What did the May primaries teach us about the future of the US Senate?
A slew of consequential May primaries revealed the shape of the next Senate class.
Dylan Wells- The May Senate primaries offer a glimpse of the next Senate class.
- GOP newcomers with ties to Trump are on track to replace more establishment members.
- Two May GOP primaries are in a recount or a runoff.
WASHINGTON – The May primaries offered glimpses of what the next Senate could look like – including a potentially "Trumpier" Republican class.
Many of the new crop of Republican candidates have strong ties to former President Donald Trump and his brand of politics, crediting him for their success.
Because the Senate is split 50-50 – Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote giving Democrats the majority – a gain or loss of even one seat could flip control of the chamber and decide the fate of the next two years of the Biden administration.
Experienced Republicans retiring
Two Senate primaries remain unfinished: In Pennsylvania, the race will go to a recount because the candidates are separated by less than 1,000 votes. In Alabama, the primary will go to a runoff in June after none of the candidates won more than 50% of the vote.