Last night, dozens of Tea Party-backed candidates were elected to the Senate and House. For some of the candidates, the Tea Party’s support gave them the campaign funds and exposure to win. For others, being affiliated with the Tea Party may have hindered their chances of being elected. One thing is certain though, the strength of the Tea Party was confirmed in the 2010 midterm elections.
In April 2010, some segments of the Tea Party drafted a “seal of approval” for candidates running in the midterm elections. The seal was intended to encourage candidates to uphold “fiscal policies that limit government, restrain spending, promote market reforms in health care – and oppose ObamaCare.”
Over 100 candidates running in the 2010 midterm elections signed this “seal of approval,” including Marco Rubio, the newly elected Senator in Florida; Rand Paul, the newly elected Senator of Kentucky; Mike Lee, elected Senator in Utah; and Tim Scott in South Carolina.
In South Carolina, James DeMint, a Tea Party candidate beat his democratic opponent by over 63%. Moreover, 113 of the 129 Congressional Tea Party candidates won House seats.
In Nevada, on the other hand, the Tea Party endorsed candidate lost the Republican Party a seat in the Senate. Harry Reid, Democratic Senator of Nevada defeated his Tea Party opponent, Sharron Angle. This was likely due to Angle running racist campaign ads.
The number of Tea Party-backed candidates that will take seats in the House and Senate, only two years after the election of our nation’s first black president, weakens the prospect of a multiracial democracy. All three black Senate candidates, Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Alvin Greene (D-SC) and Mike Thurmond (D-GA), lost their bids last night. The only incumbent black senator, Roland Burris (D-IL), is retiring.
The Tea Party sweeping the House and Senate has a serious impact on community, safety, and civility. This will undermine any attempt to advance a multiracial democracy. Those committed to a society free from fear should organize community networks that seek to uphold the integrity of a diverse and multiracial democracy.