Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell convened a meeting Wednesday of all Republican senators running for re-election in 2016. His message to them: “Get ready.”
Fresh off of winning a hard-fought re-election campaign in Kentucky, McConnell is trying to prepare his new majority for what appears at the outset to be a tough Senate map. In part because of their success in 2010, Republicans are defending seats in blue states like Illinois and Pennsylvania and swing territories like Florida and Ohio. A Republican senator who attended the gathering said McConnell impressed upon GOP incumbents the need to prepare early for the possibility of tough re-election battles.
Joining McConnell at the meeting, held at NRSC headquarters, was Sen. Roger Wicker. The Mississippian was elected last week by his fellow Republicans to serve as the next NRSC chairman. Ward Baker, the current NRSC political director and likely next executive director under Wicker, also took part in the presentation.
As part of moves to strengthen Senate Republicans’ political position in the 2016 elections, McConnell is exploring the creation of a super PAC dedicated to supporting GOP Senate candidates. The effort is still in the planning stages.
