As you’re watching election results come in Tuesday after polls close, here are a handful of down-ballot races to watch that could have a big impact on space policy in 2025 and beyond.
In the Senate:
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, is in a tighter-than-expected race against Democrat Colin Allred. The latest polls have Cruz up by only 3 to 5 points.
- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate space subcommittee and the appropriations panel that oversees NASA funding, is also facing a close race against Independent Dan Osborn.
In the House:
- Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), a freshman member of the House space subcommittee, is in a race against Republican State Rep. Gabe Evans that is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
- Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), the ranking member of the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees NASA, is 7 points ahead of his GOP opponent, according to a poll late last month.
- Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA), a member of the House space subcommittee, is trailing Democrat opponent (and former CEO of Virgin Galactic) George Whitesides by single digits.
Open seats: A trio of retirements has guaranteed that new faces will represent some of the nation’s leading space communities:
- Cape Canaveral: The retirement of Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) means representation of the nation’s busiest spaceport is up for grabs. Republican Mike Haridopolos, a Florida state legislator and former teacher, is expected to win the race against Democrat lawyer Sandy Kennedy, according to FiveThirtyEight.
- US Space Command: Rep. Doug Lamborn’s (R-CO) departure from Congress also leaves a hole in representation for the national security space community in Colorado Springs. Republican political consultant Jeff Crank is running against Democrat River Gassen, an educator who previously conducted research for NASA Glenn and the Space Foundation, in the typically Republican district.
- NASA Ames: Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) is retiring from Congress, leaving an open seat to represent one of the space agency’s key research centers. Democrat Sam Liccardo, the former mayor of San Jose, is taking on Republican California state legislator Evan Low in the race, which is predicted to be safely Democratic.
So long: Regardless of election results, some familiar faces will not be returning to their existing seats next year. In addition to those mentioned above, other departures include :
- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), the chair of the Senate space subcommittee, is not running for reelection.
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Rep. Jeff Jackson (R-NC) will not be returning as members of the House space subcommittee. Bowman lost his primary, and Jackson is running for North Carolina attorney general.
- While Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) isn’t retiring from Congress, he is term-limited as chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, so 2025 will see a new GOP leader of the panel. Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at the Planetary Society, said the only name he’s heard to be Lucas’ successor is Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), who chairs the House space subcommittee and represents Johnson Space Center.
What’s next? In addition to these races, there are a handful of broader questions we’ll be tracking as more results come in.
- The Senate flipping to Republican control could put Cruz at the top of the Senate Science, Space, and Technology Committee—a positive sign for a potential NASA authorization act passing in the next Congress, Kiraly said. The Senate has not taken up the House-passed bill, but likely would under the leadership of Cruz, who has previously seen the bill as a top priority.
- The House space subcommittee is poised for a lot of turnover, so we could see a lot of new faces when committee members are named in 2025, Kiraly added. On the Republican side, the panel could lose Babin to the chair position, Posey to retirement, and Garcia to a close election. On the Democrat side, Caraveo is in a tight race, and two of the four members—Jackson and Bowman—will definitely not return.
