Former Democratic senator: Republicans likely to maintain control of the Senate
WASHINGTON – Former Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said Republicans are likely to maintain control of the Senate following November’s midterm elections.
“I think the odds favor the Republicans holding their Senate majority,” Dorgan told TMN in an email Monday.
Dorgan added: “No matter what happens, I think President Trump’s behavior will be the dominating issue affecting how people decide to vote.”
Republicans control the Senate 51-49.
Republicans are defending nine seats this year. Democrats are defending 25 seats.
About half-a-dozen of the seats Democrats are defending are in states Trump won by comfortable margins.
However, Dorgan did not rule out the possibility of Democrats retaking the Senate.
“If it is a giant wave, a Senate Democrat majority is possible,” he said.
Dorgan predicted Democrats will retake the House.
“I think it is highly likely the Democrats will win a majority in the U.S. House in November,” he said. “All of the evidence suggests a “wave” election.”
Dorgan’s prediction correlates with a CNN/SSRS poll released last week that said Democrats lead the GOP by double-digits in the contest for control of the lower chamber.
Democrats would need to win 23 seats to retake the House.
The party is hedging its bets on moderate candidates in suburban swing-districts won by Trump.
Earlier this year Democrats celebrated the victory of Rep. Conor Lamb in a Pittsburgh-area district Trump won by more than 20 points. Lamb, who is pro-life and pro-Second Amendment, defeated a bombastic Republican supported by Trump.
Dorgan served in the Senate from 1992-2011. He is a senior policy adviser at the Washington, D.C. lobbying firm Arent Fox and is co-chair of the firm’s government relations practice.
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
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