Why Democrats suddenly feel they might defy history, hold Senate

Not long ago, Democrats seemed resigned to historical precedent – that the president’s party almost always loses House and Senate seats in midterm elections, sometimes a lot. 

The telltale signs were there: An unpopular president. An economy out of whack, with soaring gas prices and high overall inflation. The public in a sour mood. Given Democrats’ extremely narrow control of each chamber, a Republican sweep seemed all but certain. 

But a funny thing has happened on the way to the “shellacking” of 2022: It might not materialize. 

The closely divided...