Campus News

'Behind the Blue': Election 2022 recap with Stephen Voss, Emily Beaulieu Bacchus

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2022) — On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Kentuckians joined their fellow Americans at the voting booth for the 2022 mid-term elections. Federal, state and local offices were on the ballot, along with a multitude of state constitutional amendments. On a federal level, the election resulted in a divided government heading into 2023, as Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2019, while Democrats retained their Senate majority.

On this episode of "Behind the Blue," Emily Beaulieu Bacchus, a UK associate professor who specializes in comparative politics, and Stephen Voss, an associate professor who specializes in voting behavior and political methodology, discuss the impact of these elections on a local, state and national level. They offer insight on factors that may have swung elections from one side to the other, the shakeups in party leadership for both parties, how this year sets the stage for the 2024 elections and more.

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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.