Democrats Prep for the Possibility of Divided Government in 2023

Joseph LordSeptember 20, 2022

After two years of unilateral control of the government, Democrats are preparing for the possibility of a divided government following the results of the 2022 midterms.

Despite continued hopes that they will hold the Senate, which many observers favor them to do, Democrats are facing long odds in the House, where most projections predict a GOP majority will return after two years in the minority.

Though Republicans are far from throwing in the towel in the battle for the U.S. Senate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has gotten flack from his party for his gloomy predictions about Republicans’ prospects.

“Flipping the Senate, what are the chances? It’s a 50–50 proposition,” McConnell told the Scott County Chamber of Commerce in August when asked about the approaching battle. “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.”

McConnell blamed “candidate quality” for the gloomy outlook, which was followed by an op-ed from National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-Fla.)—the number two Senate Republican for organizing campaign strategy and fundraising—blasting “treasonous” Republicans “trash-talking” Senate GOP candidates.

Like Scott, Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) remains optimistic about his party’s prospects, predicting a 52-48 Republican majority next year.

Still, if Republicans fail to retake the Senate, Democrats are still likely to face an end to their extended reign over the past two years. At the moment, FiveThirtyEight gives Republicans a 71 in 100 chance of retaking the House after four years in the majority.

If so, it would effectively put an end to President Joe Biden’s policy aspirations during the second half of his term.

Democrats are bracing for the possibility of just such an outcome, making dire predictions about the direction Congress could take