Note: The video is from the July 2017 debate between the Virginia gubernatorial candidates moderated by PBS NewsHour's Judy Woodruff. The final debate took place on Oct. 9, 2017.
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You may be surprised to learn that several elections remain in 2017, including two gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and a special election in Utah for a congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 7. In Alabama, there will be a special election for U.S. Senate on Dec. 12, 2017.
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In all,
seven special House and Senate races
will have taken place in 2017 -- five to fill vacancies left by members of the Trump administration. A
special election
is held when a lawmaker resigns, dies or is removed from office before they have completed their term.
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While the Democratic candidate in New Jersey, Philip Murphy, has a substantial lead in the polls over Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the Republican candidate, the Virginia race is tighter. In July, PBS NewsHour's Judy Woodruff moderated a debate in Virginia between Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate, and Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate.
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Depending on time, you may want to show your students footage that deals with specific issues. One event that you may also want to discuss occurs early on (5m:40s) when a protester interrupts the debate and has to be escorted out of the room.
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Candidates met again on Oct. 9 for a
final debate
.
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Looking ahead to the
2018
midterm
elections
, the
Illinois governor’s race
may be on track to be the most expensive in U.S. history with $100 million already being spent by all of the candidates. However, most of the spending has come from the two leading candidates' themselves, a millionaire Republican incumbent and a billionaire Democrat.
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The Republican party currently holds majorities in both houses of Congress. Democrats will need to win 24 seats in order to take control of the House in 2018.
Discussion questions:
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Essential question
:
How much do debates matter when deciding which candidate to elect?
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What is the difference between a special election and a midterm election?
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Similar to midterm elections, special elections have a much lower voter turnout compared to presidential election years.
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Why do you think this is the case?
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What needs to happen to improve low voter turnout in special elections?
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Had you heard about the seven special elections and two gubernatorial elections taking place in 2017 prior to this lesson? Give possible reasons, depending on your answer.
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How might the election of individual candidates affect the overall political system?
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Why do you think the protester took the approach he did during the July gubernatorial debate in Virginia? Do you agree or disagree with his actions? Explain your response.
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State Sen. Daniel Biss who is also running in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary in Illinois has raised $2.7 million mainly from small donations, a tiny amount compared to the two wealthy leading candidates. The former math professor asks: “Are we going to have an election or are we going to have an auction?”
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What point do you think Bliss was trying to make in his question?
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Do you think there should be limits on how much a candidate can spend on his/her own campaign? Explain your answer.
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Note: In Illinois, once a candidate spends more than $250,000 of his/her own money, there is no longer any cap put on how much his/her campaign can spend. What are the campaign finance laws in your state regarding governor's races? State Senate and House races?
Extension activities:
Use this PBS lesson plan
"Hosting a presidential debate"
to hold a debate in your class on one of the four upcoming 2017 elections from Line 1 above or watch the video below. While the lesson says it's geared to presidential elections, it can easily be adapted for the upcoming gubernatorial and congressional races.
https://vimeo.com/179463321
