Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Democrats could retake the Senate on Tuesday but he’s realistic about their dim prospects, calling it the “toughest political map any one party has faced in 60 years.”
“We do have a path. It is a very narrow path,” Mr. Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Fox News Sunday.
Democrats are defending seats in 10 states that Mr. Trump won two years ago, giving Republicans a chance to expand their 51-49 majority despite headwinds in the House, where Democrats are increasingly optimistic they can retake the gavels on a wave of anti-Trump feelings.
Mr. Van Hollen said blue-wave sentiment and Mr. Trump’s “outrageous” statements are keeping his red-state incumbents competitive, while giving challengers in places like Tennessee, Arizona and Nevada a shot.
“What the president is doing is driving away the independent voters and swing voters, and a lot of moderate Republican voters in these swing states,” he said.
Yet Senate Democrats like Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Claire McCaskill of Missouri are locked in tight races against formidable opponents, while Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is far behind Republican congressman Kevin Cramer in North Dakota.
Mr. Van Hollen said folks should “never count out” Ms. Heitkamp, but the GOP is feeling good about its prospects.
“We’re not only going to hold the majority, I think we’re going to add to it,” Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, told Fox.
“The map looks very good to us in about five or six different states,” Mr. Tillis said. “They’ve got a tough haul, and I think we’re going to come out successful on Tuesday.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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