Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the Democrats' senatorial campaign committee chair, told Politico that he will not intervene in Republican primaries to ensure that a perceived "weak" candidate wins.
Democrats, who got involved in 2022 GOP senatorial races, face tough battles in '24 as they try to retain the chamber's majority. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., are among multiple vulnerable incumbents running in traditionally Republican states.
"The folks who win Republican primaries tend to be the extreme candidates. And that will be an opportunity for us," Peters told Politico.
Peters added that when GOP primaries are "very contentious," they can help produce "a weak candidate" all on their own.
J.B. Poersch, president of the Chuck Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC, said that Senate Republican primaries have recently tended to help Democrats.
"Primaries generally exacerbate their problems, and it makes candidates out of touch and puts them further out of the mainstream," Poersch told Politico of Republicans. "It's a mean process for them."
Republicans already are lining up for contentious primary contests in states including Arizona, Montana, Nevada, and West Virginia as Trump-aligned candidates are expected to challenge moderate candidates for the GOP nod.
One such candidate is Jim Marchant, who is trying to unseat Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.
"He is, I believe, a three-time loser. A MAGA election denier. And so, he's going to have his challenges," Rosen said in an interview of Marchant, a former state lawmaker who has supported former President Donald Trump. "He's going to have to sell himself."
Republicans, though, appear determined not to suffer the pitfalls of 2022, when the party's campaign arm essentially let Trump's endorsement power pick many nominees.
For example, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines, R-Mont., said many Nevada party members already are signaling a preference for Sam Brown, a decorated veteran, over Marchant.
Politico reported that a GOP consultant close to Brown said he met with Daines this year and is "seriously" considering a run.
Daines also pointed to the early Manchin challenge by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice as a sign he's serious about electability.
Noting that Manchin, Tester and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio are the last Democrats elected statewide in their respective states, Daines said, "That bodes well for our ability to win in all three."
"We've already got Gov. Justice beating Manchin by 14 points, 43-29, in West Virginia. And there's a primary there, but that's not going to affect the outcome of the race," Daines added.
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