Key Takeaways from Tuesday's Elections for 2024 U.S. Senate Races

Yesterday, voters across the country went to the ballot box and sent a resounding message that in the face of extreme Republican candidates, they will choose to elect Democrats focused on delivering results for their constituents.

The results from states across the country both demonstrated stark proof that Republicans are in trouble come 2024 as well as outlined a clear path to victory for Democrats in states as purple as Pennsylvania to states as red as Kentucky.

Here are some key takeaways from last night’s elections:

 

1. Abortion still matters

 

Abortion was on the ballot in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and the results speak for themselves. Voters don’t support candidates who want to restrict women’s health care and they see right through Republican politicians’ efforts to distract from or lie about their beliefs.

The truth is Republicans want to deny women access to health care, and GOP Senate candidates from Nevada to Pennsylvania will do everything in their power to ban abortion nationally.

Last night proved that matters to voters. They understand how much is at stake in these elections and have abortion front of mind as they walk into their polling place.

 

2. Democrats have an effective, positive case to make to voters

 

Governor Andy Beshear ran for re-election highlighting how he has delivered results for Kentuckians. In Virginia, Democrats held the Senate and flipped the House of Delegates expanding their “brick wall” to help Virginia and halt Governor Youngkin’s agenda. And in New Jersey, Democrats shored up their state legislative majorities by focusing on kitchen table issues.

In 2024, Democratic Senators have a strong message to share with their constituents, centered on creating jobs, working to lower costs, and working to get our economy back on track. That record of results is a compelling message that clearly can turn out and excite voters.

 

3. Republicans are running extreme candidates

 

Last night, Republican extremists lost big. In Kentucky, Mitch McConnell’s protégé Daniel Cameron was defeated in no small part because of his support for an abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest. And in Pennsylvania, Republican Supreme Court Justice candidate Carolyn Carluccio said just weeks before she lost her race that she “had no idea” who won the 2020 election.

In both 2022 and 2023, Republican primary voters nominated extreme candidates who were wildly out of touch with general election voters. Already that pattern is emerging in 2024 GOP Senate primaries across the country.

National Republicans are open to endorsing Kari Lake in Arizona. They’re backing a Connecticut Wall Street executive who said he wants to ban abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest in Pennsylvania. Their combative hoard of primary candidates in Ohio all opposed Issue One. And that’s not even to mention their extreme picks in Montana, Michigan, Nevada, West Virginia, Florida, and Texas.

 

4. Republicans haven’t learned a thing

 

There’s no clearer example of how little introspection Republicans have undergone than Ohio Republican State Senate President Matt Huffman’s reaction to voters’ overwhelming rejection of Issue One last night:

“This isn’t the end. It is really just the beginning of a revolving door of ballot campaigns to repeal or replace Issue 1.”

 

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