McConnell says GOP shouldn’t 'get too excited' about chances of winning Senate

02 May 2024

Political pundits have been floating a variety of possible scenarios about the outcome of the 2024 election. In one of them, President Joe Biden is reelected, and Democrats flip the U.S. House of Representatives but lose their U.S. Senate majority.

In that scenario, Biden, during a second term, could have a hard time getting his nominees confirmed — especially if the Senate ends up with hardline GOP leadership that is even to the right of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who is stepping down as Senate minority leader in November but plans to serve out the rest of his term.

Democratic strategists have reportedly given up on holding a U.S. Senate seat in deep red West Virginia, where centrist Sen. Joe Manchin isn't seeking reelection. And they know that keeping Democrat-held seats in Ohio and Montana could be challenging.

But according to Politico's Burgess Everett, McConnell is warning fellow Republicans that they shouldn't "get too excited" about their chances of flipping the Senate.

"The minority leader is clearly wary of his party overextending itself despite the advantageous conditions after the twin debacles of 2020 and 2022, when former President Donald Trump's embrace of flawed GOP nominees contributed to surprising Democratic wins," Everette explains in an article published on May 2. "While former Senate GOP campaign chief Rick Scott (R-Fla.) predicted the party would win up to 55 seats in the midterms, Democrats ended up gaining a seat. So even though Republicans have room to compete in eight states, McConnell said in an interview that he's primarily focused on four for now."

Everett adds, "Even from the doorstep of his exit from leadership, the Kentucky Republican is delivering a subtle splash of cold water to Republicans eager for a Senate romp."

During the 2022 midterms, McConnell voiced his concerns about the "quality" of GOP Senate nominees — a message he repeated about 2024.

According to Everett, McConnell is being careful not to underestimate Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York).

McConnell told Politico, "It's important to not get too excited, because it's noteworthy that in the last cycle, not a single incumbent lost. So what's the message? Candidate quality."

The Senate minority leader continued, "It's important to continue to say you want 51. There's nothing wrong with getting more, but 51 gives you control. And I think that's going to be really important, no matter who's elected president."

Read Politico's full report at this link.

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