November 4, 1986
The Democrats on the Upswing again
At this midterm election, the Democrats have been on the upswing again. They regained the majority in the Senate. The Republican majority in the Senate of 53:47 has been reversed in favor of the Democrats to 55:45. Thereby, the important chairmanships of the Senate committees are returned into the hands of the Democrats. In the House, the Democrats could increase their majority. This election proved that the “coattail effect” of Ronald Reagan has lost its effectiveness. With only 37.5%, it had the weakest voter turnout since 1942.