Campaigns Assess Whether Biden, Trump Are Assets or Liabilities

While campaign teams have been contemplating the impact of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on the midterm election for months, the final stretch toward election day draws new intensity and significance to the question.

Almost two years have passed since the contentious 2020 presidential election between Biden and Trump that resulted in claims of voter fraud and a breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress gathered to certify Biden as the new president.

Biden and Trump remain front and center as midterm elections near, Democrats strive to stay in control, and Republicans try to regain a majority in the House and the Senate.

President Joe Biden speaks about the soul of the nation, outside of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on Sept. 1, 2022. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

All 435 House seats are up for grabs. Nationwide, 14 Senate seats held by Democrats and 21 filled by Republicans are on the ballot.

There are also pivotal gubernatorial races across the country—including Michigan, where incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer is facing a challenge from Trump-endorsed Tudor Dixon; Wisconsin, which has incumbent Democrat Tony Evers opposed by Trump-endorsed Tim Michels.

Historically, the party that occupies the White House loses House and Senate seats in midterm elections.

Though an Emerson College poll released on Sept. 23 showed that Biden saw his approval rating increase to 45 percent, a 3-percentage point rise over the previous month, 49 percent disapprove of his performance.

Gas prices are on the rise again, and inflation remains high.

Because of those factors, many Democratic candidates appeared reluctant to join Biden when he visited their states over the summer.

The hesitancy increased for some after Biden’s prime-time speech on Sept. 1.

At Independence Hall in Philadelphia with American military members in uniform