Republicans are monitoring the possibility of flipping the Senate majority in their favor during the upcoming election, a goal which is becoming more feasible as states claim GOP leadership.
Recent victories in the states of Montana, Maryland, and West Virginia have boosted the hopes of conservative leaders striving to gain control over the federal legislative chambers. Currently, Democrats dominate the Senate 51-49. They are faced with keeping 23 seats during the ongoing cycle, including protecting their claims in red states like Ohio, Montana, and West Virginia.
But key GOP victories in such states have led to increased hope for the Senate to be flipped following the November 2024 election.
One important win for Senate Republicans is the campaign of Larry Hogan, who was the widely liked governor of Maryland (a blue state) from 2015 through 2023. Hogan announced his run for Senate on February 9 via X, formerly Twitter, noting a desire to “fix the broken politics in Washington.”
It's official – I'm running for the United States Senate to fight for Maryland and fix the broken politics in Washington.
Like the vast majority of Marylanders, I’m completely fed up with politics-as-usual and the politicians in Washington who are more interested in arguing than… pic.twitter.com/IOGjIwIjoe
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) February 9, 2024
The GOP has also been active in Montana, where they urged Rep. Matt Rosendale to rescind his run in the Republican primary to allow for Tim Sheehy to receive the nomination instead. Sheehy, a businessman, is reportedly the preferred candidate of the Senate Republican campaign team, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT).
Another critical win for Republicans occurred when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that he was not going to run for another term in office. In a video he posted to his YouTube page in November 2023, the lawmaker stated that he has “accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia.”
Manchin began his service in 2010, remaining in office for more than a decade before his decision not to seek another term.
Prior to Manchin’s announcement, GOP Gov. Jim Justice revealed his intentions to run for Senate, following the conclusion of his current role as West Virginia’s governor. Now that his popular competitor has decided to retire from political office, Justice’s race is all but won.
The remaining seats they have a chance to turn over to Republicans are those currently held by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). While Democrats must fend off GOP candidates in races in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, Republicans only have to worry about keeping the seats of Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Political science experts recently told The Hill that the GOP has “a long way to go” but that 2024 “is a good year for them,” according to Professor Dave Peterson from Iowa State University.
Another academic professor from Sonoma State University, David McCuan, related to the outlet that the conservative party also holds an advantage due to its “expansive” position and mindset, leaving the GOP “on offense.”
