At this point in time, its hard to find an American who hasn’t caught wind of the upcoming Senate elections. At a time where a mere vote can make the difference between just sovereignty and an irrevocably damaged democracy, it is important that citizens of the United States make their voices heard. Despite the utilization of the electoral college and the belief in morality over popularity, people who pride themselves in successfully pushing their own personal agendas over the opinions of the public often prevail. A form of this political jugglery can be seen in the declaration of candidate endorsements.

Endorsements first became notable in 1972 when Republicans used newspaper ads to gain votes for their party’s candidates. At the time, 80% of all editorial ads were for the GOP and led to the controversial election of Richard Nixon. Twenty years later, Bill Clinton used endorsements in his favor, and it became the first instance in which a Democrat had majority approbation in political ads and commercials. In 2004, John Kerry was favored the same way Clinton and Nixon were, and, in 2008, Obama gained the majority of endorsement approval. And while these names are all famous (or infamous, depending on one’s political affiliation), endorsements can turn elections into popularity contests. When the media gives attention and praise to one candidate, the opinion of the other candidate can be easily ignored. To put it into more understandable terms, it’s as if the most popular kid in school endorses their best friend for class president. Well, as a member of the student body, you are more likely to lend an ear to the popular kid’s best friend than to their unpopular counterpart. Instances like these are dependent on the sole thing every candidate hopes to gain in every election: influence. And the more voters are swayed left and right by endorsements and notoriety, the more disingenuous a race becomes.

These same endorsements have created quite a media buzz in the Republican party, with many conservatives vying for a spot on former President Donald Trump’s endorsement list. What seemed to be a sure formula for success in red and swing states has turned out to be a situation of unsurety, with many endorsed Republicans performing poorly in the primaries or not being favored in the main election. This can be seen in Georgia where Democrat Raphael Warnock has a 10-point lead over his Republican counterpart, Herschel Walker. Other places where Trump’s influence was heavy in 2016-2020, such as Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, are favored to push their Democrats to the Senate over their Republican candidates.

It would be a fallacy on my part, though, to not acknowledge the successes of the endorsements. Candidate Katie Britt won a strong race in the Alabama GOP Senate primary over Representative Mo Brooks. The same can be said for Representative Mary Miller of Illinois, Senator Darren Bailey of Illinois, Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and many others.

In light of the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Jan. 6 committee hearings, and the fast decrease in President Biden’s popularity, the voices of the citizens of America are more important now than ever. It’s easy to allow scandals, endorsements, and other distractions turn the spotlight onto subjects and people that may not have the public’s best interest in mind. Despite this, however, it’s important to have a clear, open-minded view on the elections for the greater good of America and the continuation of democratic ideals.