Republicans fear party is losing ground ahead of midterms
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(NewsNation) — With the midterms approaching, some Republican lawmakers fear the party is losing ground. Republicans in the House and Senate are trying to win back a majority power in both chambers and give President Joe Biden tough hurdles through the rest of his term.
Republicans are still heavily favored to win the House, but at this point, polls suggest the Senate is still sort of a toss-up.
Democrats had a good summer working to close the gap when it came to polling. Some in the party feel they have momentum heading into these final days ahead of the midterms.
Early voting begins this week in Georgia following Friday’s exclusive debate seen only on NewsNation. Early voting also continues in key battleground states like Arizona and Ohio.
One Republican told NewsNation his party’s advantage in the polls took a hit this summer. U.S. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky acknowledged that the Supreme Court decision overturning abortion rights along with a string of Democratic policy wins cut into the GOP lead in the polls.
“It certainly had an impact with suburban women. There’s no question about that. Every poll would show that,” Comer said.
But Comer is hoping the focus of voters remains on the economy. The GOP sees frustration over inflation and high prices as their path to victory.
“Crime is up. Inflation is up. They realize that gas prices are going back up,” Comer said.
Comer says he thinks his party will finish strong in the final days of campaigning and will take back the House. But, he thinks they will have to overcome the Democrats’ summer momentum.
What was once considered a foregone conclusion, Republicans taking back control of Congress, is no longer a certainty. High-profile Senate races in Republican strongholds like Utah, Iowa and Ohio are all now much closer than expected.
In Ohio, specifically, a state Trump won by eight points, the Senate race is now neck and neck between Trump-endorsed J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Ryan.
Many Democrats now believe they can keep the Senate blue and limit their losses in the house.
Following the Georgia Senate debate, a few more lie ahead. Monday, in addition to Ohio, Utah voters will see the first debate between Republican Mike Lee and conservative Independent Evan McMullin.