GOP struggling to find ways to keep 2022 midterm losers out of 2024 contests
Misty Severi
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Republicans in the House and Senate are at odds on how to deal with prospective Republican candidates in 2024 who lost their 2022 midterm election contests.
After a disappointing midterm cycle that saw a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, despite preparing for a massive “red wave,” Republicans are struggling to find the best way to handle the deeply conservative and far-right candidates who fell short in November.
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“We want to see candidates win primary elections and general elections,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) told Politico.
Republican candidates such as Blake Masters (AZ) and Joe Kent (WA) are among those reportedly looking at running again next year. Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is reportedly looking to run for Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-AZ) Senate seat. But Lake has already proven to be a controversial candidate after challenging her election loss to new Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ).
Republicans in the Senate are more open to intervening in the primaries to get a good “quality” candidate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) openly blamed candidate quality for Republicans failing to win certain key elections, such as the Senate races in Pennsylvania and Georgia. But the House wants a more hands-off approach, claiming that attacking a candidate in its own party creates a lot of “ill will” if the candidate wins anyway.
House Republicans said they are planning on staying out of the primaries after a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee claimed the committee’s plan was the same as in 2022.
“The NRCC has historically not endorsed in open Republican primaries and that will not change for the upcoming cycle,” Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the committee, told the outlet.
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But in 2022, Democrats heavily funded far-right candidates in Republican primaries in an attempt to push candidates who were less likely to win into the general election. A method that paid off after the Republicans only secured four additional seats in the House over the Democrats.
2022 Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon is also considering a run for the Senate, and 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano has teased a possible challenge to Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) is also considering a rematch against Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) next year after failing to defeat the two-term senator in 2018.