Democrats did far better than expected. How come? | Matthew Yglesias

There was no Republican red wave' after all. And abortion might be the reason why

Many known unknowns remain in the US congressional elections, including the critical question of who will hold the majority in the Senate.

But it's already clear that Republicans are going to perform far worse than the typical out-party in a midterm election. Democrats appear to be on track for a result that, while certainly not spectacular if viewed in isolation, is the best midterm performance for any incumbent party since 2002. There's nothing like the massive wave" elections of 1994, 2006, 2010 or 2018 here, or the steady opposition gains of 2014. In 1998, Democrats did break with precedent and actually gain seats in the House and Senate, despite holding the White House. But that was a question of shrinking existing Republican majorities.

Matthew Yglesias is a political commentator. He runs the SlowBoring Substack