wave election

[weyv i-lek-shuhn]

noun

Politics.

1. an election in which one party makes significant gains in Congress, at the state level, or in a parliament.

   a wave election that saw Republicans win control of the House and flip seven Senate seats.

Word History and Origins

Origin of wave election¹

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 to 2015, issued some words of caution to members of his party, warning to “be careful what you wish for” because North Carolina is a purple state and expanding the map could backfire on the party in a wave election.

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As the New York Times’ Nate Cohn explains, the VRA’s demise could put the House out of reach for Democrats outside of a rare “blue wave” election.

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Democratic strategist Paul Begala told CNN the blowback Flood received could be a harbinger for Republicans nationally, comparing it to the voter backlash after the GOP’s 2017 tax cuts, and predicting an “earthquake” and a “wave” election in 2026.

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In the 2018 “blue wave” election, Democrats won the U.S.

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Politico quoted Texas state Rep. Julie Johnson, a Democrat, saying, “They are playing a little bit of roulette with these maps. … In a wave election like what we have a potential opportunity for in ‘26 I think it makes these Republicans very vulnerable.”

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