Report: Mitch McConnell Turns Optimistic Republicans Could Win Senate Majority

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks to reporters after a Republican poli
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Wendell Husebø

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has reportedly changed his mind on Republican chances of retaking control of the Senate in the midterm elections.

Previously in doubt that Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) plan at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) would yield positive results, McConnell was cautiously optimistic Republicans will gain the majority, the Chamber of Commerce told Axios.

McConnell attended a closed-door meeting on Monday at the chamber, where he said Republicans’ chances of retaking the Senate have improved. McConnell has previously claimed it was more likely Republicans would retake the House than the Senate.

McConnell’s words are notable because he has publicly opposed Scott’s plan of defeating Democrats in 2022.

Scott’s plan entailed spending early money in the Senate races, thus “defining” Democrats early and impacting the media’s polling.

With less money in the bank after the financial investment, McConnell suggested Scott should use his personal resources to further aid Republican candidates. McConnell and his wife were worth about $60 million in 2018.

Scott’s early investment to define Democrats seems to be paying off. Polling across the board, swing state races have improved in recent weeks. Races in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada have tightened within the margin of error. In Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Republican candidates still hold leads.

But in Arizona, Trump-endorsed Blake Masters, who is campaigning against establishment Sen. Mark Kelly (R-AZ), is lagging in the polls. A McConnell-backed super PAC pulled nearly $8 million in support of Masters. That has left Peter Thiel, MAGA billionaire investor, to convince the fund to recommit money to the race. McConnell has attacked Theil for not donating more money to Masters’ campaign.

McConnell’s attack on Thiel may be a cover for his feud with Scott, who has called out McConnell directly for misaligning his political agenda with the NRSC, accusing him of McConnell’s GOP wing of “trash-talking” MAGA Republicans who McConnell allegedly does not favor — like Blake Masters.

On Monday, Breitbart News reported McConnell will fundraise with Masters on Wednesday in Arizona. Last week, Sentinal Action Fund announced a $5 million investment in the race.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.

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