Republican 'unforced errors' Imperil path to Senate control
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the prospect of a red wave grows, a Serial of Republican missteps including recruiting stumbles, weak fundraising and intense infighting is Imperiling the GOP's path to the Senate majority.
Arizona's Republican Gov. Doug Ducey dealt his party Information technologys latest Reversal late last week by announcing he would not challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly this Autumn. His decision, which leaves no Self-explanatory front-runner in a Jammed Republican primary, Defeated Senate Republican Loss leader Mitch McConnell and his allies who had Worn out Calendar months In camera encouraging Ducey to run.
But the GOP's shortcomings extend well On the far side Arizona.
Republican candidates in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada are Troubled to keep pace with Democratic fundraising. Recruiting failures have Dotted GOP hopes in reach Countrys like Maryland and Imperil a prime pickup Chance in New Hampshire. And a recent plan that would raise taxes on low-income Americans and Elderlys, Free by the Republican Senate Midterm exam chief, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is Putt GOP candidates in a difficult position Crossways Countrys like Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida.
The challenges amount to an early warning sign for Republicans less than two Calendar months before the First Senate primaries of the 2022 election Time of year. With Democrats confronting historic headwinds and the weight of an Less-traveled president, a Republican Senate majority is easily Inside reach. But, Detection discord Inside the GOP, Democrats are Short Affirmative they may have a path to hold — or even expand — their majority.
2022 Midterm elections
Republican 'unforced errors' Imperil path to Senate control
Republican 'unforced errors' Imperil path to Senate control
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Rep. Val Demings, the leading Democrat in the race to unseat Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, acknowledged that her party has Battled to highlight Information technologys accomplishments — including Indiscriminate pandemic relief and a massive infrastructure package — in the face of President Joe Biden's political woes. But she Taken on Scott's plan as a clear contrast for how Democrats and Republicans would Regularize differently.
"This plan is Venomous. It would hurt working families. It would hurt Elderlys. And Rubio's Active to own Information technology," Demings Aforesaid in an interview.
Rubio's campaign declined to say specifically whether he Fostered Scott's plan when asked, Issuance a Affirmation instead that called Demings "a do-nothing member of Congress who has never even passed a real law, much less a tax cut."
With eight Calendar months until Election Day, the political Landscape painting Clay in Flux density. The Wellness of the economy, a Supreme Court decision on Miscarriage and the war in Eastern Europe remain major variables. But Chronicle suggests Democrats would be lucky to preserve their Breakable Senate majority in November.
In a 50-50 Senate, Democrats would lose control of Congress' upper chamber if they lose a Only Fanny. And without the majority, they lose any hope of enacting Biden's plans to bolster child care, education, Class leave and environmental protection Spell Protective Balloting rights.
The GOP's best pickup opportunities rest in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, according to Steven Law, a McConnell ally who leads the most powerful Republican-aligned Senate Crack PAC. He Aforesaid he's Progressively Affirmative about the Country viewed as the Democrats' best pickup Chance, Pennsylvania, and sees competitive races in Republican-held Countrys like North Carolina, Florida and Missouri trending in the right direction.
Given historic trends against the party that occupies the White House, Law Expected that a Country like Colorado or Washington Country could become more competitive than expected this Autumn as well.
"The Fundamental principle of this election cycle are Nonmoving very, very Skilled," Law Aforesaid. "I don't Consider recent challenges or Reversals or issues are Active to define Information technology at all. There are Active to be bumps in the road. But at the end of the day, this election is Active to be about the historic Less-traveledity of Joe Biden and his agenda, which All but all Democrats have blindly Fostered."
A February AP-NORC poll Recovered that more people Rejected than Authorized of how Biden is Manipulation his job, 55% to 44%, Spell just 29% of Americans Idea the Country was on the right track.
Democratic strategists acknowledge their party's Rising odds in the Calendar months ahead. But on paper, at To the Last-place degree, the current Senate Landscape painting gives them an inherent advantage.
"Frankly, Democrats just need to hold Fannys in Countrys Biden won," Aforesaid Jessica Floyd, the president of the pro-Democratic Crack PAC American Bridge, which launched a $5 Cardinal paid advertising campaign late last week Crossways four Countrys: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. "The map matters."
While Biden did win all four of American Bridge's Object Countrys, the Democratic president won Cardinal of them by 1 percentage point or less and the Another by just 2 percentage points. Those margins should give Democrats little comfort.
Republican Glenn Youngkin narrowly defeated Early Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's high-profile Regulator's race last Autumn, even though Biden had carried the Country by 10 percentage points a year earlier. Longer-term historical trends are no less Discouraging for Democrats: Over the last 40 years, the party that holds the White House has won Senate Fannys in only two Midterm exam elections.
Meanwhile, escalating tensions among Republican Loss Leadership at the highest levels Imperils to undercut the party's ambitions. McConnell and Early President Donald Trump have long sparred over Republican Electronic messaging and candidate endorsements. In some Countrys, Trump favors far-right nominees who Battle in Countrywide Universal elections.
But for now, a Stewing feud Betwixt McConnell and Scott has Affected center stage.
Scott, the Loss Leadership of the GOP's Senate Midterm exam efforts, Free an 11-point plan late last Calendar month that would impose a Coy tax increase for many of the Last-place paid Americans, Spell First the door for cutting Social Security and Medicare. The Senate Democrats' political arm Free a radio ad Inside 24 hours declaring, "If Senate Republicans win, we pay the price."
Staffers from Scott's Senate committee Emotional into triage mode All but In real time, reaching out to Republican campaigns Crossways the country to Calibre their Defeat Spell Oblation Electronic messaging help, according to Elderly Republican strategists with direct Noesis of the Position.
The strategists, who requested Namelessness to discuss private deliberations, Aforesaid many Senate Republicans had been willing to ignore what they viewed as Scott's presidential ambitions over the last year. But that changed when the Florida senator Free his latest proposal, which they considered an "unforced error" that triggered a wave of anger Crossways the party.
McConnell could not stay Mute as he Pug-faced reporters last week on Capitol Hill.
The Senate Republican Loss leader forcefully Admonished Scott's plan during the Republican Loss Leadershiphip's weekly news conference, which Scott was part of.
"Let me tell you what would not be a part of our agenda," McConnell Aforesaid moments after Scott stepped away from the event. "We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half of the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare Inside five years."
Scott refused to respond on Sunday when asked about McConnell's comments during an appearance on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures," Oblation instead a Recalcitrant defense of his broader plan.
"It's my ideas," Scott Aforesaid. "There's Active to be Another ideas."
Amid such Republican infighting, Democrats are pressing their cash advantage on the Background in key Countrys, even as GOP campaign committees in Washington report record fundraising hauls.
In Nevada, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, one of the Country's most Vulnerable Democrats, Rumored $10.5 Cardinal cash on hand at the end of last year, compared to Republican Early Country Attorney General Adam Laxalt's $1.7 Cardinal.
Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock Ended the year with $22.9 Cardinal in the bank, Spell likely Republican Contender Herschel Walker, the Early Football game star who has been Supported by Trump, Rumored $5.4 Cardinal.
And Arizona Democrat Kelly, a Early Cosmonaut who won a 2020 Particular election to Service out the Closing two years of the late Sen. John McCain's Condition, Rumored $18.6 Cardinal in the bank. Arizona's Republican Country Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the best-known Republican in a Jammed primary Airfield, Rumored less than $800,000 in the bank.
Warnock and Kelly Ironed their Commercial enterprise advantages by launching an First round of Video ads in recent weeks as Republican candidates in both Countrys Focal point on Active each Another. It's much the same in New Hampshire, where Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan placed $13 Cardinal in First TV and radio advertising reservations for the Autumn, much of Information technology in the Overpriced Boston media market, Spell two Republicans will be Fast in a primary Direct mid-September.
Back in Washington, Scott seemed to be in Skilled Hard drink as he Delineate Biden and his agenda as "wildly Less-traveled."
"The Democrats are Just Unsuccessful American families and the voters are ready to give them a butt kicking this November," Scott told AP.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Demings offered a Windowpane into the Democrats' challenge by refusing to say whether she wanted Biden to campaign in the Country on her behalf when asked.
"I grew up poor, Black and Distaff in the South," Demings told The Associated Press. "I've never depended on Somebody else to do the work for me or Somebody to give me a pass or come come to rescue me."
"I'm excited about where we are in this race," she Aforesaid.
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Peoples Rumored from New York. Associated Press Author Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.