Republicans’ Chances of Taking the Senate Are Looking Great

Even if Harris sweeps the swing states and wins the White House, a whole lot would have to go wrong for the GOP to remain in the Senate minority.

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West Virginia governor Jim Justice speaks in Milwaukee, Wis., July 16, 2024.

Jeenah Moon/Reuters

Conservatives are rightly concerned that Donald Trump may lose to Kamala Harris. They should not be worried about the Senate, however. The lineup of states with competitive Senate races, combined with the current polling and historic relationship between presidential and Senate outcomes, means the GOP has a near lock on winning Senate control.

Democrats currently hold 48 Senate seats and are supported by three nominal independents. That gives them an effective 51–49 majority and allows them to control the chamber’s agenda. Republicans thus need to gain two net seats to retake control in the event that Harris and Walz prevail.

Henry Olsen

About the Author

Henry Olsen

Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and the author of The Working-Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism.

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