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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCan Republicans hold on to Senate majority in 2016? There’s reason for doubt.
Congratulations, Republicans! You won the Senate majority! Now, can you hold on to it for more than two years?
Looking at the 2016 Senate map, theres reason for doubt. Republicans will have to defend 24 seats, compared with 10 for Democrats. And the raw numbers dont even tell the whole story. Seven seats held by Republicans Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were carried by President Obama in 2008 and 2012. And there is chatter about potential Republican retirements in Arizona and Iowa. If either John McCain or Chuck Grassley decided to call it a career, each of those races would be major Democratic targets.
On the other side of the coin, Republican takeover opportunities are few and far between. By far, the most endangered Democrat is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who survived in 2010 but could face Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R), who won a second term Tuesday with more than 70 percent of the vote. Reid has said he will run again, although his demotion from majority leader to minority leader might make him rethink those plans. The only other Democrat who starts the 2016 cycle in serious jeopardy is freshman Michael Bennet (Colo.), who, like Reid, was a surprise winner in 2010. The convincing win by Cory Gardner (R) over Sen. Mark Udall (D) on Tuesday in the Rocky Mountain State will undoubtedly energize Republicans, though its less clear what the GOP bench looks like in a race against Bennet.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/can-republicans-hold-on-to-senate-majority-in-2016-theres-reason-for-doubt/2014/11/09/e3c18a70-6825-11e4-b053-65cea7903f2e_story.html
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)the Democrats nominate someone who doesn't light a fire under the base and draw in new voters. And our Senate candidates have a better message than "we aren't crazy like the republicans".
pstokely
(10,529 posts)nt
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,790 posts)Feingold's old WI seat, IL, and NH should all be winnable. We may be able to take Florida IF we don't try to run Charlie Crist again. I'd like to see if we can also target Vitter in LA.
Grassley and McCain retirements seem likely. We can at least make those states competitive.
If we run Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin instead of Weiland, against John Thune, we could at least make SD interesting.
One_Life_To_Give
(6,036 posts)They have already convinced themselves this is about healthcare and immigration. So the same voters that put then in office will be quick to throw them out when they too ignore the people.