2020 has been a complicated year. We are still dealing with the current crisis. Governments are trying to reopen their economy, but there are definite challenges to overcome before people can return to their normal day-to-day activities.
What’s important is the fact that 2020 is a US election year. President Donald J. Trump will run against the Democratic nominee until election day in November. It will be an interesting election year – when you consider everything that has been happening in recent months.
A lot of things will influence how the election goes this year. Public opinion and polls certainly matter, but the houses of representatives and their speakers will undoubtedly play an important role in influencing the coming elections.
The Battlegrounds
We cannot talk about how speakers in the house of representatives will affect the coming elections without talking about the battlegrounds. Due to the crisis and a massive shift in how the nation approaches its elections, there is a definite shift in battleground states and counties to focus on.
The Democratic primaries were very interesting. In April, Mr. Sanders announced his resignation from the race for the Democratic nominee, leaving only Vice President Biden. Rep. Dennis Bonnen from Texas pointed out how Republicans need to pay attention to the progressive movement.
Republicans are also hosting primaries, but no serious contender to President Trump has emerged so far. Local elections focused more on representatives and local figures rather than the national election. Primaries in Wyoming, Ohio, and Kansas were held remotely by mail.
These changes are indications of what to expect later. Delaware, Rhode Island, and a number of other states are hosting their primary elections as late as August this year. After that, it’s a dash to the finish line in November.
Vice President Biden is almost certainly the Democratic nominee, mainly because he is now running unopposed. The rest of the Democratic field also agreed to support the nominee, regardless of who it is, so the party will give this election its best.
COVID-19 and Other Challenges
As Speaker Bonnen pointed out in a recent interview, COVID-19 will change a lot about this year’s election. You can hear his interview on this subject by accessing the Dennis Bonnen recording posted on his official website. The same sentiment also comes from Dennis Bonnen wife and his entire team in the Texas House of Representatives.
COVID-19 will certainly make remote voting and mail-in ballots more common, but that is not without consequences. Remote voting makes the entire election easy to challenge in terms of its legitimacy. However, state and local governments are taking active steps to strengthen election security measures.
This is where Speakers of House of Representatives play an important role. Election regulations must be passed by local House of Representatives, which means it is up to the speakers like Speaker Bonnen to bring the issue to the floor. As we all know, Speaker of the House dictates the legislations and agendas that get discussed.
Some states are already taking steps to secure their own elections in response to COVID-19. Dennis Bonnen designation as the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives allowed him to craft regulations that will safeguard election-related activities in Texas. The state has been hosting some public events and rallies too.
Other States Are Following Suit
Texas, with the support of Speaker Bonnen, is not the only state that strengthens election security measures. Other states are also preparing for a fierce battle in November. Swing states in particular, like Wisconsin and Arizona, are particularly vulnerable to scrutiny, which makes a tighter and clearer election law that much more important.
Speaking of swing states, Pennsylvania will also be a state that candidates focus on as we get closer to November. California and Illinois remain blue, while Alaska and Idaho are firmly red. Republicans are gearing up their messaging in support of President Trump’s reelection campaign. The polls are showing interesting signs as well.
COVID-19 is not the only issue that will affect these coming elections. The current protests against police use of force and the racial tension spreading across the country also need to be addressed for the success of the election. The last thing we want is a series of riots and breakouts caused by sensitive issues like these.
Once again, Speakers of the House of Representatives play important roles here. Similar to the way Rep. Dennis Bonnen calms everyone in Texas, speakers in other states can spread positive, calming messages to bring the tension down. This will be a heated election – all things considered – and speakers of the House will continue to play a strategic role in maintaining balance.
If you want to know more about this year’s elections and recent updates from local and national races, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. In the meantime, let’s encourage the speakers of House of Representatives to rise to the challenge and keep this election year problem-free.
