Free Republic

Washington (CNN)The most interesting Senate race in 2018 might have nothing to do with whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber after this year's midterm elections. The decision Tuesday by Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah to retire teed up Mitt Romney -- the 2012 Republican presidential nominee turned leading intra-party critic of President Donald Trump -- to run for a job that would give him major influence over the remainder of Trump's presidency. But Hatch is a Republican. Romney is a Republican. And if Romney is stopped, it'll be because another Republican won the nomination in Utah. It'll be a...

Election 2014 displayed one of the most incredible switches of U.S. Senate control in recent memory. The Republicans did not just take back the upper chamber—they wiped the floor with the Democrats. They bested some of their pettiest political tricks, including three different Democratic candidates in Montana, plus three-way races in other states. Nothing can top Election Day 1980, which produced a Republican majority with 12 Senate wins. Election Day 2014 produced nine seats, but could have been 11 if not for the intense infighting in Republican primaries. So, will 2016 turn into an epic landslide of the Democrats and...

The familiar Washington narrative on the scrum for the U.S. Senate has been rinsed, recycled and delivered once again: Republicans are primed to pick up the six seats necessary to capture control of the upper chamber. The midterm atmosphere sure looks ripe, the polling appears favorable but, as it did in 2010 and 2012, the most competitive batch of races will likely come down to candidate quality. It’s the key component that stifled GOP chances before, and could very well again. .... .... A closer look at the most competitive contests demonstrates why a Senate majority in 2014 is again...

Republican victories for Democratic-held seats in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia assured the GOP of at least 50 seats in the Senate that convenes on Jan. 3. Under complicated rules in effect, that assured Republicans of control regardless of the outcome of the presidential election. A victory by President Bush would give Vice President Dick Cheney the ability to break ties. A victory by Sen. John Kerry would force him to resign his seat in Congress, and give the GOP a 50-49 advantage until his successor was elected in late spring or summer.