Polls show GOP gaining steam in race to regain Senate


Forecasts of the political climate have consistently predicted that the Republican Party will regain control of the Senate this fall. The Washington Post's new Election Lab model has fluctuated, at one point giving the GOP as much as an 86 percent chance of becoming the majority. The Post now puts the likelihood of this happening at 63 percent.
New polls, however, indicate that Republicans are gaining momentum in their pursuit to overtake six Senate seats, something Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said would "be very, very hard for them to do."
With ten weeks left until the November elections, Republican candidates appear to be pulling away from their Democratic challengers in several important elections. Fox News reports that Republican Gov. Mike Rounds has a large lead over Democratic challenger Rick Weiland in South Dakota, and that Harry Reid himself conceded likely defeat in this race. Polling in Montana, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Louisiana also strongly favors Republican victories.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Joe Trippi, a Democratic campaign strategist, told Fox, "We all thought four were in the bag [for Republicans]. But right now, it's looking like the bottom end of that scale isn't four anymore, it's five or six. And that means the entire Senate majority is on the bubble."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies