The first midterm election I remember came when I was in my "good citizen"-producing junior high. By then I was well on my way to being a staunch Republican (much to the dismay of my mother's parents). All I really remember from that election was the amount of time my geography teacher spent re-educating us about elections and the 22nd Amendment.
So my freshman year in high school, I spent a lot of time in the presence of my like-minded future Young Republican friends, talking about how Bush was sure to win reelection and how much we didn't like this Clinton character. We all came to school the day after the election in a state of shock, and on inaguration day we all wore black. I have to admit, the thought of any 14-year-old I currently know being that interested in the outcome of this election is laughable.
There is an episode of Family Ties in which Alex tells Andy, "Born under Reagan, raised under Bush; with any luck, you may have a Democrat-free childhood." I had thought that was what I was headed for as well. Too bad for me.
Anyway, we approached the next midterm with much more seriousness (if that were possible), because it was the last election we wouldn't be allowed to vote in. This was our dress rehearsal, as it were; a time to gather information and make informed decisions without the responsibility to actually go cast a vote.
I don't remember the names of the candidates, but I do remember telling my brother and sister that if I were to vote in the state senate election that year, I would have voted for the only guy who wasn't mass-producing mudslinging ads. They nodded and agreed, as is the wont of a 13- and 11-year-old in the presence of the wise 16-year-old elder sibling. Unfortunately, a few days after I made what I though was a reasonably sensible decision, the candidate of my choice jumped into the mud with everyone else. So, I learned not to trust political ads, I guess. Always a good lesson.
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