Democrats entered this cycle with low hopes for retaking the Senate. While on paper they should have the upper hand — the vast majority of seats up for re-election this year — the majority of seats in play are in safely red seats, with only a few seats plausible as pickups.
But according to Politico, recent events have emboldened Senate Democrats into believing they can flip the chamber, and dethrone Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
The first development is the surge of former Vice President Joe Biden. Senate Democrats were concerned that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) could undermine key races in states like Arizona and North Carolina. But the prospect of a Sanders nomination appears to be fading somewhat.
The second development is the reported agreement of Gov. Steve Bullock (D-MT) to run for Senate against Steve Daines — something he spent months insisting he had zero interest in doing.
“We have a better chance of winning now than we did just a few weeks ago,” said Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), who endorsed Biden early.
“I’m optimistic,” agreed Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). “I think we have some good candidates, and I think Joe Biden at the top of the ticket is going to be wonderful.”