Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Republicans have told him Donald Trump’s spot as the GOP presidential nominee will let Democrats take back control of the U.S. Senate.
Richardson made the comments while appearing on CNBC Friday.
Richardson said his Republican friends “they’re worried now about losing the Senate.”
He said they feel the “House is OK probably going to be OK, lose some seats, but the Senate is in play.”
He mentioned Illinois and Nevada as important states; in Illinois, incumbent Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican, is facing a tough reelection campaign. In Nevada, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid opted not to run and Republicans nominated U.S. Rep. Joe Heck, considered their top recruit in the state.
Former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey, a Republican, said there was too much time between now and the elections to make any predictions.
”Eighty days and three presidential debates to go,” she said. “In politics, as you know Bill, that is an eternity.”
She predicted that it would “turn on the economy.” McCaughey touted Trump’s proposal to cut corporate income taxes, saying it would raise wages.
Still, she didn’t say anything about the prospects of Senate Republicans.
Richardson’s Republican friends aren’t alone; FiveThirtyEight recently wrote about Trump possibly dragging down the Republican chances at holding the Senate.
