With aspirations to recapture the Senate in the 2018 election, Democrats are hoping their party is not inviting trouble in the form of a mid-term backlash, but that on the contrary, Republicans are gearing up to continue their successful run, according to Politico.
The road ahead does not look easy for the Democrats with five ruby-red seats to defend — Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia. In addition, Democrats have a slew of Senate seats up in states like Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Vice president hopeful Sen. Tim Kaine may face re-election in Virginia in 2018, if he is not able to gain success in November. If he does, a Democratic member will have to bear the brunt of a special election in 2017.
Though the 2018 elections may seem far off, the outcome so far of the 2016 election is already having its effects. While Democrats cheer Hillary Clinton's lead in the presidential race right now, they fear it could result in a very bad mid-term election for Senate Democrats in two years.
"[Democrats] have not figured out how to translate presidential success into midterm success. And even worse, this time we have a candidate who is winning by default," a Democratic strategist, who has previously worked on Senate races, told Politico. "It's going to be a disaster," he added.
According to The Daily Caller, Clinton needs to register a convincing win or not at all. If Democrats do not win by a huge margin, it will be hard to weather the storm that would follow her victory.
On the contrary, Republicans are already looking ahead. "2018 is already on the minds of Republicans. We're on defense for two more months and then we go on offense for two years. Mitch McConnell could be looking at a supermajority," said Scott Jennings, who ran a super PAC backing to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky in 2014.
A lot will also depend on how the winners will exercise their power in the White House and Capitol Hill. "Voters are good about keeping this country in check. In many ways perception is reality, and if people perceive that there's a power shift that's getting out of hand, they're going to react to it, making the midterm more challenging for us than it might have been," said Democratic strategist Adrianne Marsh.
While Clinton and her campaign are looking to cross November's finish line first, it is important for the Democrats to understand what lies beyond it.
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