Republicans saw the Kavanaugh fight as an electoral lifeline. It wasn't.

Brett Kavanaugh, GOP electoral loser?
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the weeks before the 2018 midterms and right afterward, Republicans were arguing that the contentious, narrow confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had finally awoken the Republican base, giving the party a shot of adrenaline before the election. And Republicans did unseat a handful of Democratic senators who had voted against Kavanaugh, in states like Missouri, North Dakota, and Indiana, while the lone Democrat who voted for Kavanaugh, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), won re-election. But after the election, Democrats are the ones citing the Kavanaugh fight as an electoral booster.

"Kavanaugh's nomination hurt the Republicans significantly in the election, harming them greatly in the House and doing very little damage in the Senate," said Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). "That they have to claim victories they won in Missouri, Indiana, and North Dakota shows how weak they really are."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.