The president’s coronavirus diagnosis added another layer of volatility to competitive down-ballot races that will determine which party controls the upper chamber next year.
The president’s coronavirus diagnosis added another layer of volatility to competitive down-ballot races that will determine which party controls the upper chamber next year.
Trump’s diagnosis adds another layer of volatility not just to the presidential race but to competitive down-ballot races that will determine which party controls the upper chamber next year. Republicans, who hope to continue reshaping the federal judiciary in a second Trump term, hold a 53-47 seat majority but are mostly on defense with a Senate map that continues to widen for Democrats less than one month out from Election Day.
Democrats, eyeing control of both chambers of Congress under a President Joe Biden, need to win at least four seats to take back the Senate majority for the first time since 2014. With an expanding map, Democrats have more than half a dozen opportunities, though they still need to protect a couple of their own vulnerable seats, like in Alabama and Michigan. And one of their top targets – North Carolina – has been roiled by revelations of their nominee’s extramarital relationship. The battle for the Senate remains fluid and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has put Republican chances of holding the chamber at “50-50.” Continue reading.