The Big Stories We Are Keeping an Eye on in 2022
COVID-19
COVID is surging again. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show significant daily spikes in cases at the year’s end. On Dec. 29, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.
The virus continues to impact all aspects of daily life locally and nationally.
In D.C., students and staff at D.C. Public Schools will have to show proof of a negative COVID test before coming back to classrooms on Jan. 5. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s order that indoor venues like restaurants, bars and gyms be required to verify patrons 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine goes into effect Jan. 15.
Jan. 6 insurrection committee
An independent House committee was formed last year to look into the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. So far, much of the work has been behind closed doors. But there have been revelations in the committee’s effort to investigate the insurrection by supporters of former President Donald Trump who believed the 2020 election was stolen.
Former White House chief of staff and congressman Mark Meadows was voted in contempt of Congress after ceasing to cooperate with the probe, though he had turned over documents and negotiated for two months with the panel about an interview. Meadows’ Jan. 6 texts also became public. Trump ally Steve Bannon was held in contempt in October. The panel voted Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark in contempt in November.
An interim report from the committee isn’t expected until the summer. The panel has already interviewed around 300 people as it seeks to create a comprehensive record of the Jan. 6 attack and the events leading up to it.
Redistricting
The once-a-decade redistricting process happens across the U.S. after the census. Its impact on the midterm elections remains to be seen.
Locally, the Supreme Court of Virginia unanimously approved maps establishing congressional and state legislative districts under the commonwealth’s new redistricting process. In D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has signed off on new ward boundaries.
In Maryland, it’s more complicated. Two lawsuits have been filed over the new proposed maps. And at a public hearing in December, Marylanders requested changes to the map boundaries.
A new map of legislative districts for Maryland’s 188 seats in the General Assembly will be taken up in the regular session, which begins in January.
Midterm elections
November’s midterm elections pose a significant test for congressional Democrats — and President Joe Biden — who are looking to maintain majorities in both houses.
Democrats are already dealing with what The Associated Press called “bad omens” after getting walloped in Virginia’s off-year election.
According to the AP, the two biggest drags on Democrats are the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain problems that have pushed up prices. Both could improve before Election Day 2022, potentially bolstering the incumbent party — or they could worsen.
Another major issue is abortion rights, which Democrats hope will rouse voters, but strategists in both parties suggest it may not be so easy.
TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL RACE
Two-term Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has established a reputation as a staunch conservative, backing stringent abortion rollbacks, voting rights restrictions, a border wall and more. But he’s still facing a challenge from his right flank — while former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) looms in a general election.
Former state Sen. Don Huffines and former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West are among the candidates challenging Abbott for the Republican nomination.
While Trump has endorsed the governor for reelection, Abbott’s detractors have insisted he could implement more hardline stances on immigration and the coronavirus, including shutting down the border.
Still, Abbott will be no slouch in a primary, boasting sky-high name recognition and a $55 million campaign bank account that is expected to swell even more before the March 1 primary.
Meanwhile, O’Rourke, who first shot to prominence challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in 2018, is looking to build up early momentum for his campaign and is expected to handily win the Democratic nomination.
San Antonio Ready to Work Program
The “SA: Ready to Work” program will increase access to quality jobs with benefits for thousands of San Antonio residents by connecting them with and by supporting them through quality training programs in San Antonio that will result in the obtainment of high-demand, well-paid careers. The program will begin in early 2022 and is funded through the collection of a 1/8 cent sales tax through December 2025. This is a unique opportunity to support and enhance existing workforce program initiatives.
It is a very ambitious initiative that has gotten off to a slow start. The plan calls for more than 40,000 candidates over the next four years. Future ballot initiative hinge on the success of SA Ready to Work.
Build Back Better revival
Democrats are vowing to find a way to resuscitate at least part of a roughly $2 trillion climate and social spending bill after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) put it in the deep freeze.
Manchin—after weeks of signaling concerns about the House-passed bill but refusing to give it a direct cut—announced his opposition during a “Fox News Sunday” interview on Dec. 19 and then doubled down during a West Virginia radio interview warning that Democrats had miscalculated if they thought they could pressure him into supporting the sweeping legislation.
2024 presidential election
Sure, it’s a way off, but what we see in 2022 will tell us a lot about the 2024 presidential election.
Biden has said he’ll seek reelection as long as he’s in good health, even though it’s been reported that Democrats are worried about his political standing. Recent polls put Biden’s approval rating in the low 40s, which is higher than Donald Trump’s was at the same time in his presidency, according to The Associated Press. If Biden doesn’t run, for whatever reason, a shortlist of would-be Democratic successors could include Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, all of whom previously sought the highest office in the land.
There is, of course, intense speculation about whether Donald Trump will run in 2024. Early polls suggest he would run away with the GOP nomination, even as former Vice President Mike Pence visits New Hampshire. And some fellow Republicans are considering a campaign, including former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, have said they won’t run if Trump moves forward.
