Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Votes are still being counted from Tuesday's election but a picture of the 2020 campaign is coming into focus. Republicans not only emerged with their majority intact but expanded it by at least two seats. That cushion will make it harder for Democrats to retake the chamber two years from now. Unlike 2018, 2020 is a presidential election year in which Donald Trump will be on the ballot as he seeks a second term. Voter sentiment about the president will play a big role in determining who turns out to the polls and which party they support. Here...

Republicans' strong showing in Senate elections on Tuesday will not only allow President Trump to appoint a flood of conservative judges over the next two years, it will likely put a Senate majority out of reach for Democrats in 2020. This means that even if a Democratic candidate defeats Trump, it will be impossible to enact a sweeping liberal agenda. Though all usual caveats apply about how a lot can change in two years, here's the uphill battle facing Democrats. Right now, Republicans will enter the next Congress with at least 53 seats and probably 54 given that Martha McSally's...