Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections could have major implications for Windsor-Essex, particularly when it comes to tariffs and cross-border trade. The results could offer an early indication of whether U.S. tariff policies are likely to remain in place over the next two years. University of Windsor political science professor Jamey Essex said voters are being asked to weigh in midway through President Donald Trump’s second term. “Things in the U.S. have been quite polarized. The midterms are a way of checking the president and his party, if people are not happy with how things have been going the first couple of years or rewarding the agenda that’s been set and followed through on,” Essex said. The race for one of Michigan’s U.S. Senate seats is drawing national attention, with Republican Mike Rogers facing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a contest that could help determine which party controls the Senate. For voters in a border state with strong economic ties to Canada, Essex said pocketbook issues have become a major focus of the campaign. “Particularly if you look at Michigan, the question of tariffs, the relationship with Canada has been a big issue and made a lot of people unhappy. So Democrats have really talked up their hopes of reversing some of the tariff policies, of checking the president’s power,” Essex said. Essex said a Democratic sweep of Congress could have significant implications for the Windsor-Essex economy. “If they could win the House and the Senate, you would really get a situation where the tariff policies would potentially take a big hit, and that is important for Windsor, right? Particularly in the auto industry, with all kinds of other forms of trade, with the new bridge,” Essex said. Essex said he will be watching turnout Tuesday night to determine whether Democratic gains are being driven by energized voters or fatigue among Republicans.
