Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), a vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said right now control of the Senate is “too close to call.”
“I think 50 days is a lifetime in politics so things could change in terms of these Senate races,” Portman said during a Christian Science Monitor Breakfast on Thursday. “I think it’s too close to call.”
Portman ticked off West Virginia, Montana, and South Dakota as races that he felt Republicans are doing well. The Republican candidates in those states are all leading their Democratic opponents.
But, Portman said, there over a half dozen Senate races where it’s just too close to call. RealClearPolitics lists ten Senate races as tossup. He added that he felt comfortable about the Kentucky Senate race, where most recent polls show Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) barely leading Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes. He said he felt the same about Kansas, where Greg Orman has recently risen as a threat to Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS).
“I don’t think any Republican seats are in great danger. I think Pat Roberts is doing fine,” Portman said. “I think Mitch is going to be fine.”
Asked if he thought that meant the NRSC shouldn’t devote considerable resources to those races Portman said he hoped the committee didn’t have to, adding that he thought the focus would be on North Carolina, Michigan, Louisiana, and Arkansas — states with very tight Senate races or where Democrats have retained a slight lead.
“I’m hopeful we won’t have to expend NRSC resources in those states that we talked about,” Portman said. “I think our focus will be more on some of those states I mentioned earlier —North Carolina, Michigan, Louisiana, Arkansas.”
