As the landscape of the 2012 Senate elections begins to clarify, Republicans have ample opportunities to expand on their gains from 2010 and move toward consolidating their House majority with one across the capitol. With only ten seats to defend, the GOP enters next year on the offensive with several pickup chances in states with a history of voting Republican—North Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska to name three. However, before national Republicans can begin re-arranging the desks on the Senate floor, they must first concern themselves with whether intra-party divisions will deny them the ultimate prize.
With the announcement by Virginia Democrat Jim Webb that he will forego a re-election campaign in 2012, Republicans’ chances at gaining a majority in the Senate increased noticeably. As Republican George Allen seeks to regain the seat for the GOP, it would appear as if Virginia is prepared to move more solidly back into the Republican column, especially when coupled with the election of Governor Bob McDonnell in 2009. While Virginia and national Democrats would love to see former governor and current DNC chair Tim Kaine enter the race, he has to this point been mum on whether he will throw his hat into the ring. With Webb’s announcement, he will surely be pressured to make a decision, and quickly.
