wave election

American  

[weyv i-lek-shuhn] / ˈweɪv ɪˌlɛk ʃən /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of wave election

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

None of that surprises Simon Rosenberg, the founder of New Democrat Network who helped propel Democratic candidates in the wave election of 2018.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2022

Mr. Cox, of Fresno, defeated incumbent Republican David Valadao in California’s 21st congressional district as a part of the Democratic wave election in the 2018 midterms.

From Washington Times • Aug. 16, 2022

By the time the 1866 midterm elections rolled around, they had created conditions for what we would now call a "wave election."

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2022

It worked in early 2017, when women’s marches led by activists and local grassroots groups rather than elected officials prefigured a 2018 wave election highlighted by first-time female candidates.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2020

Pompeo, an Orange County native and former Army officer and aerospace executive, was elected as part of the 2010 tea party wave election.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2016