By Jocelynn Moore
*Disclaimer: Please note that this nonpartisan election analysis accurately reflects the circumstances at the time of publication and may be subject to change as votes continue to be counted. NCRA is a nonpartisan organization that supports elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation, who help the court reporting, captioning, legal videography, and scopist professions.
On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, American voters across the country turned out to vote in local, state, and federal elections. These elections included all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, and 36 of 50 governorships in the states. NCRA Government Relations is optimistic as it relates to our legislative agenda for the 118th Congress. Many of our Congressional allies have been reelected to Congress, as well as some newcomers who we believe will be supportive of legislation that benefits NCRA members.
The U.S. House of Representatives
At the time this publication was written, neither political party has been able to claim a majority in the House of Representatives, and challengers to leadership are beginning to emerge. To gain control of the House of Representatives, either party will need to secure 218 seats. Several races in both California and Colorado that have yet to be called will determine the final outcome.
Some notable election results in the House of Representatives include incoming Rep. Maxwell Frost (Fla.), who is to be sworn in as the youngest and first Gen Z member of Congress at the age of 25, and incoming Rep. Becca Balint (Vt.), who is the first woman elected to represent Vermont’s at-large district. Additionally, incoming Rep. Delia Ramirez (Ill.) is the first Latina elected to represent Illinois, and incoming Rep. Yadira Caraveo (Colo.) is the first Latina elected to represent Colorado.
The U.S. Senate
In the 2022 midterm election, Democrats maintained a majority in the Senate after winning three key elections in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada. It was in Nevada’s race where that majority was maintained — the incumbent was reelected with less than one percent of the vote.
There is only one Senate race that is yet to be determined: Georgia. Georgia state law requires that a candidate must have over 50 percent of the vote to be declared the winner. If 50 percent is not achieved, then a second round of voting, which is referred to as a “runoff election,” will be scheduled between the two top vote-getters four weeks after the November election. This year’s Georgia runoff election is scheduled for December 6.
Some notable election results in the Senate include incoming Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation, who is the first Native American senator from Oklahoma in a century and the first Native American senator in nearly two decades. Additionally, incoming Sen. Katie Britt (Ala.) is the first woman from Alabama to be elected to the Senate and Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.) is the first Latino from California to be elected to the Senate.
The 118th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
The Impact of the Results on the Court Reporting, Captioning, Legal Videography, and Scopist Professions
NCRA Government Relations is optimistic as it relates to our legislative agenda for the 118th Congress. We are pleased to note that many of our Congressional allies have been reelected to Congress, including some newcomers such as incoming Rep. Robert Garcia from California. Additionally, NCRA Government Relations is also pleased to announce that many of our supporters on the educational front were reelected to Congress, including Rep. Brett Guthrie (Ky.), Rep. Bobby Scott (Va.), who serves as Chairman on the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), who serves as Ranking Member on the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Lastly, it is important to mention that several of our close allies have retired, and we would like to thank them for their gracious support over the years. We’d like to again extend our gratitude to Rep. Ron Kind (Wisc.) and Rep. Rodney Davis (Ill.), and their hardworking staff members. Representatives Kind and Davis were the sponsors of NCRA’s standalone bills, H.R. 5285, the Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2019, in the 116th Congress and H.R. 4652, the Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2021, in the 117th Congress. Both bills sought to appropriate grant funding to court reporting and captioning institutions across the country for the training and recruitment of new captioners.
Next Steps
As we have seen with the very close results in both the Senate and the House of Representatives this election, it cannot be denied that the American people have the direct ability to influence change. The ability to effect change does not stop with voting — it also extends to grassroots advocacy. Through the help of NCRA Government Relations and through the power of grassroots advocacy, you have the immediate ability to advocate for your professions and effect change in your state legislatures and in Congress. As NCRA members and grassroots activists, my hope is that you will continue to remain involved and engaged in protecting the court reporting, captioning, legal videography, and scopist professions.
One way you can be more engaged is by attending the 2023 NCRA Leadership & Legislative Boot Camp, which will be held in person in Alexandria, Va., Feb. 26-28, 2023. The NCRA Leadership & Legislative Boot Camp is legislative training that will provide you with a cursory outlook on Congressional politics and will prepare you to become an effective grassroots advocate, whether at the local, state, or federal level. Attendees will have the opportunity to:
- Participate in intensive sessions and training that will teach them the skills and strategies necessary to effectively advocate for their profession in state legislatures and in Congress;
- Participate in real-life scenarios where they can put their newly learned advocacy skills into practice and network with other NCRA members who are passionate about their profession; and
- Have the chance to visit Capitol Hill, where they will put their grassroots advocacy training to the test and advocate before their elected representatives in Congress and staff.
Registration is now open — state leaders, don’t forget to register!
Another way you as an NCRA member can become more involved is by making a political contribution to the NCRA Political Action Committee (PAC). The NCRA PAC uses members’ political contributions towards helping elect or reelect NCRA supporters in Congress.
If you have any questions about the 2023 NCRA Leadership & Legislative Boot Camp or NCRA PAC, please contact me at jmoore@ncra.org.
Thank you to those of you who participated in the 2022 midterm elections and who remain active in advocating for our chosen profession. We look forward to our continued advocacy efforts on behalf of NCRA members in the upcoming legislative session.
Jocelynn Moore, J.D., is NCRA’s Director of Government Relations. She can be reached at jmoore@ncra.org.
