by Mary Lou Masters
Senate Democrats’ hopes to hold its narrow majority in the upper chamber likely just got crushed by West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s Thursday announcement not to seek reelection in 2024.
Manchin’s decision opens the door for Republicans to flip the seat red with West Virginia GOP Gov. Jim Justice expected to win the party’s nomination and no viable Democratic candidate emerging so far. A victory in West Virginia would put the upper chamber’s partisan control at 50-50 if Democrats can hold their seats in several other contentious races, a proposition that appears unlikely.
“You look at three very difficult states in Arizona, Montana, and Ohio and then four pure purple states in Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The odds of winning all seven of those are really low but we have to try,” a Democratic senator, granted anonymity to speak candidly on the state of the 2024 election, told The Hill.
If any one of the Democratic-held seats in Montana, Ohio, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania can be flipped, or the GOP wins the White House, Republicans would gain control of the Senate, Politico reported. Michigan’s outgoing Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s seat also opens up another opportunity for Republicans to snag a seat.
“The math with respect to the Senate becomes pretty daunting for the Democrats,” Mike McKenna, GOP consultant and president of MWR Strategies, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “However, the Republicans under the leadership of [Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel] have shown the ability to miss even the easiest layups.”
The Cook Political Report characterizes races in Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the “Lean D” category, with Arizona and Ohio classified as “Toss Up[s].” West Virginia was previously in the “Toss Up” category, but has since been moved to “Solid R” following Manchin’s decision not to seek reelection.
“We like our odds in West Virginia,” Montana Sen. Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement after Manchin’s announcement on Thursday. (RELATED: Joe Manchin Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection In 2024)
However, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, is confident in its ability to retain the vulnerable seats.
“Democrats have multiple pathways to protect and strengthen our Senate majority and are in a strong position to achieve this goal,” David Bergstein, DSCC communications director, told the DCNF in a statement. “In addition to defending our battle-tested incumbents, we’ve already expanded the battleground map to Texas and Florida, where formidable Democratic candidates are out-raising unpopular Republican incumbents and the DSCC is making investments to lay the groundwork for our campaigns’ victories.”
Justice, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is leading Republican Rep. Alex Mooney for the GOP nomination by over 32 points, according to a late August Research America/MetroNews poll. An Emerson College survey released Oct. 13 found Justice trouncing Manchin 41% to 28%, while Mooney would’ve lost by 6 points.
“Senator Joe Manchin and I have not always agreed on policy and politics, but we’re both lifelong West Virginians who love this state beyond belief, and I respect and thank him for his many years of public service,” Justice said in a statement Thursday.
A spokesperson for Manchin pointed the DCNF toward a Thursday op-ed the senator wrote for The Wall Street Journal upon request for comment.
It just gets worst for the Democrats and Better for America and Americans
We’ve seen this movie before. Republicans better take care of business, which includes being MORE vigilant for election fraud. If it weren’t for fraud, there would already be a Republican Senator from Arizona.
Getting back to carrying about America and Americans and screw the United Nations tell them War Mongers to fight their own wars we can help out after a Natural Disaster
I guess a “Democrat in name only” is a dino? Only they to imitate a Republican, like a rino imitates a Democrat, they are full-blown socialists. Manchin is more of a relic of the old Democrat party.
However, it’s hard to imagine why he was dumb enough to fall for that Infrastructure Bill scam. I never thought for a second he had some sort of principles that kept him from supporting that massive waste of money; he was just holding out for something for HIM. What he got was a promise, and this is the confusing part, he should have known as well as anyone what a promise from a Democrat is worth.
Maybe he’s going to get some 3rd Party revenge.
11/10/23 – Ohio GOP lawmakers call to block courts from implementing new abortion amendment –
Yeah, go ahead and blatantly disregard your own state constitution to override the will of the people, and see what happens in 2024, assholes.
“The powers of initiative and referendum are reserved for the people of Ohio under Article 2, Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution, enabling citizens to place an issue directly before voters on a statewide ballot. Citizens who wish to put a statewide issue on the ballot may do so through one of the following three methods:
Initiated constitutional amendment — ORC 3519.01(A)To amend or add an article or part of an article to the Ohio ConstitutionInitiated statute — ORC 3519.01(A)To add a statute to the Ohio Revised CodeReferendum — ORC 3519.01(B)To repeal an existing law or section of law. Note that any law passed by voters is not subject to referendum…”
They ran ads to tell people that the voters could decide about abortion access at the ballot box? OUTRAGEOUS!
The truth is that MAGA prefers authoritarianism to democracy–provided their own views are the views enforced.
Once again you are clueless.
I bet you can’t explain how I’m “clueless”.
I can explain EXACTLY what I meant: Ohio republicans are ready to piss on their state constitution because they don’t like the referendum results. Trump is ready to piss on the US Constitution because he didn’t like the election results.
Keep it up, and this will be the hill that the GOP dies on.
Well, Comrade Greggie, I see you are celebrating a law that allows for the murder of unborn children. No surprise. The only thing your party offers is death, taxes and victimhood.
But your victory will be short lived as 40 years ago, no one knew about sonograms that could even tell a woman what sex her unborn child was. Now, when women do get sonograms, the percentage who choose to give birth is rapidly grown.
Ohio can shut that crap down. While abortion may be legal now (up to the time of birth), clinics that perform abortions can be denied licenses. Doctors that perform abortions can have their state license revoked.
You see, there is always more than one way to skin that cat.
Maybe now you would like to tell us what form of abortion you think is best. In the past, you have refused to answer that question.
Shouldn’t you be out picketing against Pope Francis for removing Strickland?
Are you concerned about Bishop Strickland? How nice of you to be concerned about one of the black robe brigade.
The old GOP is already dead, there is a new party, just did not change the name.
Did you see the ratings for the last debate, seems without Trump no one GAF.
Wake up smell your diaper.
Your “New Party” hasn’t accomplished a damn thing but increasing levels of division and chaos.