A Democratic majority in the Senate is looking more likely as several changes in Senate ratings move toward the Democratic side, which means Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) days of obstruction could be coming to an end.
Eight big Senate rating changes this week – most, but not all, favor Dems https://t.co/FIyAYworjL pic.twitter.com/8RsBxOXt4b
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) September 1, 2016
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Without Mitch McConnell obstructing the Senate, it’s possible Congress could act on things like funding Zika, the Voting Rights Act, a hearing and up or down vote on Supreme Court nominee Justice Merrick Garland, and so much more (though Republicans have suggested they would quickly confirm Garland if they were to lose the White House).
Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelle analyzed the data and say it looks like this could be the “shortest period of control for a party since the early 2000s,” with Republicans likely to lose majority control in the Senate in November.
They write, “From the vantage point of Labor Day, it appears as though that 2014 flip could become a 2016 flop, and on Nov. 8, Democrats have a good chance to grab at least a tie (broken by the new vice president) and possibly a majority of as many as several seats.”
Of course, it’s an uphill battle as not all of the race changes favor Democrats. Marco Rubio in Florida and Rob Portman in Ohio moved toward the Republican column, moving from toss-up to leans Republican.
So even if Democrats do take back the Senate, “that majority could be quite small, small enough that Republicans could be poised to wipe it out in 2018, perhaps leading to another bare minimum stint in the majority.”
But a two-year majority or tie situation, with a Hillary Clinton win, would at least take Mitch McConnell out of the driver’s seat for a few years. Maybe the Senate could do its job then, if even just for a few years.
Senator Harry Reid said in a conference call with reporters Thursday, “The Republican Senate will be remembered for how it did. The Senate is being run straight into the ground.â€
Yes, indeed.
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