T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
THE YEAR OF THE MIDTERM BY CAROL INE PURTLE
I t is officially 2022! And this is the year of the midterm. Being proactive on social media, sharing articles and engaging in comment sections is a guilty pleasure of this era, but the only true civic duty citizens have is at the ballot box. The upcoming midterm elections will be held Tuesday, November 8, 2022. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are contested, as well as 34 of the 100 Senate seats, including one of the Arkansas Senate seats. Texas governor will also be decided, marking a possible third term for incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R). To vote in the next elections, registration must be completed in the state of residency. The Texas application is mail-in only. The Arkansas registration application is mail-in or may be completed in person at various official locations, such as the county clerk’s office or any public library. Texarkana is in the First Congressional District of Texas. Since 2004, Representative Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) has presided over the district. He is not seeking re-election in the upcoming midterm, but his name will still be on the ballot in the state of Texas. According to his official campaign website, Gohmert announced on November 22 he would run for attorney general against incumbent Ken Paxton (R). Aditya Atholi is the new House Republican candidate to represent District 1. Previously a staff member for Rep. Gohmert, Atholi aims to succeed his mentor in the next congressional election. According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Atholi is from Center, Texas, and joined the Marines after graduating from Rice University; after working several years in the oilfields, he’s trying his hand at politics.
He is running against Democratic candidate, Rosey Quinn. Her FEC Candidacy Form states her Twitter campaign handle is “@rosey_quinn2021,” but the account does not exist. More information about Quinn could not be found. Texarkana is in the Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas. It is currently represented by Bruce Westerman (R-Hot Springs). Senator John Boozman (R) is also seeking re-election. Texas does not have gubernatorial term limits, and it has a plural executive branch. This means power is divided among several government positions, a constitutional measure meant to keep the governor’s power in check. The lieutenant governor is one of these positions—currently held by Dan Patrick (R)—and a popular belief is that the position has more power, or influence, than the governor’s. That being said, Texas governor is still a coveted position and is considered “the face” of the state. Republicans have held Texas in their grips for decades and Democrats cannot seem to shake it loose. But in the 2022 election, Republicans are fighting themselves for it. Three new, yet familiar, names joined the next Republican Primary on March 1 to challenge Governor Abbott including Allen West, Don Huffines and Chad Prather. Since the Republican focus is divided at home, 2022 shows promise for Democrats if they are able to mobilize voters. Former Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-T) attained national stardom during his 2018 senate campaign against incumbent Senator Ted Cruz (R-T), and later sought the Democratic presidential party nomination banking on name recognition. He has spent months
38
B U S I N E S S & P O L I T I C S
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs