As the next election approaches, both political parties will be asking critical questions about their policies and the people they support.

Republicans face particular challenges, as they hoped to be able to hold one chamber of Congress, if not both, in 2023. A weak midterm election resulted in a narrow House majority. This will expose intraparty divisions as Kevin McCarthy, a California Rep., fights for the Speakership. The Republican National Committee must also resolve its own leadership conflict before the end.

Donald Trump is a central figure in almost everything. He was the former president that transformed the GOP over seven years ago.

Ronna McDaniel, Chair of the RNC, acknowledged in an interview that her party’s biggest political challenge may be within, as party leaders try to navigate Trump’s enormous role.

McDaniel stated that “there’s so many at stake we can’t afford to be divided heading in 2024,” and promised that the RNC would remain neutral during the coming presidential nomination process. “If we are divided we will lose.”

At least for now, Democrats seem to be more united than their Republican counterparts.

Much depends on Joe Biden, and whether the 80 year-old president will continue to pursue his plans to run for reelection. Democrats could be thrown into a dark future if he does not seek another term, and a formal announcement could be months away.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said that Democrats are also in a pivotal moment, facing cracks within their delicate political alliance among young people, Latinos, and working-class voters.

He said that it hurts him very, very deeply to see more working-class voters voting Republican. “Politically that is a disaster. Democrats must recognize this serious problem and address.

Although many Americans may feel tired of U.S. politics and especially after the 2022 midterm elections, there are still some good reasons to be optimistic that the political spotlight will shine brighter in 2019. The opening presidential primary debates, if history is any guide, are only seven months away. The debate stage will be packed, at least for the GOP side. Ten high-profile Republicans are currently considering 2024 presidential bids, openly defying Trump. This is because they believe Trump is more politically vulnerable than ever.

Trump is currently the only candidate announced in the Republican primary. A few candidates will join the race by March’s end, but others — including Florida Governor. Ron DeSantis is one of them. He believes they can wait until the late spring or early summer to announce their intentions.

Many people doubt that Trump will be easy for the GOP to overthrow in a primary. He has already begun to name his rivals and maintains a strong grip among the party’s most active voters. This will ensure that he is victorious in GOP primary contests.

Voters will still have many options. The likely field includes DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence as well as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, outgoing Maryland Governor, and former Vice President Mike Pence. Larry Hogan is one of many. Many have begun to actively seek donors and make connections in the early states of the presidential primary calendar.

The GOP must resolve a contentious leadership battle in the House before the presidential nomination process can begin. The Republican National Committee will make the decision on whether McDaniel should be elected to a fourth, two-year term by the end of this month.

A lot of Trump’s energy has been poured behind Harmeet Dhillon, a California attorney. This is a vicious leadership battle that will be resolved at the winter meeting later in December after three disappointing elections.

Trump and his loyalists will be prominent in all clashes. However, prominent establishment Republicans are fighting back more aggressively.

Steven Law, an important ally of Mitch McConnell who heads the Senate GOP’s top super PAC, has pledged to play a “much more assertive role in shaping future Senate contests.” Just as Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the new head of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, suggested that his committee would actively participate in Republican primaries to ensure candidates are more competitive with the wider general election audience. This is a significant change from the current committee’s hands-off approach, which was blamed in part for elevating candidates without gaining support beyond their base.

Senate Republicans are positioned in key red states such as West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio where Democrats are up to reelection in 2024. The GOP must not have the same issues with “candidate qualities” that plagued them in November’s midterms, when a list of highly flawed Trump-backed candidates lost crucial Senate races in Arizona, Georgia Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania.

Law stated that “Recruitment will be job one, and it starts now.” “The first step is making sure we do everything possible to find the best candidate for the job.”

Law expressed optimism that Trump would not be in the 2020 Senate primary elections, given his presidential campaign’s needs. McConnell (Republican leader of the Senate), expressed a similar sentiment during a recent interview with NBC News.

McConnell stated that Trump can be done a better job without any interference. McConnell said that Trump may have other priorities.

The Democrats are still dealing with their own issues. The most urgent is Biden’s second term. He is already the oldest president of the United States. According to polling, a large number of voters from both parties don’t want him running again.

After spending new year’s weekend in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his family, the Democratic president stated that he hopes to make a final determination over the holidays.

Biden stated to reporters that he plans to run for the presidency the day after the midterms, but that he respects fate. Aides and other allies have already begun preparations for a campaign launch. However, they are trying not take any steps that could be seen putting Biden in the way of his decision-making process.

Biden won’t launch a formal campaign until the second quarter 2023 to maximize his incumbency advantage. This will allow him to remain above the political fray as long as possible.