According to over a half dozen top GOP donors who spoke with The Hill, conservative funders are getting nervous about the momentum Democratic candidates have been experiencing in congressional races and suggested that they might have to give up on trying to win the House to focus on keeping the Senate.
“Myself and many others are very concerned that this could be a wave year for the Democratic Party and for their candidates,†said Art Pope, a top Republican donor from North Carolina.
He went on to add that, though things are starting to look ominous, he doesn’t believe it’s time to abandon efforts to keep a GOP majority in the House just yet. “I still think the House will be closely contested, and whether there’s a Republican or Democratic majority could depend on one or two seats,” he said. “That means right now, every seat in the House is just as significant as any seat in the Senate.â€
Charles Wescott, a GOP donor from Dallas, touched on the bad position Republicans running find themselves in and emphasized the energy the left is feeling right now.
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“There are only two ways for a Republican candidate to run: unopposed or scared,†Wescott said. “The energy is there on the left. If you’re not seeing it, it’s because your head is in the sand.â€
Historically, the president’s party tends to lose control of the House during their administration’s first term. That combined with the record number of Republican legislators who are retiring and how much disgust for Trump has mobilized Democrats means that keeping the House will be a massive challenge for the right. Though they’re still not completely giving up on keeping their majority, Republicans might end up only having a chance at winning the Senate.
