Senate Republicans Move to Defense in 2016

“A cursory glance at the 2016 Senate map shows a slew of endangered Republicans up in two years — with few opportunities for offense as in 2014, when the GOP won nine Democratic-held seats to grab control of the chamber,” Politico reports.

“But a closer look at some of 2016’s most intriguing and competitive races suggests that the battle for Senate control is more complicated than it seems. In states like Pennsylvania and Illinois, for example, Democrats aren’t convinced they have candidates that are both willing to run and packing enough star wattage and talent to topple first-term incumbents. And in others — like Kansas, Iowa and North Carolina, where Democrats thought they had a fighting chance in 2014 — Republican incumbents up in 2016 seem better positioned to win another six years.”

“The GOP also enters the new election cycle with a four- or five-seat cushion, depending on which party wins the presidency. And Republicans are crowing that, so far, all of their incumbents seem primed to run for reelection. Democrats lost three of the four open-seat races prompted by their party’s retirements in 2014.”

The Hill: 10 Senators who could lose in 2016