What’s Happening:
Democrats lost their majority in the House in 2022. And they only have a slim majority in the Senate. Just a few key races in 2024 could flip the Senate back to Republican hands. And an estimated 23 Democrat-controlled seats will be up for grabs, putting the party in a tough position.
And now, their situation looks even bleaker. They have to pull out many victories while defending a president with the worst approval record ever seen. And they’ll have one more seat to fight over, without an incumbent. Because this long-serving Democrat just announced her retirement. Oh, and it’s in a swing state.
From Fox News:
Michigan Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow, whose career in the Senate spans more than two decades, has announced she will not seek re-election in 2024…
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) wasted no time promising to make the open Michigan Senate seat a key target in 2024.
“Senate Democrats don’t even have a campaign chair yet and they are already dealing with a major retirement. We are going to aggressively target this seat in 2024. This could be the first of many Senate Democrats who decide to retire rather than lose,” NRSC communications director Mike Berg said in a statement.
A top Senate Democrat from the swing state of Michigan announced she was retiring in 2024. This turns a once-safe seat for Democrats open. Michigan has swung for Democrats in recent elections. But without an incumbent to protect this seat, it’s wide open to everybody.
Democrats have worse prospects going into 2024 than they did in 2022. They will have to protect seats, with Joe Biden on the ticket (if he’s still alive by then). They will have to convince voters to keep them in power, after what will have been four years of failure.
An open seat is a gift to the opposing party. Democrats only have a one-seat advantage in the Senate. Any loss could mean disaster for them. A strong Republican candidate running for that seat already has an advantage. With two years to build a campaign, the GOP will be in a good place come 2024.
Democrats, on the other hand, enter 2023 in a very bad place. They lost the House and do not have enough votes in the Senate to ram their agenda through. Plus, Biden continues to drag the country down with his shocking lack of leadership.
We can’t say for sure if Biden will be able to run for re-election in 2024. But Democrats have an uphill battle regardless.
And, after losing Stabenow, it will be even worse.
Key Takeaways:
- A top Senate Democrat has announced her retirement in 2024.
- The Michigan Senate seat will be open, putting Democrats in a tough battle.
- Democrats will have to defend at least 23 seats, with signs pointing to GOP advantages.
Source: Fox News
