assembly has no role in redistricting, a supposedly "independent commission" (consisting of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four persons "not members of either party" solely determines the boundaries of the districts.

CA–3 district[edit]

Incumbent white privileged^{[Citation Needed]} Democrat John Garamendi is running for re-election.^[6]

CA–40 district (open)[edit]

Democrat congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard is retiring.^[7]

Florida[edit]

The boundaries of Florida's Districts have not been determined as of December 2021 (the 2020 Census ultimately gave Florida one new seat). The process is controlled by the Florida Legislature subject to the veto of the Florida Governor; both chambers and the Governor's office are controlled by Republicans. However, an amendment to the Florida Constitution requires the districts to be "as compact as possible" (allowing, for example, an elongated district in the Florida Keys), thus limiting the ability to gerrymander districts to favor one party or the other.

FL–7th district (open)[edit]

Rep. Stephanie Murphy expressed regret for the situation and said the United States should have acted differently -- without specifying an entity or leader to blame:^[8]

“	The situation in Afghanistan is heartbreaking. I recognize there are no easy choices here, but the U.S. should have done more to prevent this worst-case scenario. Now we must do whatever we can to support our Afghan allies and protect our national security interests.	”
—Murphy, August 17, 2021

Murphy initially announced a run for U.S. Senate to oust Sen. Marco Rubio (which would set off an intense primary battle), though changed her mind on May 24, 2021 in stating her intent to instead seek re-election to another House term.^[9] The following day, Navy SEAL and Republican Brady Duke announced his run for the seat to unseat Murphy.^[10]

On December 20, 2021, Murphy announced that she would retire from the House rather than seek re-election.^[11]

FL–7 Republican primary[edit]

Among several GOP candidates vying for the party nomination to challenge Rep. Murphy, Duke has been a vocal opponent of incumbent White House officeholder Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, stating in November 2021:^[12]

“	I think it’s really sad to see the leadership at this point seeming to be careless about taking responsibility for what was a botched withdrawal.	”
—Brady Duke, November 2021

FL–10th district (open)[edit]

Establishment Democrat Val Demings, a Democrat Senate candidate running against Marco Rubio, released a five-tweet statement on Afghanistan that failed to mention Biden once. Instead, Demings praised the U.S. military and pledged to support national security personnel:^[13]

“	Our immediate priority must be ensuring the safety and security of our troops, diplomats, aid workers, and the many Afghans who served with us. They were instrumental in supporting America and our allies, and we need to do everything we can for them.	”
—Demings, August 16, 2021

FL–13th district (open)[edit]

This district, covering a large part of Pinellas County (west and south of Tampa) is represented by former Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Crist is retiring to make another run as Governor (Florida allows its governors to serve two terms total, Crist served one term from 2007-2011 and unsuccessfully ran in 2014). He originally retired to make a run for United States Senator; when the state Republican Party chose to fund the race of Marco Rubio instead, he left and became an independent, before becoming a Democrat. Four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Libertarian have declared their intent to run. PVI has this race as "EVEN" and is heavily being targeted by the national Republican Party.^[14]

Illinois[edit]

Illinois lost one seat after the 2020 Census (the 18th District). As the Legislature is heavily Democrat, they redrew the districts, shrinking likely Republican districts from five to three, and further placed two incumbent Republicans against each other in the 12th District (both incumbents are running) and the 16th District (the 16th District incumbent is retiring while the 18th District incumbent is running).

IL–16 district[edit]

Adam Kinzinger, the staunchly anti-Trump Republican representative from Illinois' 16th congressional district, is retiring from the House.^[15] Kinzinger, who had suspiciously received a copy of the Steele dossier early amidst the Russian collusion hoax,^[16] was an outspoken advocate of impeaching and removing Trump following the 2021 Capitol riot, and has erroneously smeared other Republicans to appease left-wing snowflakes.

Darin LaHood, redistricted from the 18th district (which Illinois lost after the 2020 Census) into the 16th, is running, and faces an opponent in the primary. PVI has this district as R+13.^[14]

Iowa[edit]

IA–3rd district[edit]

Following consideration on potentially seeking to replace Kim Reynolds as Governor of Iowa, Democrat Cindy Axne announced her reelection bid.^[17][18] The congressional district is a key swing race, as Axne in 2020 narrowly defeated Republican predecessor David Young^[19] (who sought his old seat) while Donald Trump carried the district by a 0.1% margin over Biden in the same presidential election.^[14]

The rural counties in the area strongly lean Republican, although the suburbs of Des Moines and West Des Moines have shifted towards the Democrats in recent years. The current abysmal approval rating Iowa voters throughout the state have of White House officeholder Biden may indicate a significant shift of the race towards the GOP.^[20]

Massachusetts[edit]

MA–6th district[edit]

Democrat Seth Moulton is seeking re-election. In August 2021, Moulton traveled to Afghanistan along with Republican Rep. Peter Meijer to see for themselves the Biden regime's botched withdrawal effort and resulting humanitarian crisis after the Fall of Kabul.^[21]

Maine[edit]

Golden (left) and Poliquin (right).

ME–2 district[edit]

Incumbent left-wing Democrat Jared Golden, who seeks re-election,^[22] is challenged by Republican predecessor Bruce Poliquin.^[23] Political experts viewed Poliquin's August 2021 announcement as interesting due to his timing in attempting to make a political comeback,^[24] having been defeated for re-election in the 2018 midterms due to Maine's then-newly enacted ranked-choice voting.

Golden in November 2021 was the only House Democrat to oppose the "Build Back Better Act," a massive spending bill.^[25] This was after the American Action Network a month prior heavily targeted him over the issue.^[26]

ME–2 Democrat primary[edit]

Golden is facing a challenge from Democrat Michael Sutton, who is running to his left as a hard-core progressive in seeking to deny renomination in the upcoming Democrat primary.^[27]

Some left-wing constituents in the district have expressed their disdain for Golden following his vote against the "Build Back Better Act" spending bill, setting up a potentially formidable intraparty battle.^[28]

ME–2 Republican primary[edit]

In July 2021, 27 year-old state senator Trey Stewart from District 2 announced his run for the seat against Golden.^[29] Following Poliquin's announced bid, Stewart dropped out of the race and endorsed the former GOP representative as a gesture of party unity, stating in a news release:^[30]

“	Although I was very excited to run, and feel that I could go toe-to-toe with the incumbent, I’ve decided to withdraw from the race out of deference to my friend and mentor, Congressman Bruce Poliquin.	”
—Trey Stewart, August 2021

Maryland[edit]

MD–1st district[edit]

Andy Harris, the strongly conservative GOP congressman representing Maryland's 1st congressional district that has been solidly Republican in past election cycles, is facing re-election in a newly drawn district. Democrats in the state with a notorious reputation for partisan gerrymandering are currently attempting to deny him re-election by redrawing boundary lines making the district significantly more liberal.^[31]

The effort to gerrymander Maryland's 1st district has even drawn criticism from Democrats; a Democrat who ran against Harris in 2020 commented:^[32]

“	The cost is more than just one congressional seat. Voters aren't going to forget this, and there's going to be a price to pay.	”
—Allison Galbraith, Democrat contender against Harris in 2020

Michigan[edit]

MI–3rd district[edit]

Republican Peter Meijer has not yet announced his intent for the 2022 midterms. In August 2021, Meijer traveled to Afghanistan along with Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton to see for themselves the Biden regime's botched withdrawal effort and resulting humanitarian crisis after the Fall of Kabul.

MI–3 Republican primary[edit]

Meijer has elicited substantial criticism from conservatives after voting to impeach President Trump over the 2021 Capitol riot that the latter did not participate in. John Gibbs, a former official for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is running to deny Meijer renomination and received Trump's endorsement:^[33]

“	John Gibbs is a fabulous talent who loves the State, our Military, and our Vets. He will always protect our Second Amendment, our Southern Border, and the Police – there will be no defunding with John!	”
—Trump, November 2021

MI–6 district[edit]

Fred Upton, who has represented Michigan's 6th congressional district for several decades, is running for re-election. Holding a reputation as an establishment Republican, he voted to impeach Trump over the 2021 Capitol riot and has bucked the party on crucial issues such as border security by opposing funding for a border wall.^[34]

MI–6 Republican primary[edit]

Upton is facing a primary challenge from Steve Carra, a state legislator Trump endorsed^[35][36] in a statement criticizing the incumbent RINO congressman:^[37]

“	Upton has not done the job that our Country needs, for years has talked about leaving office and not running again, and he voted for Impeachment of the President of the United States on rigged up charges. He doesn't deserve to keep his seat.	”
—Trump, September 2021

MI–8th district[edit]

Incumbent liberal Democrat Elissa Slotkin has not made clear whether she would run for re-election. A deceitful denier of far-left domestic terrorism, Slotkin claims that Antifa is an "ideology" and are "boogeyman who aren't there."^[38] In September 2020, Slotkin vowed not to leave Washington, D.C. until a coronavirus relief bill was negotiated.^[39] She was soon spotted leaving for an airport to return head home without such legislation successfully pushed through, and replied "no comment" when questioned by a reporter.^[40]

Slotkin supports the Iran nuclear deal which gave $150 billion to the Middle Eastern country and lifted sanctions.^[41] In late September 2021, it was reported that Iran violated agreements with a nuclear inspection agreement involving the United Nations.^[42]

At one point, Slotkin vowed to oppose a massive spending bill if it could not be "fully paid for"; she ultimately voted to pass it despite a projection by the Congressional Budget Office that it would contribute a deficit of $160 billion.^[43]

A top aide to Slotkin, Mona Shand, is part of a "diversity council" board that lobbies for the teaching of critical race theory in public schools.^[44]

MI–8 Republican primary[edit]

Mike Bishop, who represented the congressional district before losing to Slotkin in the 2018 midterms, expressed interest in potentially running to reclaim his old House seat.^[45]

MI–11th district[edit]

Rep. Haley Stevens has not yet announced her intent on whether to seek re-election in the 2022 elections. Stevens has been called a "coward" by a constituent for declining to give her stance on critical race theory,^[46] which a majority of Americans oppose.^[47]

Previously in 2020, Stevens endorsed a misogynist blogger for Congress.^[48]

In September 2021 following a recess, Stevens planned an extensive vacation amidst a marriage despite the dates coinciding with crucial House votes on amendments pertaining to a massive spending bill, choosing to skip work over attending congressional sessions.^[49]

MI–11 Republican primary[edit]

Eric Esshaki, who ran against Stevens in 2020 and lost by a margin closer than expected, announced on November 6, 2021 a rematch to unseat her in the 2022 midterms.^[50] He released the following statement on Twitter:^[51]

“	This past year, the radical Left has proven just how much they can try to run America into the ground. I am running for Congress again because the people of Michigan have been left behind.	”
—Eric Esshaki, November 2021

Missouri[edit]

MO–1st district[edit]

Democrat socialist Cori Bush is running for reelection. Bush led an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.^[53]

MO–1 Democrat primary[edit]

MO–1 Republican primary[edit]

Nevada[edit]

Redistricting at the hands of the Democratic Party in Nevada caused the 3rd and 4th congressional districts to become slightly more Democrat-favoring, though doing so chipped away at the party strength in the 1st congressional district.^[54] As a result, all three of the Democrat-held seats are in jeopardy if Republicans perform strongly. An outraged Rep. Titus said of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) reaction:^[55]

“	[The DCCC] couldn’t believe a Democratic Legislature and governor would do this to themselves. [The legislature] could have created two safe seats for themselves and one swing. That would have been smart. [U.S. Rep.] Steven [Horsford] and mine and then a swing. No no, we have to have three that are very likely going down.	”
—Dina Titus, December 2021

NV–1 district[edit]

The state's first congressional district is held by Democrat Dina Titus, a profane leftist. Although it had earlier been solidly Democrat, voting for Biden in the 2020 presidential election by a margin of twenty-five points, it would only have favored Biden by nine points under the new boundaries.^[54] Titus responded with anger and upon learning the district became more competitive:^[55]

“	I totally got f***ed by the Legislature on my district. I’m sorry to say it like that, but I don’t know any other way to say it.	”
—Dina Titus, December 2021

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) responded:^[56]

“	Dina Titus sounds really worked up. Retiring might be a great way to help her take the edge off. Titus and her vulnerable colleagues have a tough decision to make: retire or get voted out anyway next fall.	”
—National Republican Congressional Committee, December 2021

NV–2 district[edit]

Nevada's second congressional district is represented by Mark Amodei, an establishment-leaning moderate conservative Republican. Due to the area's consistent Republican leanings and far-left inroads into the Nevada Democrat establishment, the election is expected to be a safe hold.^[54]

NV–3 district[edit]

The third congressional district of Nevada is held by Susie Lee, which was nearly tied between Trump and Biden in 2020 though would have favored the latter under the new boundaries by seven points.^[54] Roll Call currently rates the race "Lean Democratic."

NV–4 district[edit]

Steven Horsford is the current Democrat U.S. representative from Nevada's fourth congressional district. Redistricting made the area several percentage points more favorable for Democrats based on the 2020 election results by congressional district.^[54]

New Hampshire[edit]

NH–1 district[edit]

Incumbent Democrat representative Chris Pappas of New Hampshire's 1st congressional district initially did not make clear his political intentions for the 2022 midterms, though signified his intention on seeking re-election.^[57] He later announced in early December 2021 that he would run for a third House term.^[58]

NH–1 Republican primary[edit]

At least half a dozen Republican candidates have joined the House race with the hope of obtaining the nomination and potentially unseating Rep. Pappas.^[59] This includes Matt Mowers, who unsuccessfully challenged Pappas in 2020.

New Jersey[edit]

NJ–5 district[edit]

Josh Gottheimer, the incumbent left-wing Democrat congressman from New Jersey's fifth congressional district, is facing re-election in a potentially tight race, having won re-election by less than ten points in 2020 even though it was marked as a "safe" hold. The sharp shift in the state as a whole towards the GOP in the 2021 gubernatorial election may signify a possible tossup.

Gottheimer, an acolyte of Hillary Rodham Clinton, has reportedly invested in firms linked to the Chinese Communist Party.^[60]

NJ–5 Republican primary[edit]

Nick De Gregorio, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, announced in November 2021 his run for the House seat to oust Gottheimer, stating in a video:^[61]

“	Washington is leaderless. It's run by career politicians, radicals, socialists, who care more about their own political agenda than they do about the people that they've sworn an oath to serve. I swore an oath too, and this is not what I fought for. History will define us by what we do right here and now for the next generation of Americans. The fight for our future is not in some distant land anymore. It's right here at home. Now is the time to beat back socialism. Now is the time to safeguard our God given rights and liberties.	”
—Nick De Gregario, November 2021

Two other Republican candidates, 2020 nominee Frank Pallotta and Sussex County school board member Nicholas D'Agostino, have also announced their runs for the seat.^[61]

NJ–7 district[edit]

Incumbent Democrat representative Tom Malinowski, a rubber stamp for Biden,^[62] is running for re-election.^[63] In early March 2021, Malinowski violated federal law by failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock transactions, despite being a transparency advocate.^[64]

Malinowski said in April 2020 amidst the early phases of the coronavirus pandemic:^[65]

“

This is not the time for anybody to be profiting off of selling ventilators, vaccines, drugs, treatments, PPE (personal protective equipment), anywhere in the world.

”

During his stock trades, particularly in "short-selling," Malinowski benefited financially from medical companies and traded around one million dollars as Americans suffered from COVID-19.^[65] The House Ethics Committee finally started investigated his trades in early September 2021.^[66]

According to The Washington Free Beacon, Malinowski once lobbied for the release of Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay.^[67]

NJ–7 Republican primary[edit]

Republican state senator Thomas "Tom" Kean, Jr., who unsuccessfully ran against Malinowski in the 2020 House elections and very narrowly lost, is seeking a rematch to potentially oust the incumbent representative.^[68] Backed by the NRCC "Young Guns" program, Kean has stated:^[69]

“	I am running for Congress to be a leader in stabilizing affordability, inspiring economic growth and building infrastructure in North Jersey. Thank you to Leader McCarthy and the NRCC for believing in that mission. New Jersey deserves a Congressman who will serve with integrity and always put their best interests first. We will defeat Tom Malinowski.	”
—Tom Kean, Jr., November 2021

NJ–8 district (open)[edit]

Albio Sires, the current Democrat congressman from New Jersey's 8th congressional district, is retiring.^[70] The district is a stronghold for the Democratic Party is expected to be retained in the 2022 midterms.

NJ–8 Democrat primary[edit]

The expected leading contender in the Democrat primary to replace Sires is Robert J. Menendez, the son of Sen. Bob Menendez.^[70]

New York[edit]

NY–11 district[edit]

Nicole Malliotakis, the current Moderate Republican representative from New York's 11th district situated in Staten Island, has not yet announced her intent for 2022. She was elected in 2020, defeating mostly left-wing one-term Democrat Max Rose, who at times sought to break from progressives by condemning the anti-Semitism of Ilhan Omar in addition to excoriating Bill de Blasio as the "worst mayor in the history of New York City."

Rose announced in December 2021 a run for his old House seat.^[71] Malliotakis responded:^[72]

“	Last year, our community overwhelmingly rejected Max Rose because he was a rubber-stamp for Nancy Pelosi 96 percent of the time and supported the Defund the Police movement that slashed $1 billion from the NYPD’s budget and implemented dangerous policies like cashless bail that made our families and neighborhoods less safe. Since then, Rose has further embraced the most radical elements of his party. Rose has pushed Joe Biden’s disastrous agenda that has caused rising crime, run-away inflation, and a border crisis.	”
—Malliotakis, December 2021

Briefly after leaving office, Rose was appointed senior adviser to Biden junta Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.^[72]

NY–14 district[edit]

Incumbent socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seeks reelection. Tina Forte, also known as Bronx Tina on social media, is running in the Republican primary.^[73]

Ohio[edit]

OH–16 district (open)[edit]

Anthony Gonzalez, the current establishment Republican representing Ohio's 16th congressional district, is not running for re-election.^[74]

In January 2021, Gonzalez was one of ten Republican representatives to support impeaching Trump over the Capitol riot which the latter took no part in, drawing backlash from many conservatives. Prior to the announced retirement, former White House aide Max Miller announced his intent to run for the seat, receiving Trump's endorsement.^[75][76]

In his retirement announcement, Gonzalez lashed out at Trump, who responded in a statement:^[77]

“	RINO Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who has poorly represented his district in the Great State of Ohio, has decided to quit after enduring a tremendous loss of popularity, of which he had little, since his ill-informed and otherwise very stupid impeachment vote against the sitting President of the United States, me.	”
—Trump, September 2021

A number of Never Trumpers lamented of Gonzalez's retirement, including former establishment representatives Barbara Comstock and Charlie Dent, in addition to a strategist for Joe Walsh.^[78]

OH–16 Republican primary[edit]

Although Miller initially intended on seeking election from the 16th congressional district, he later announced in mid-November 2021 that he would run from another district.^[79]

Oklahoma[edit]

OK–2nd district[edit]

Republican Markwayne Mullin is running for reelection to a sixth House term.^[80] Mullin personally flew to Afghanistan to try rescuing an American woman and her four children left behind by the Biden regime,^[81] a move opposed by both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.^[82]

Mullin later confirmed that the evacuation effort was successful.^[83]

Oregon[edit]

OR–4 district[edit]

Peter DeFazio, the left-wing career politician in the House from Oregon's 4th congressional district, is retiring.^[84]

Rhode Island[edit]

Democrat James R. "Jim" Langevin blasted the Biden regime in a Foreign Policy op-ed, concluding the Kabul debacle was a “catastrophe” caused by Biden’s negligence. “This negligence was par for the course for the last U.S. administration. I am disappointed to see it now. At minimum, the Biden administration owed our Afghan allies of 20 years a real plan. They also owed it to our military service members and their families, particularly the men and women in uniform and their families who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Not to mention the women and girls of Afghanistan who are now experiencing a devastating new reality.”^[85]

Texas[edit]

Redistricting gave Texas two new House seats for a total of 38, making Texas' delegation the second-largest behind California. After redistricting, several incumbents have been moved to new districts, with two Democrats placed in the same district. As a result, the 8th, 15th, and 35th Districts are considered "new" districts with no incumbent.

The Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) only lists three of the 38 districts with an index of +5 or less (the 15th is D+1, the 23rd is R+5 and the 28th is D+5); thus the majority of seats -- even with some incumbents retiring -- will likely remain in the hands of the current political party holding them (the current breakdown is 13 Democrats and 23 Republicans).^[14]

TX–1 (open)[edit]

This district, covering much of East Texas, has been served by Louie Gohmert since 2004. Gohmert is retiring to run as Texas Attorney General,^[86] setting off a potentially bruising primary battle with Ken Paxton and George P. Bush. Two Republicans have declared their intent to run for the House seat, and PVI has this district as R+26.

TX–2 (open)[edit]

This district, covering the northeastern Houston suburbs and the Kingwood area of Houston, is represented by Kevin Brady as the incumbent; he was redistricted out of the 8th District. Brady has announced his retirement. Two Republicans have declared their intent to run. PVI has this district as R+16.

TX–8 (open)[edit]

This district, covering the northern and northwestern Houston suburbs (notably the wealthy The Woodlands suburb), was represented by Kevin Brady until he was redistricted into the 2nd District. Twelve Republicans, and one Democrat, have declared their intent to run. PVI has this district as R+17.

TX–15 district (open)[edit]

Vicente Gonzalez, the current liberal Democrat congressman from Texas' 15th congressional district, was moved into the 34th district following redistricting.^[87] The area he currently represents swung heavily towards the GOP in 2020,^[14] making the district highly competitive for the 2022 midterms.

According to Roll Call, the swing district is considered "Tilt Republican."^[88] PVI lists this as D+1, the smallest index of any Texas Congressional District.^[14]

TX–15 Democrat primary[edit]

The Democrats running in the 15th district to succeed Gonzalez include Eliza Alvarado, a former official in the Department of Labor, in addition to lobbyist Roberto Haddad.^[88]

TX–15 Republican primary[edit]

Republican Monica De La Cruz, who unsuccessfully tried to unseat Gonzalez in 2020 with expectations of a safe blue hold and came within three percentage points of a victory with no significant GOP establishment backing nor attention, is running for the seat again.^[88] Other candidates include Ryan Krause, who also sought the seat in 2020, as well as Mauro Garza, an unsuccessful contender for Joaquin Castro's House seat.^[88]

TX–23 district[edit]

Texas' 23rd congressional district, which expands across the southwestern portion of the state, is currently represented by mostly conservative Republican Tony Gonzales, a veteran of the United States Navy who succeeded Moderate Republican and establishmentarian Will Hurd. The seat was anticipated for a likely Democrat victory in 2020, where Gonzales pulled through an upset victory over liberal Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones due to the Hispanic trend towards the GOP.

According to Roll Call, which rated the race "Likely Republican," redistricting has made the district slightly more favorable to Republicans, as Trump's 2-point win in the area during 2020 would have expanded to 7 points under the new lines.^[88] PVI lists this as R+5, the smallest index of any Texas Congressional District where the GOP is considered to have an advantage.^[14]

TX–28 district[edit]

For a more detailed treatment, see United States House of Representatives election in Texas' 28th district, 2022.

Henry Cuellar, the incumbent moderately liberal Democrat U.S. representative from Texas' 28th congressional district, is facing re-election in an area that has sharply moved towards the GOP in 2020 as Latinos moved away from the Democratic Party.^[89] Once a considerably more Democrat-favoring district, it is now considered a potential tossup. Cuellar, who is targeted from both sides of the political spectrum,^[90][91] has stated of his less radical voting record:^[92]

“

By centrist, basically, I vote my district. If people come up here and just vote [their] political party, then you can send anybody. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Democrat or a Republican.

”

In late September 2021, Cuellar was the only House Democrat to vote against an extreme pro-abortion bill.^[93]

According to Roll Call, the race is currently "Likely Democratic" due to little GOP fundraising in addition to redistricting that made the congressional district slightly more Democrat-favoring; while the area was won by Biden by only 4 percentage points under the original boundaries, the narrowly carry would've expanded by three points under the new lines.^[14][88] PVI lists this as D+5.

TX–28 Democrat primary[edit]

Cuellar is currently facing a challenge by far-left Democrat Jessica Cisneros, who unsuccessfully attempted to deny him renomination in 2020.^[94] Cisneros is endorsed by the progressive and infamously anti-Semitic^[95] Sunrise Movement.^[96]

In late August 2021, Cuellar was among nine House Democrats targeted by the far-left Justice Democrats, who a campaigns spokesperson described as "grifters."^[97]

TX–28 Republican primary[edit]

The Republican candidates vying for the seat include Sandra Whitten, who unsuccessfully challenged Cuellar in 2020, as well as businessman Ed Cabrera.^[88]

TX–30 (open)[edit]

This district, covering south Dallas and the neighboring suburbs (which are predominantly Black), is represented by Eddie Bernice Johnson, an outspoken Armenian genocide denier.^[98] Johnson, who has been elected from the district since it was created, is retiring.^[99] Nine Democrats have declared their intent to run. PVI has this district as D+27, tied for the most partisan district in the state.

TX–34 district (open)[edit]

The 34th congressional district of Texas is currently represented by Filemon Vela, Jr., who has been in the House since 2013 but is retiring. The seat is currently sought out by Vicente Gonzalez of the 15th district, who received the support of the retiring Vela.^[87] Similar to neighboring districts, the Hispanic-majority constituency heavily trended towards the Republican Party in 2020.^[14][89] However PVI lists this district as D+12.

TX–34 Democrat primary[edit]

Gonzalez, who earlier showed signs of potentially avoiding a reputation of being a rubber stamp for incumbent White House officeholder Biden's far-left agenda, was targeted by the far-left Justice Democrats, who erroneously confused him with establishment Republican Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio.^[97]

TX–35 (open)[edit]

This district, covering minority portions of San Antonio along with parts of liberal Austin, was represented by Lloyd Doggett until he was redistricted into the new 37th District. Four Democrats have declared their intent to run. PVI has this district as D+21.

Virginia[edit]

VA–2nd district[edit]

For a more detailed treatment, see United States House of Representatives election in Virginia's 2nd district, 2022.

Establishment Democrat Elaine Luria, a member of the Gang of Nine, is facing re-election in a potential tossup.

A liberal hypocrite, Luria opposes school choice and voted against incentives for re-opening schools (in spite of the consequences of school closings) even though she sends her own daughter to a private school which re-opened early.^[100]

VA–2 Republican primary[edit]

Among the Republicans running for the seat include Jennifer A. "Jen" Kiggans, a current state senator from the 7th district and, similar to Luria, a former member of the United States Navy.^[101] In her announcement, Kiggans stated:

“	I’ve battled the liberal, one-party rule in Richmond, but we are now facing an even bigger threat in Washington. Our Congresswoman has voted with Nancy Pelosi 92% of the time and sides with a radical agenda that is wreaking havoc on our economy, our national security, and our Commonwealth.	”
—Kiggans, 2021

VA–7th district[edit]

Abigail Spanberger, a liberal Democrat who represents Virginia's 7th congressional district, is facing a tossup in the 2022 midterms in a swing district that only narrowly re-elected her in 2020. The seat was previously represented by Dave Brat, an adamant conservative who denied Eric Cantor renomination in the 2014 midterms.

VA–7 Republican primary[edit]

Taylor Keeney, a suburban Republican, is vying for the Republican Party nomination in hopes of unseating Spanberger.^[102] Keeney stated in a video:

“

There are two Abigail Spanbergers: candidate Spanberger who will say anything to get elected — and congresswoman Spanberger, deeply partisan. I’m tired of Abigail Spanberger’s hypocrisy and the Democrats’ extreme agenda. And I’m tired of the same career politicians failing to flip this seat from blue, back to red.

”

Washington[edit]

Under Washington state law, all candidates running for Congress compete in a single primary election irrespective of party, with the top two proceeding to the ballot for the general election.

WA–3 district[edit]

Jaime Herrera Beutler is running for re-election. She was an outspoken advocate of impeaching and convicting Trump over the Capitol riot which the latter was not involved in,^[103] and consequentially faces a number of conservative intraparty challengers.^[104] Although once campaigning as a firebrand conservative in being elected to Congress during the Tea Party movement, she has become an establishmentarian and sometimes sides with liberal Democrats.

WA–3 primary[edit]

Among the Republicans running to challenge Beutler include Joe Kent, a veteran and gold star husband who received the endorsement of Trump in early September 2021.^{[105][106][107]}

WA–4 district[edit]

Incumbent Dan Newhouse of Washington's 4th congressional district, who has family ties to Kelly, Drye and Warren LLP,^[108] is seeking re-election. He was among the House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021,^[104] subsequently eliciting backlash from six GOP county leaders who told him to resign.^[109]

WA–4 primary[edit]

Due to Newhouse's anti-Trump stance, several Republicans announced their runs for the seat to oust him.^[104] These include Brad Klippert, a state representative,^[109] as well as businessman Jerrold Sessler. Klippert's campaign stated in May 2021:^[110]

“	Newhouse has failed to represent our district by voting to impeach President Trump under faulty pretenses, it’s no surprise he is supporting others that did the same.	”
—Woodrow Johnson, spokesperson for Klippert's campaign

West Virginia[edit]

WV–2 district[edit]

Following the 2020 census, West Virginia lost a congressional district; the previous 1st and 2nd districts will become merged into a new 2nd congressional district.^[111]

Both incumbent Republican congressmen David McKinley of the 1st district and Alex Mooney of the 2nd district are running,^[112] setting up a potentially bruising primary battle. Mooney, who is strongly conservative, received the endorsement of Trump over McKinley, who is more moderate and establishment-leaning.^[113]

McKinley voted for the massive "infrastructure" pork bill, and has been criticized by Trump while endorsed by former Democrat Andrew Yang.^[114]

Wyoming (at-large)[edit]

Liz Cheney, the establishment neoconservative U.S. representative and supporter of endless war^[115] from Wyoming's at-large district, is facing re-election in an environment where she may potentially be denied renomination. After becoming a staunch opponent of Trump and voting to impeach him over the Capitol riot which the president had no direct involvement in, several Republicans announced bids to unseat her in the primary.

Cheney, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted in late September 2021 to draft women for the U.S. military,^[116] a longtime goal of the liberal Equal Rights Amendment. This is despite Cheney previously proclaiming to oppose such a measure.^[117]

WY Republican primary[edit]

Among Cheney's primary opponents include Harriet Hageman, a trial attorney^[118] who previously supported her in 2016.^[119] However, Hageman is currently campaigning as an ally of Trump, and received the president's endorsement in early September 2021.^[120]

In an op-ed published on November 11, 2021, Hageman denounced Cheney for voting with Democrats to promote efforts long sought out by neoconservatives and liberals.^[121]

Another Republican candidate, Chuck Gray, initially entered the race to unseat Cheney though expressed a likelihood to drop out if Trump endorsed someone else in order to avoid splitting the votes of the Republican base,^[122] a scenario that can result in Cheney being renominated. Indeed, he suspended his campaign when Trump endorsed Hageman and also announced his support for the trial lawyer.^[123]

See also[edit]

• 2022 Midterm elections
• United States Senate elections, 2020
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2020

References[edit]