The fringe candidates that could undermine the GOP's 2022 Senate chances

The second coming of Todd Akin and Christine O'Donnell?

An elephant.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

Republicans are brimming with confidence about their chances in the 2022 midterms. Knowing that Senate Democrats are unlikely to use their power to outlaw partisan gerrymandering or fight voter suppression laws, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy recently called Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "lame duck."

Democrats, in turn, are rightly panicking about the impact broad new voter restrictions might have on key Senate races. They can't afford to lose a single seat from their filament-thin 50-50 majority in order to maintain control of the chamber, and must defend vulnerable incumbents in multiple swing states. But they might have a secret weapon: a radicalized GOP primary electorate that could saddle Republicans with unpopular candidates across the country.

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.