Looking to vote in the midterm elections this year? Simply want to stay involved with or aware of who will be leading the government for the next few years? Look no further. The midterm elections are here once more, and it is rare that they bring so much hype, even to the Michiana region. Both Republicans and Democrats are aiming for huge turnout, but before you cast your ballot, you may want to know who’s on your ballot this November. Look no further–here’s a quick look at some of the key elections you’ll be hearing about this season.

Note: These elections are only for statewide races, ballot measures, and U.S Congress races for our area. Local elections will be previewed at a later date.

INDIANA

United States Senate
The state of Indiana has one of its two Senate seats up this November, which will see incumbent Republican Senator Todd Young take on the mayor of Hammond, Indiana, Democrat Tom McDermott. Both Young and McDermott are relatively standard members of their respective parties, with Young having voted with the vast majority of Republican proposals (or against Democrat ones) during his time in the Senate, and McDermott adopting most parts of the party’s issues for his own platform. The two will debate on October 16.

Secretary of State
The Secretary of State race is not necessarily one that gains much attention, but due to a variety of factors, it has emerged as a potential standout race this cycle. The race between Democrat Destiny Scott Wells and Republican Diego Morales has been polled to be unnaturally close for a statewide election. Wells is a combat veteran who is running on a platform of expanding and improving on Indiana’s voter turnout, which she claims ranks 46th in the nation. Morales is also a veteran, and is running on a commonly-held Republican plank to dramatically reform elections in the wake of President Biden’s 2020 victory, and the subsequent denial of the results from some members of the party.

2nd Congressional District
The vast majority of the Michiana area is contained in Indiana’s second congressional district, which was formerly represented by Jackie Walorski. However, Walorski’s tragic death in August has dramatically changed this race. Democrat Paul Steury, a high school science teacher is challenging Rudy Yakym, a Republican who has been endorsed by Walorski’s husband and other key Republican party members. This race technically will be on the ballot twice–due to Walorski’s death before the end of her term, voters will vote on who should fill out the remainder of her term (from November to January), AND who should hold the seat from that January until 2024. The same candidates are running for both races, so it’s possible to vote for the same candidate in both races (or mix and match).

Other Indiana Statewide Races
Indiana voters will also see races for state auditor and state treasurer on the ballot, where Democrat ZeNai Brooks will take on incumbent Republican Tera Klutz, and Democrat Jessica McClellan will take on Daniel Elliot, respectively.

MICHIGAN

Ballot Referendums
Rarely is a ballot initiative, or a state policy that voters directly get to cast votes on, one of the headliners of an election cycle. But 2022 has already shaped up to be an incredibly odd election cycle, so what’s a little more chaos? Three ballot initiatives will be voted on this fall, with the most notable being the decision on whether or not reproductive rights should be included within the state constitution. Currently, a 1931 law deems abortion illegal in the state, and with the overturn of Roe v. Wade last June, the law is primed to head back into effect. However, a lawsuit from Governor Whitmer has blocked the law’s enforcement temporarily as this measure will go out to voters to determine the legality of the procedure in the state. Currently, a “yes” vote would mean that abortion and other reproductive related matters will be legalized in the state under its constitution, a “no” vote would mean that they will not be.

Governor
After a chaotic primary election season that saw multiple Republican candidates disqualified for submitting fraudulent information to the state board of elections, and another candidate arrested by the FBI for partaking in the January 6th Capitol Riot, the Michigan governor’s election looks to be set. Incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer will take on Republican and conservative media personality and businesswoman Tudor Dixon. Whitmer will look to expand on a number of her previous priorities in office, particularly her highly quotable focus on infrastructure improvements (“fix the d*** roads!”). Dixon heavily focuses on Michigan’s families along with attacking Whitmer’s policies, notably the 2020 lockdown requirements that shuttered restaurants and businesses as the pandemic raged on.

5th Congressional District
Southwestern Michigan, formerly represented by longtime Republican Fred Upton in the 6th district, now is largely a part of the 5th district. Republican incumbent Tim Walberg looks to ward of a challenge from Democrat Bart Goldberg, Walberg claims to be “Michigan’s most conservative congressman”, and heavily promotes endorsements from the NRA, and Right to Life of Michigan. Goldberg aims to get inflation, gas prices, and the overall state of the economy under control in Congress, and aims to work bipartisanly on Capitol Hill.

Other Michigan Statewide Races
Like Indiana, Michigan also sees its fair share of smaller statewide races on the ballot this year. Incumbent Democrat Jocelyn Benson will attempt to be re-elected as Secretary of State over Republican foe Kristano Karamo, and Democrat Dana Nessel will seek to hold her Attorney General position over Republican challenger Matthew DePerno. The Attorney General race is especially notable, as DePerno is currently under investigation by the office for his repeated lawsuits to challenge Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Michigan.

These elections certainly are looking to be historic for a variety of reasons, but no matter how large or small they may be, one should always vote if eligible, or stay informed if not. For information on how to register to vote, one can visit https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/register-to-vote/ (Indiana), or https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Home/RegisterToVote (Michigan).