Senate Republicans are shrugging off potential threats to the GOP majority in the next election in Kentucky, Kansas, and Alabama.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday smiled when asked about former combat pilot Amy McGrath’s decision Tuesday to run against him in 2020.
“Unlike a lot of my members, I actually enjoy campaigns,” the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday when asked about his new Democratic opponent. “I look forward to the contest and laying out our difference to the people of Kentucky.”
McConnell was equally optimistic about Alabama, despite Roy Moore’s decision to run again in the GOP Senate primary.
Moore, a former judge, lost his race against Democrat Doug Jones in 2017 after media reports exposed his history of dating underage women.
While Moore’s decision to seek a spot on the 2020 ballot worries some Republicans who fear his candidacy would hand the seat over to the Democrats a second time, McConnell apparently isn’t troubled by it.
The seat now held by Jones is rated a “toss up” by the Cook Political Report. It is the only seat Republicans have a realistic chance of regaining from the Democrats in 2020.
McConnell pointed to a poll last week showing Moore trailing his GOP opponents a distant third and earning high negative ratings among GOP voters.
“I think the people of Alabama have figured this guy out,” McConnell said. “I think they’ve seen quite enough of Roy Moore and I anticipate we’ll have a different nominee in the fall election.”
In Kansas, meanwhile, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an immigration hardliner, could enjoy a better chance of winning the GOP nomination for Senate.
Kobach lost the 2018 race for governor to Democrat Laura Kelly, though his views on immigration and other issues align closely with President Trump.
Senate Republicans don’t want Kobach, however. They fear he cannot win and will cost the party a safe Republican seat long held by retiring Sen. Pat Roberts.
Republicans want Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to run for the seat, but Pompeo hasn’t given any indication he’ll become a candidate.
“I just don’t think he has had time to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of a Senate run, but clearly, he would be the favorite, right now at least,” Roberts said.
Roberts said Kobach would have a tough campaign since he has just lost the governor’s race.
“If you have run for statewide office and not been successful, it’s going to be a much bigger hill to climb to turn around and run for another statewide office,” Roberts said.
Roberts said Kobach could still beat a Democrat if he makes it onto the November ballot, however.
Roberts pointed to the array of progressive Democratic presidential candidates as well as the liberal wing of the House, who have promoted decriminalizing illegal immigration, the Green New Deal, and other liberal ideas that will not resonate with Kansans.
The leftward swing of the party’s ideology will hurt Democratic candidates in the state, he said, and will help the GOP ticket.
“It’s going to be a pretty tough year,” Roberts said. “People may not like Trump, but it’s a relative choice.”
Senate Majority Whip John Thune said he does not believe Kobach will win the primary in Kansas over a better GOP candidate, adding that in Kentucky McGrath is no real threat to McConnell.
McGrath ran for Kentucky’s 6th District House seat in 2018 and lost by 3 points to Republican Rep. Andy Barr.
Kobach lost to Kelly in the Kansas gubernatorial race by 5 points.
“I think both of those candidates in both those races are long shots,” Thune said.
“The fact that they have an opponent in Kentucky who lost a House race in a very good year for Democrats I’m not sure is any kind of bombshell development in that race.”
Thune, like other Republicans, wants Pompeo to jump in the Kansas Senate race, where he would likely beat Kobach in the primary.
Pompeo represented Kansas’ 4th District from 2011 until 2017 before serving as CIA director and then secretary of state.
“I’d encourage him,” Thune said. “I think he’d be a great candidate.”
Thune said the Senate map of competitive seats “is going to be fairly large,” but candidates have money and messaging to defend their seats.
Thune isn’t worried about ending up in the minority in 2021.
Republicans currently have a three-seat advantage.
While Kentucky and Kansas are rated by Cook as likely Republican wins, two seats, Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, and Arizona Sen. Martha McSally, are rated as toss-ups. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, is also in a competitive race for re-election.
Republicans hope to hold onto those seats and pick up Alabama.
“Our members are going to have to work hard to win their elections, and we think they are well-positioned to do that.”
