AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
- Abortion and the preservation of democracy emerged as critical issues in the 2022 midterm elections.
- And the issues appear to have resonated among a bloc of swing-state white voters, boosting Democrats.
- As a result, Trump's Electoral College edge appears to have diminished significantly ahead of 2024.
In the lead-up to the 2022 midterms, national surveys showed Democrats in a tough spot, as President Joe Biden's middling poll numbers were expected to weigh down the party's candidates across the country on Election night.
Many observers said it would be virtually impossible for Democrats to hold the House, with Senate control also looking shaky as the party contended with outside money being showered on many GOP candidates.
The election results defied the conventional wisdom.