Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Republicans were upbeat Wednesday after seeing their preferred candidates emerge from contentious primaries in a trio of states Tuesday, including in West Virginia, buoying their chances in November to retain their majority.
While victories for Mike Braun in Indiana and Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, were expected, Republicans were holding their breath for West Virginia Tuesday night. Then they were pleasantly surprised when state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey defeated Don Blankenship, the bombastic multimillionaire coal baron who had made McConnell public enemy No. 1 during the final weeks of his campaign.
Morrisey defeated Blankenship by 15 points, and Blankenship finished third. Senate Republicans saw the result as a sign the party is learning to send viable candidates to the general election.
“We’ve learned a painful lesson over the years, and that is when Republicans nominate unelectable candidates, we end up defeating ourselves,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a former chairman of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm. “I’m glad to see us nominate highly electable people who I think will enhance the likelihood that we’ll grow our number here in the Senate.”
McConnell’s team was over the moon in the aftermath of the win, which they celebrated by trolling Blankenship’s “Cocaine Mitch” moniker and allowing the results to speak for themselves. When asked on Wednesday, McConnell demurred when pressed about Blankenship’s attacks on Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, McConnell’s wife, and her family, who Blankenship called “China persons.”
“Well, I’m glad the people of West Virginia decided that particular approach of attacking me and my family was good for a distant third place,” McConnell told Fox News Wednesday.
The series of victories make it easier for the GOP to forget the debacle they experienced in Alabama when Judge Roy Moore cost the party a seat in December. Most Senate Republicans believe the Alabama contest is a one-off and is not indicative of other GOP primaries this cycle.
“It certainly was [an anomaly]. You have to think about all the other things that were going on at the time,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “It was definitely an anomaly.”
The heated primary contests in West Virginia and Indiana are by no means the last one of the year, however. Contests in Arizona (August) and Mississippi (November) are set to feature a trio of right-wing candidates McConnell allies believe are unelectable in a general election setting — Kelli Ward and Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona, along with Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel.
“The challenge for us … is to unify,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who remained neutral in Tuesday’s primary, but made clear afterwards she was “pleased” with the results. “When you have these tough primaries it makes it difficult, but I think we will because we are unified on the issues.”
Republicans are looking ahead to the fall where they are looking to go on the offensive against a horde of Democratic incumbents they believe are vulnerable. They believe Blankenship’s loss was a blow to former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and other Democrats on the map and that Democrats will have to make tough choices regarding their allocation of resources.
Meanwhile, Democrats made their opening salvos at their GOP general election opponents after last night’s win. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told reporters Wednesday that Blankenship was the only “true West Virginia conservative” in the race, a mantle Morrisey has tried to claim from the outset of his campaign.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, tried to paint Renacci as a “self-serving political insider” soon after his win.
Republicans are unfazed, though, and are looking to the nearly 18 months of the Republican-controlled Congress’ work to get them over the hump in November. They also maintain faith in McConnell after their candidates made it through to November.
“We’ve got a great story to tell,” said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas. “Mitch is doing a good job, we’ve just got to sell it.”
