Colwell: So many questions. Election Day will bring answers

When results are in from this election, we will know the answers to questions about what direction voters want for the nation, the state and even for public schools.

In the nation, will Republicans win control of the Senate as well as the House to stymie Democrats legislatively for the remainder of President Biden’s term? Or will Democrats at least retain a 50-50 Senate tie to force compromises with what appears certain to be a Republican House?

While there’s no vote for president on Tuesday, results will answer questions about 2024 presidential politics. How many candidates backed by Donald Trump will win? Will Trump appear virtually certain or not quite so certain of the Republican presidential nomination?  Will Biden appear viable or terribly weakened for ’24?

Diego Morales controversy:Democrats hope to capitalize on it.

In Michigan, sure to be a battleground state again in ’24, will Gov. Gretchen Whitmer win reelection?

Voters will answer questions about the importance of issues − inflation, abortion, crime, concern about democracy and cultural differences. We’ll see which issues were effective for or bungled by one side or the other.

In Indiana, will a Democrat actually win in statewide voting for the first time since 2012?

The only Democrat with a chance appears to be Destiny Wells for secretary of state. Well-publicized and numerous controversies involving Republican nominee Diego Morales, fired in effect twice from past jobs in the secretary of state office, provides a big opening. Big enough?

And is the Senate race actually close, as some polls indicated? Will Republican Sen. Todd Young win comfortably? Or will Democratic challenger Tom McDermott come really close − or even pull what would be the No. 1 upset in the nation?

In the 2nd Congressional District, will Republican Rudy Yakym take the same firm hold on the House seat as was held by the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who died in that tragic auto accident? Yakym is regarded as certain to win. He in effect inherited the Walorski organization and could fund saturation TV messages defining himself the way he wants, “Community Rudy.”

 Democratic challenger Paul Steury has little funding or organization.

Colwell:An unexpected matchup in Indiana's 2nd District

 But will Yakym win big enough to stave off a Republican primary challenge in ’24 and become entrenched? The answer comes Tuesday.

In the 1st Congressional District, can Republicans do what long was thought impossible: Win in the district that includes Lake County? Republicans aren’t writing it off this time. Funding poured in for both Republican challenger Jennifer-Ruth Green and Democratic Congressman Frank Mrvan.

In St. Joseph County, will the much-discussed Republican gerrymander work?

That will be determined in the county commissioner 1st District race.  If Republican Commissioner Carl Baxmeyer wins, it will be a success. If Democratic challenger Don Westerhausen wins, it will be a failure.

Column:St. Joseph County gerrymander is a thing of beauty, politically speaking

The main goal of the gerrymander was to draw the district so that then-Commissioner Andy Kostielney, who authored the plan, would win re-election. It also sought to guarantee future Republican wins in another district, providing long-time 2-1 Republican control of the commissioner board.

Although all three commissioners now are Republicans, there isn’t unity on the gerrymander. Commissioner Derek Dieter found that his district was packed with big Democratic areas in South Bend, surrendering his district to make the other two safe Republican.

Dieter, resenting being thrown under the bus, rails against the gerrymander and use of taxpayer money for an Indianapolis law firm to design it.

While Kostielney has resigned, a win by his replacement, Baxmeyer, still would mean success for the plan. A Westerhausen win would mean it failed in the main objective and failed to cement GOP future control.

In some school board elections, traditionally nonpartisan, there are challengers this time seeking to push agendas in the national culture wars. What will voters decide?

Also, after results are in, will some clear losers deny that they lost?

Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to him in care of The Tribune or by email at jcolwell@comcast.net.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Plenty of questions nationally, locally. Midterms will bring answers.