Midterm elections take place during the middle of a president's four-year term, and are often seen as a referendum on how the nation perceives the president's performance.
Historically, midterms have resulted in congressional seat losses by the president's party. This November, the midterms will determine whether the Republicans maintain control of Congress.
In midterms from 1934-2022, the president's party averaged a loss of 27 House of Representatives seats and three Senate seats, according to the American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
Since the start of the modern-day two-party system, or roughly 1851, the House has changed majorities a little more than one-third of the time as a result of the midterms, according to archives from the U.S. House of Representatives.
Biggest impact in modern times
In 2010, under Democratic President Barack Obama, Democrats lost 63 House and six Senate seats. Obama called the election results a "shellacking" during a post-midterm press conference.
In 1994, Democratic President Bill Clinton was in the White House when Democrats lost 54 House seats and eight Senate seats.
Two years into Republican President Donald Trump's first term, Republicans lost 41 House seats but added two Republican seats in the Senate.
Historic midterm results
In 1894, under Democratic President Grover Cleveland, Democrats lost 127 House seats and four Senate seats to Republicans. The Presidential History Project cites a recession and a railroad strike as factors in those midterm results.
Besides Trump, the parties of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all gained seats during one of their midterms. The most recent was in 2002, when Republicans gained eight House seats and one Senate seat under Bush after Republicans campaigned on issues related to terrorism and national security post-9/11.
Ohio's impact
The biggest midterm impact statewide was in 2006, when Ted Strickland became the first Democrat in 20 years to be elected Ohio's governor. Twenty years later, many are watching Ohio to see if the red state changes back to purple Nov. 3.
Two years after Strickland's election, Democrats took control of the Ohio House of Representatives for the first time in 14 years.
