Several Telecom, Tech Lawmakers Fall as Midterms Reach Split Decision
At least four leaders of telecom and tech-focused congressional committees and subcommittees lost in Tuesday’s elections, which resulted in split control of Capitol Hill. Democrats had a net gain of at least 26 seats in the House and had won at least 220 seats. Republicans expanded their Senate majority, seeing a net gain of at least two seats. Three other seats remained undecided Wednesday morning, but the GOP will have at least 51 seats. Results are according to at least two major media outlets for each race.
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Republicans’ gains included Senate Homeland Security Committee ranking member Claire McCaskill (D), who lost her seat to GOP Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley. Hawley has been a hawk on tech antitrust and privacy issues.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., was trailing Republican Gov. Rick Scott by fewer than 35,000 votes. Scott led criticisms over carrier efforts to restore service after Hurricane Michael.
Two other telecom-focused Republicans also won Senate seats. House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R), as expected, won an open Tennessee Senate seat over Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., lost her seat to Rep. Kevin Cramer (R). Cramer has been active on rural broadband issues as a member of House Communications.
Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., lost his seat to Rep. Jacky Rosen (D). Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, defeated Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) to retain his seat.
Three top Republicans on House telecom-related subcommittees also lost: House Communications Vice Chairman Leonard Lance of New Jersey, House Homeland Security Communications Subcommittee Chairman Dan Donovan of New York and House Appropriations Commerce Subcommittee Chairman John Culberson of Texas. Democrat Lizzie Fletcher won against Culberson, whose House Appropriations subcommittee oversees funding for NTIA. Democrat Max Rose defeated Donovan. Democrat Tom Malinowski defeated Lance.
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, defended his seat against Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval. Chabot is expected to compete against Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., for the top GOP seat on the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, who has been active on tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, defeated Democratic candidate Gina Ortiz Jones. Democrat Jason Crow defeated Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., the only House Republican thus far to support a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the FCC’s 2017 order rescinding 2015 net neutrality rules.