The midterm elections happened yesterday, and voters headed out to cast their ballots in the contested election. A variety of candidates were on the ticket, with the focus in Texas being the race between incumbent Governor Greg Abbott and former House Representative Beto O’Rourke. 

Polls showed only a few points difference in percentage approval for both O’Rourke and Abbott where midterms brought voters’ passions on issues they care about and as a result had brought about anxiety about the results. In wake of the polarizing issues, Abbot won the race with 55% of the vote as opposed to Beto’s 44%. 

Concerns about abortion rights were a major issue on everyone’s minds for the midterms in the wake of the overturning of Roe V. Wade back in June. “The main issue that was really on my mind is [that] a lot of rights are at risk of being taken away,” said first-year psychology major Alonna Hall. 

This was the first time that many students at Wesleyan voted, and Hall is a part of that group. “I think [voting] is very important,” added Hall. “Even though the voting situation may seem futile and may seem like your vote doesn’t matter, I still feel that it is important to vote…because we still have to try.” 

The midterms come at a time of increased political tension, yet junior political science and English major Bailey O’Donnell feels that things are not all bad. “America is not going to spontaneously combust,” said O’Donnell. “I’m not super concerned really about one [side winning] or another, we’re going to get legislation done.” 

The economy was the main issue that voters were concerned about. “There’s some necessary evils going on” said senior accounting major Divandre Hernandez. “To say that you can just perfectly fix what the economy is doing right now is pretty arrogant to say. There are some ways we can smooth out with…how bad the prices are.” 

Hernandez is satisfied with the current selection of candidates. “The incumbent, he’s been around for a long time.” Hernandez believes that Texas has “always been a conservative area…the culture will prevail. Texas is massive. Its big…and (it) has a pride to it like no other.”