| Parliament name |
Congress |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name |
Senate |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
House of Representatives
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
2 November 2010 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for one-third of the seats of the Senate on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
At stake in the 2010 midterm elections were all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 37 seats in the 100-member Senate (see note).
In the previous elections held in November 2008
in parallel with the presidential elections
the Democrats won 257 seats in the House of Representatives while the Republicans took 178. In the Senate elections
the Democrats won 20 seats
bringing their total to 59 seats (including support from two independents)
thus narrowly failing to win the 60 seats required to avoid filibustering (the use of procedural hurdles to obstruct the passage of legislation). The Republicans took 15 seats in 2008
holding 41 seats in all. In the presidential elections
Mr. Barack Obama secured 53 per cent of the popular vote (and 365 votes in the electoral college)
thereby becoming the first African American to accede to the highest office in the United States.
President Obama was elected on his pledge to restore the country's economy. In February 2009
the Democrat-led Congress passed a US$ 787 billion economic stimulus bill that was opposed by the Republicans. In March 2010
Congress passed a health care reform bill
opposed by Republicans and some Democrats
which President Obama signed into law later the same month. The reform aims to extend medical coverage to some 30 million uninsured persons by 2014 and prohibit insurers from refusing coverage to persons with medical problems. Democrats hailed the law as a historic act while Republicans argued that the plan would lead to a government takeover of the country's private health care system and would result in higher premiums and taxes.
The economy
health care reform and the federal deficit remained the major issues in the 2010 elections. Both the Democrats and Republicans promised to create more jobs
and make the country's economy more competitive. Although official statistics showed that the country's recession ended in June 2010
the unemployment rate remained high
at 9.6 per cent in September 2010
up from 6.2 per cent in September 2008. The federal budget deficit is expected to reach US$ 1.56 trillion in 2010
up from a record $ 1.41 trillion in the 2009 fiscal year.
The Democrats were reportedly losing ground due to the country's economic difficulties. The Republicans pledged to reduce the size of federal government
stop its "out-of control spending" and repeal "the government takeover of health care". House Republican leader John Boehner
who was aspiring to become the new House Speaker
promised to cut spending and keep taxes at current levels. Republican Whip Eric Cantor launched the "YouCut" programme
whereby people can vote online to identify the spending cuts they want to see the House enact (with a view to implementing them in the federal budget).
The election campaign revealed dissent among the Democrats. Few candidates openly defended the health care reform
with some emphasizing that they had opposed the bill. A number of Democratic candidates and incumbents in Republican-leaning districts reportedly distanced themselves from outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Her crucial role in the passage of the health care reform and her support for extending federal funding for abortions made her a target of attacks from conservatives. President Obama and Vice President Biden for their part urged voters' support for Democrats
arguing that it would be destructive and irresponsible to let Congress fall back into the hands of Republicans.
Prior to the 2010 elections
a grass-roots conservative movement emerged
known as the Tea Party. It favours limited government
low taxes and reduced public spending. The Tea Party
which has not officially been registered as a political party
included prominent Republican figures such as former vice-presidential candidate Ms. Sarah Palin
Senator Jim Demint
former House Republican leader Dick Armey and House member Michelle Bachmann. Ms. Bachmann helped create the Tea Party Congressional Caucus comprising 52 of the 178 House Republicans. In the 2010 elections
138 Tea Party-backed candidates (129 for the House and nine for the Senate)
all Republicans
were vying for seats.
The elections to the House of Representatives resulted in the largest swing since 1948
giving a resounding victory for the Republicans. They took 242 of the 435 seats at stake
up from 178 in 2008
while the Democrats' share was reduced from 257 to 193. In the Senate elections
the Democrats narrowly retained their majority
winning 13 seats
bringing their total to 53 (including support from two independents)
while the Republicans won 24 seats
to hold 47 seats in all. Unofficial sources indicated that around 70 candidates endorsed by the Tea Party movement were elected to Congress.
The newly elected Congress was convened on 5 January 2011. The House elected Mr. John Boehner (Republican) as its new Speaker. Vice President Biden (Democrat) and Daniel K. Inouye (Democrat) continue to serve as President and President pro tempore of the Senate.
Note:
34 seats were renewed upon the normal end of the senators' term of office. Three other seats in Delaware
New York and West Virginia were subject to special elections after they had been vacated by Mr. Joseph Biden (elected US Vice-President)
Ms. Hillary Clinton (appointed as Secretary of State) and Mr. Robert Byrd
who passed away in June 2010. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 2 November 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
Seats 2010 |
Number of women |
|
|
| Democratic Party |
51
|
13 |
12 |
|
|
| Republican Party |
47
|
24 |
5 |
|
|
| Independents |
2
|
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
32
5
13.51%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Note on the "Distribution of seats according to sex":
The "Distribution of seats according to sex" above shows the breakdown for the senators elected in 2010: 5 women of 37 senators
or 13.51%. After the 2010 elections
there were 17 women in all out of 100 senators
or 17.00%.
Sources:
US Congressional Research Service
Library of Congress (23.11.2010
24.11.2010)
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Class_III.htm |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
