By BETHANY BLANKLEY
THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., says he believes the Republican Party will take back the Senate in November.
Sen. Scott told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, “My effort right now is on the hurricane relief for this hurricane, but absolutely I think we’re at 52 seats-plus. If you look at Biden’s numbers, they’re really bad. People have rejected the Biden agenda. We have great candidates. The Democrats have to defend what Biden has done.”]
“I think it will be a good November for Republicans, but we have to keep working hard every day,” he added.
Sen. Scott, the former governor of Florida and junior senator, chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate Republicans.
His remarks came after he told Politico last week that Republicans were likely to pick up seats in Nevada and Georgia based on polling data.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate Democrats, also said the two states were key to whomever wins the Senate. He told Politico, “I’ve been saying that Georgia, Nevada are gonna be real close races.”
In Nevada, GOP nominee Adam Laxalt is hoping to unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. As of Oct .2, a Nevada Independent poll has Mr. Laxalt leading Sen. Cortez Masto by two points.
In Georgia, GOP challenger Herschel Walker is hoping to unseat Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock. As of Sept. 28, a Fox News poll has Sen. Warnock up by four points.
In other key races, Sen. Scott’s fellow Florida senator, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio, is leading his Democratic opponent by seven points.
In Wisconsin, incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is leading his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes by five points, according to Fox News and Fabrizio/Anzalone polls, and by two points, according to a Data for Progress poll.
In Missouri, Republican Eric Schmitt is leading his Democratic opponent by 11 points, according to The Hill, Emerson poll.
In Pennsylvania, Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz is two points behind Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, according to an Emerson College/The Hill survey.
In close races in Arizona and New Hampshire, Democrats are leading Republicans. Arizona Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly is leading GOP challenger Blake Masters by 6.8%, according to a recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll. New Hampshire Democratic incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan holds an 8.4% lead over Republican challenger Don Bolduc, according to a recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll.
In August, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told a group in Kentucky that “flipping the Senate – what are the chances? It’s a 50/50 proposition. We’ve got a 50/50 Senate right now, we’ve got a 50/50 nation and I think the outcome is likely to be very, very close either way.”
A week earlier, he said, “I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate,” CNN reported.
On Nov. 8, 20 Republican seats are up for grabs compared to 14 Democratic seats.
