Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.
Frank Thorpe V is a producer and off-air reporter for Congress on NBC News and manages coverage of the Senate.
WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday downplayed hopes of a Republican gaining control of the Senate in the fall elections, calling the “candidate “Quality of the person” is an important factor.
"I think the House is more likely to be overturned than the Senate. Senate elections are completely different. It's statewide and the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome," he said. When asked about his predictions for the 2022 election at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Florence, Kentucky, he said.
"Right now it's 50-50 for the Senate and 50-50 for the country, but I think it's very likely we'll have a very close Senate when it all comes together this fall. Or slightly up the flanks.
Although history strongly favors political parties ( in this case the Republican Party) losing power in order to benefit from the midterm elections. , McConnell has long worried that an underdog could end up in the hands of the Democratic Party. 38} In Pennsylvania's Senate election, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its rating on Thursday to, with GOP nominee Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor, running against DemocratsState Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who leads in recent polls.
Besides Oz, Republicans are also leading in states such as Georgia, Arizona, and Ohio, with former President Donald Trump The Senate Leadership Fund , a group affiliated with McConnell, recently backed Republican candidate J.D. Vance. bought $28 million worth of airtime in Ohio for the cause.
The Republican establishment also failed to recruit preferred candidates in other states such as New Hampshire.
McConnell is Christine O'Donnell of Delaware, Sharon Angle of Nevada, and Todd Aiken of Missouri.
There is still an opportunity to rise, just one seat for them to wrest control of the Senate from the Democrats and effectively gain veto power over President Joe Biden's legislative agenda and top executive positions and judge nominations. net addition of
