4 outside decisions that gave Republicans control of the House

The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web

The Capitol.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

Republicans finally won control of the House more than a week after the 2022 midterm elections, but their victory was significantly smaller than they had hoped, than polls had forecast, and than historical trends had suggested it should have been.

The GOP's disappointing victory, and the Democrats' better-than-expected loss, were due to lots of decisions made by individual campaigns, and in some cases, the quality of their candidates. But there were also circumstances out of the hands of the campaigns and their partners and donors. If any number of choices had gone the other way, Democrats would have retained control of Congress — or Republicans may have surfed their red wave to a much larger victory.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.