Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is ready for an electoral battle in 2018—or actually, two of them. McConnell expects a tough fight to keep Democrats from winning control of the Senate, following a Republican civil war in the primaries. McConnell knows the situation looks grim (from the Republican perspective) for the general election:
“The environment today is not great, the generic ballot’s not good, and I’d love to see the president’s approval rating higher. So I think we should anticipate a real knock down, drag out — even on the Senate side,” McConnell (R-Ky.) said in an interview Thursday.
But first, McConnell is hoping to get his favored candidates through primaries despite a series of anticipated challenges from candidates backed by former top Trump adviser Steve Bannon:
McConnell also said he is prepared to wade into GOP primaries to “make every effort to make sure we have a nominee on the November ballot who can appeal to a general election audience.”
McConnell is hoping to avoid any more Roy Moores, in other words. He’s dismissive of Bannon, saying “Those political geniuses managed to elect a Democrat in the reddest state in America. I rest my case.” But Mitch, you fully engaged in that primary and lost, so Bannon probably doesn’t think so much of you as a political genius, either.
Mitch McConnell’s challenge is Democrats’ opportunity: take advantage first of the Republican civil war and then of a mobilized base and an unpopular Republican president and Congress, and take back the Senate. We have 10 months and change to fight and win this round.
Winning Republican-held seats in Nevada and Arizona will be critical to taking back the Senate. Can you give $1 to the Democratic nominee funds in those states?