The Midterms Are About …

It’s almost election time in America: The autumn air is crisp, and every news cycle delivers a paralyzing rush of nausea for panicking Democrats. The 2022 midterms are less than a week away, with Republicans looking to stage a takeover of Capitol Hill that could turn Washington into a howling zoo for at least the next two years. In advance of the big day, Slate has tried to sort through and make sense of the major themes that have shaped this year’s races—like bodily autonomy, the country’s obsession with gas prices, or the fact that nobody seems to care about Jan. 6 anymore. There's a lot going on!

… if It’s Ever Possible to Be Too Much of a Clown

Ben Mathis-Lilley

When it comes to “candidate quality,” how low can you go?

… Who Controls Your Body

Christina Cauterucci

Abortion rights. Trans rights. Basic health care rights. They’re all on the ballot.

… the Horrible Truth That Gas Prices Still Rule Everything Around Us

Jordan Weissmann

Sorry.

… [Spins Wheel O’ Poll-Tested Options] Crime

Jim Newell

Schools and CRT are so last year.

… Rigged Maps and Republican Judges

Mark Joseph Stern

If the GOP wins the House by narrow margins, they’ll have their allies in the judiciary to thank.

… the Souls of the Innocent

Molly Olmstead

There’s a new moral panic in town.

… Denial Over Election Denial

Jeremy Stahl

Fears about democracy seem to rank low on voters’ lists of concerns.

… Minority Rule

Susan Matthews

Who’s got a plan to fix this?

… the Youths Voting

Nitish Pahwa

Time to get on TikTok, I guess.

… Democrats Getting Their Hands Dirty

Jim Newell

They’ve come to embrace transactionalism.

… Peter Thiel’s Orcs

Alexander Sammon

Sheldon Adelson is dead. There’s a new kingmaker on the scene.

… Vigilantism

Dahlia Lithwick

They’re taking the law into their own hands because, well, they did the “research.”

… Hunter’s Laptop. Ugh.

Justin Peters

The diversionary tactics work.

… Macho BS

Seth Maxon

They call it toxic masculinity for a reason, folks.

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Getty Images Plus.