One year from Monday, the 2014 midterm elections will be held, and Republicans will get an opportunity to obtain their first Senate majority since 2006.
Odds are the GOP will safely retain their majority in the House.
Some Senate seats up for grabs in 2014 are in red states where the majority of voters are registered Republicans, making victory a little easier for the GOP.
Since the Seventeenth Amendment establishing the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote was passed 100 years ago, the sixth year of every two-term presidential administration has always seen the president's party lose seats in the Senate, with 1998 being the only exception (it was a draw in terms of seat changes).
There are one or two incumbent seats potentially at risk for the GOP to lose in 2014, such as the one in Kentucky. But as even Nate Silver explains, “The fundamentals favor Mitch McConnell as Kentucky has become very red-leaning and as he is likely to have a strong fund-raising edge."
Frankly, if Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could survive a challenge in a very unpopular year for his party, I don’t see why the Republican Senate leader won’t do the same.
At least seven of these 10 Senate races are ones where the GOP has at least a 50/50 shot of winning, and they did accomplish a net six-seat gain in 2010.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/71679/midterm-elections-2014-polls-show-republicans-could-take-over-the-senate
Odds are the GOP will safely retain their majority in the House.
Some Senate seats up for grabs in 2014 are in red states where the majority of voters are registered Republicans, making victory a little easier for the GOP.
Since the Seventeenth Amendment establishing the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote was passed 100 years ago, the sixth year of every two-term presidential administration has always seen the president's party lose seats in the Senate, with 1998 being the only exception (it was a draw in terms of seat changes).
There are one or two incumbent seats potentially at risk for the GOP to lose in 2014, such as the one in Kentucky. But as even Nate Silver explains, “The fundamentals favor Mitch McConnell as Kentucky has become very red-leaning and as he is likely to have a strong fund-raising edge."
Frankly, if Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could survive a challenge in a very unpopular year for his party, I don’t see why the Republican Senate leader won’t do the same.
At least seven of these 10 Senate races are ones where the GOP has at least a 50/50 shot of winning, and they did accomplish a net six-seat gain in 2010.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/71679/midterm-elections-2014-polls-show-republicans-could-take-over-the-senate