McConnell says House more likely to flip than Senate, cites candidate quality

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday predicted that Republicans have a better chance of flipping the House than the Senate, citing candidate quality, again taming expectations for the upper chamber less than three months out from the midterm elections.

“I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” ​​McConnell said when asked about his expectations for the midterms during an event in Kentucky, according to NBC News.

“Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, we’re likely to have an extremely close Senate, either our side up slightly or their side up slightly,” he added.

McConnell’s comments come less than three months out from the midterm elections, which Republicans have eyed as their opportunity to take control of the House and Senate.

McConnell previously said the November midterms would be “very good” for Republicans, pointing in-part to President Biden’s poor approval. Historically speaking, the party not in power in the White House — in this case, Republicans — have gained control of Congress.