Since Democrats have control of both congressional chambers, winning back the Senate and the House are significant goals for Republicans. Should the GOP take back both congressional chambers during 2022 races, Biden will have a tougher time ramming through far-left policies.
During the 2020 congressional races, the Republican Party came very, very close to taking back the House of Representatives. As GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has acknowledged, House Republicans only require five more seats to regain the majority.
Re-winning the Senate majority is another important priority for the GOP. Senate Republicans only need one more seat to regain the majority; although, the stakes just got higher.
Yesterday, GOP Sen. Rob Portman announced that he will not seek re-election next year. This now leaves another congressional race next year; hence, the GOP will need to get a Republican to replace the Ohio senator and win at least one more seat to regain the majority.
My statement on the 2022 election and how I plan to finish the last two years of my Senate term strong👇
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) January 25, 2021
Higher stakes in the 2022 congressional races
Sen. Portman’s decision not to run for re-election in 2022 comes at an interesting time in politics. Per the Ohio senator, public service in the current political climate is “tough” and not without its challenges. Portman also cited his frustrations with “partisan gridlock” and lack of advancements on policy issues as reasons for his upcoming retirement.
