Democrats' prospects in U.S. Senate races next year appear "bleak," according to Newsweek.
The assessment follows West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's announcement on Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2024.
Manchin's decision virtually ensures that the Democratic Party will lose his Senate seat next year in deep-red West Virginia, making the party's steep path to retaining its razor-thin Senate majority (51-49) even more difficult, The Associated Press reported.
"The problem is that Democrats' 2024 Senate challenges go far beyond West Virginia. They face such a starkly unfavorable map that, if things even go somewhat poorly for the party, they could fall into a deep Senate hole for years to come," Vox's Andrew Prokop wrote.
Six Democrat senators are facing reelection in states that former President Donald Trump won at least once in the last two presidential elections. Those states include the crucial swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Newsweek reported.
No Republican senators are up for reelection in states Trump lost in either of the last two presidential elections.
Besides the three battleground states mentioned, the other key states on the 2024 Senate map include Arizona, Montana, and Ohio.
In Arizona, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema would be running as an independent candidate after winning as a Democrat in 2018. She has not said whether she will seek reelection.
If Sinema does run, she could face both Republican and Democrat opponents.
In Michigan, both parties will be trying to win the seat held by Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who has announced her retirement. She was reelected in 2018 with 52.3% of the vote.
In Montana, Democrat Sen. Jon Tester is seeking reelection in a state won by Trump in both 2016 and 2020. Tester narrowly won a third term in 2018 with 50.3% of the vote.
In Ohio, Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown will be seeking a fourth term. He won reelection in 2018 with 53.4% of the vote. Trump won the state in both 2016 and 2020.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Sen. Bob Casey is seeking a fourth term. He was reelected in 2018 with 55.7% of the vote. Republicans are expected to focus on the state for the presidential election, so that could have an affect on the Senate race, Newsweek reported.
In West Virginia, Republican candidate Gov. Jim Justice should benefit from Manchin's decision. Manchin won reelection with 49.6% of the vote in 2018. Trump won the red state in both 2016 and 2020.
In Wisconsin, Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin will be seeking a third term. She was reelected in 2018 with 55.4% of the vote. It's another state expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential election.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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