NBC's Steve Kornacki lays out the Democrats' very narrow path to a Senate majority


Democrats are feeling slightly more comfortably optimistic about their chances to flip the House in Tuesday's midterms. That's partly because of the unusually large battlefield, but also "one of the things we've seen on the House side is the polls in the individual races in the final days, they do seem to be moving in the Democratic direction," NBC national political correspondent Steve Kornacki said on MSNBC's 11th Hour Monday night.
"Now, the polls can be wrong, they can miss things, so we will see what that leads to tomorrow," he said. "But we did want to say, well, if the House does end up moving at the last minute in the Democrats' direction, does that bring the Senate back into the picture? We've talked about the long path there for Democrats, so let's just take a look at that. It's a possibility tomorrow, let's put it like that. Let's see what it would take for Democrats." And he moved the states around, briefly explaining why Democrats might possibly win each one (though Tennessee was a bridge too far).
For what it's worth, FiveThirtyEight gives Democrats a 19.1 percent chance of winning the Senate. "That is an awful lot to ask for if you are Democrats," Kornacki concluded. "Between Tennessee, Texas, you gotta see a surprise there tomorrow for Democrats, and then everything has to go their way after that."
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
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