The 2018 Midterm Elections came at one of the most politically divisive times in recent American history. Just a week before the election, several prominent Democratic politicians and supporters received bombs through the mail, and the elections looked to be a climax of all the division.

Americans took to the polls to voice their opinions on issues such as equality, gun safety, immigration, and healthcare on Nov. 6.

The outcome that was most at stake from this election cycle was which party would take control of the majority in the House of Representatives.

Political figures from both sides of the aisle hit the campaign trail to rally support for key races in both the House and the Senate. Most notably, President Trump visited key campaign spots in states such as Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri both weeks and days before the election. Former President Barack Obama also endorsed several Democratic candidates throughout the country and even posted an official endorsement list on his Twitter account.

Locally, incumbent House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy faced off against newcomer Democratic candidate Tatiana Matta.

Matta served as the Co-Chair for Veterans and Military Families for 2016 Democratic Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley and also secured his endorsement during her campaign. Matta advocates for expanding Medicare and Medicaid, creating a pathway to citizenship for immigrants and DACA enrollees, and protecting veteran and military programs from budget cuts.

McCarthy has quickly moved his way up in Republican leadership ranks, having served as Republican Whip and Majority leader. The Congressman supports tax cuts, securing the Nation’s borders, supporting veterans in the district, and advocates for freedom in the market when choosing healthcare.

He has also grown in popularity after becoming close with President Trump and having his name mentioned as a possible Speaker of the House after Paul Ryan serves his final term in that position.

For this to be possible though, McCarthy needed not only to win his election, but also have his party retain the majority in the House.

McCarthy, as projected, convincingly won the congressional election against Matta and will continue to represent California’s 23 District in Washington D.C. McCarthy was able to secure 66 percent of the vote.

However, the Democrats won several key House races and successfully gained the majority. McCarthy will likely become the Minority Leader in the house, and instead, Nancy Pelosi will likely become Speaker of the House.

The “Blue Wave” helped Democrats heavily in the House and also saw a substantial number of women now holding seats.

This promises to create friction between the House and the President, and also the Republican-controlled Senate.

This year’s Midterm elections proved to be a stunning victory and a staggering loss for Rep. McCarthy.