American politics feels less like a democracy and more like a never-ending custody battle. Voters get stuck in the middle while two massive parties argue over who gets to “own” them. The Republican and Democratic parties were originally created to help organize elections and mobilize people. Today, they mostly organize outrage, and they’ve gotten extremely good at it.

Democrats’ strong showings in blue-state elections may seem irrelevant to Texas, but political experts say these results offer an early snapshot of voter sentiment heading into 2026. With affordability emerging as a top concern and uncertainty surrounding national policy, these outcomes could influence strategies for both parties in the coming election year.

To put this monumental celebration in perspective and to celebrate the development of student press over these years, here are 10 important historical developments that succeed the birth of The Lariat.

It’s easy to dismiss elections, especially the smaller ones. Voting is regularly inconvenient, rarely straightforward and every ballot seems to be drenched in roles, propositions and names. If we want support, representation and protection from our state and nation, we have to take the time to communicate. Voting is the first step in that.

Flanigan hopes events such as “Popcorn and Politics” will help educate students about current events, better informing them about what’s happening in the world around them and the role their representatives play in these issues.

“Parents have a significant impact on the value system and the ideological system that children develop over time. We’re all impacted by the messages that we hear growing up in our parents’ home,” McAninch said.

“Noe is here legally. He has all of his papers. He’s done all of his work … He is not a criminal, and ICE picked him up. They will not let him go,” McGuire said. “We are out here protesting this because it is not American. It’s illegal, it’s unconstitutional and it’s just not right.”

We must not put more unfit people in power just because of the party they affiliate themselves with. To ensure a better future for America we must improve the system we have been given by voting for candidates based on their merit, not their party.

Our society forces everything from political figures and media companies into one of two political categories. It’s become an unstoppable battle that should never have begun.

Trust me, I understand the need to set boundaries with watching and consuming media, but that doesn’t mean staying uninformed. News consumption is about moderation rather than complete disengagement.

While many Kamala Harris supporters may blame her loss on America being a racist or sexist nation, the true reason Harris lost the election was her inability to appeal to the average voter or separate herself from the failures of the Biden administration.

Despite the hope of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party gained a lead and ran with the House Tuesday night. Though votes are still being counted, the GOP currently has a 17 seat lead. Despite this, the majority might still be up in the air with the GOP currently only holding one seat from the Democrats.

Republican David Schenck ran against Democrat Holly Taylor and has been appointed the new Presiding Judge. Republican Gina Parker now occupies Place 7 over Democrat Nancy Mulder and Republican Lee Finley assumes Place 8 over Democrat Chika Aniyam.

Tuesday night, Republican Donis “D.L.” Wilson won McLennan County Commissioner in a head-to-head race against Democrat Jeremy Davis.

“This campaign really became a calling from God,” Curry said.

Republican incumbent Christi Craddick won the Railroad Commissioner race for a third straight term on Tuesday night. She took nearly 60% of the votes compared to the other four candidates.

Upon victory, Maynard said that he looks forward to serving the 5.5 million students in District 10 for another term.

Money and debate chops weren’t enough to unseat Cruz. Bradford Holland, the immediate past chair of the McLennan County Republican Party, said the win means that Texans held fast against “outside-of-Texas money” and have shown the state to be “solidly red.”

In the already unprecedented 2024 election, early voting numbers are yet another factor causing chaos as the race comes to a head. With far fewer overall early voters but far more in-person early votes, the 2024 election continues to surprise voters.

With less than 2 weeks until the presidential election, tensions are high across the country. A February 2024 Pew poll found that 65% of Americans are exhausted by politics and 55% are angry when they think about politics.

“Republicans currently have a razor-thin majority in the House. That’s evidenced by difficulty wrangling routine votes, such as passing a budget, and so it’s very possible that the majority could flip after the 2024 election,” Flavin said.

With issues like the death penalty, bail reform and wrongful convictions in the spotlight, the results of this election will have significant implications for Texas’s legal landscape. Moreover, with rising public interest in how courts affect social justice, civil rights and public safety, voters are more likely to tune in to this critical race in 2024.

“If Trump loses this election, then I think it’ll prove that perhaps we’re not in a Trump era and that it may have just been a fluke,” D’Ambrosio said. “If he wins this election, though, I think that he’ll solidify himself as a very consequential figure, if not the most consequential figure of this century to date.”

Jones said it’s tragic that abortion became so politicized, but it is, and now it’s voters’ responsibility to bring about the change they want.

Gooch said the two-party political system has been in place since the Civil War, with third parties pushing the Democratic and Republican Parties in different directions, but otherwise playing minor roles. He said he predicts third parties will never gain enough power to break the two-party system — at least not in the near future.

The Student Body Constitution states that fall elections must occur prior to the sixth Friday of the semester, which would be Oct. 4. However, a delay arose due to a previously unfilled vacancy in the electoral commissioner position, Hewitt sophomore and senate public relations chair Naomi Burgess said.

Dr. Dave Bridge, an associate professor of political science who teaches a course on campaigns and elections, said he thinks celebrity endorsements don’t really tend to persuade voters who are set in their thinking — unless that celebrity is Taylor Swift.

A little over a month out, the 2024 presidential election is quickly becoming a reality for many first-time voters on Baylor campus. The question is, will these students be ready to make a confident, informed vote by the time Nov. 5 rolls around?

Given the upcoming general election in the United States, Self said now is the time that students can learn about the importance of voting on a smaller scale at school, so that their voice can be heard both on campus as well as at the local, state and federal levels.

“Y’all [have] more years ahead of you than the rest of us do, and so I want students to take control,” Henry said. “You have a voice, and I want students to use it.”