There's a growing consensus that the Republicans will gain control of the Senate again this November. But even if they do, they might have a hard time defending their majority when the next Senate elections take place.
While Democrats are defending seven U.S. Senate seats in states where Mitt Romney won in this years midterm elections, in 2016 Republicans will have to defend six U.S. Senate seats in states that voted for President Obama in 2012. Protecting those states will be a tall order for the GOP, especially with an electorate that is expected to be younger and less white than the last presidential election.
These senate races will take place in Illlinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Florida. These elections may be more than two years away, but already it is becoming clear that Senator Mark Kirk (D-IL) will have a hard time defending the seat that once belonged to a guy named Barack Obama. Though he is currently recovering from a debilitating stroke, Kirks approval ratings are stuck in the mid 30s, and his refusal to vote to extend unemployment benefits may hurt him even more. Illinois is a solid blue state that hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988, so expect this seat to be a prime target for Democrats when 2016 comes around.
Of the states listed above, only two of them-Ohio and Florida-are considered tossup states that could go to either party. Yet in 2012, the Florida electorate was 17% Latino, and African-Americans represented 15% of the electorate in Ohio. These numbers are expected to go up during the next presidential election, and the GOP isn't doing themselves any favors with these groups with their embrace of voter ID laws and their refusal to embrace immigration reform.
If all goes according to plan, this November will be a cause for celebration for the GOP. Yet even if they do get their victory, the party of Reagan will immediately have to keep their eye out for the next Senate elections that would be taking place right around the corner.
While Democrats are defending seven U.S. Senate seats in states where Mitt Romney won in this years midterm elections, in 2016 Republicans will have to defend six U.S. Senate seats in states that voted for President Obama in 2012. Protecting those states will be a tall order for the GOP, especially with an electorate that is expected to be younger and less white than the last presidential election.
These senate races will take place in Illlinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Florida. These elections may be more than two years away, but already it is becoming clear that Senator Mark Kirk (D-IL) will have a hard time defending the seat that once belonged to a guy named Barack Obama. Though he is currently recovering from a debilitating stroke, Kirks approval ratings are stuck in the mid 30s, and his refusal to vote to extend unemployment benefits may hurt him even more. Illinois is a solid blue state that hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988, so expect this seat to be a prime target for Democrats when 2016 comes around.
Of the states listed above, only two of them-Ohio and Florida-are considered tossup states that could go to either party. Yet in 2012, the Florida electorate was 17% Latino, and African-Americans represented 15% of the electorate in Ohio. These numbers are expected to go up during the next presidential election, and the GOP isn't doing themselves any favors with these groups with their embrace of voter ID laws and their refusal to embrace immigration reform.
If all goes according to plan, this November will be a cause for celebration for the GOP. Yet even if they do get their victory, the party of Reagan will immediately have to keep their eye out for the next Senate elections that would be taking place right around the corner.
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