In the mid-term elections held under President Joe Biden (Democrat), the Democrats narrowly retained control of the 100-member Senate (see note 1) while Republicans regained a majority in the 435-member House of Representatives.

The 2022 elections were held against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine that started in February. The war has triggered a global financial downturn and a steady rise in the cost of living in the United States. The elections were also the first to be held after the Supreme Court ruling of June 2022 that overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling. As a result, abortion rights were pushed to the centre of the electoral debate, along with the economy, inflation and immigration (see note 2).

Note 1:
Democrats held 51 seats in the 100-member Senate after the 2022 elections, which renewed 35 seats. In addition, the Vice President of the United States (Democrat), who is also the President of the Senate, may cast tie-breaking votes. Democrats have therefore retained control of the Senate.

Note 2:
The 1973 Roe v Wade ruling had granted the right to abortion in the United States. The 2022 ruling triggered widespread protests across the country. President Joe Biden has described the ruling as a “sad day” for the country. Democrats tried to pass a federal law to protect the right to abortion. Republicans argued that abortion regulations should be handled by US states. At least 13 states had banned most abortions by November 2022.