At the NRSC’s winter retreat in Palm Beach, Fla., this weekend, Chair Tim Scott declared an ambitious goal of netting Republicans 55 Senate seats after the 2026 midterms.
Scott identified six battleground states in 2026: Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio. To get 55 seats, Republicans would have to protect Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Jon Husted (Ohio) while flipping two Democratic seats.
The best Republican flip chance is in Georgia, where Scott told senators that Republicans “have an opportunity to knock off [Democratic Sen. Jon] Ossoff.” We reported how Republicans are lobbying GOP Gov. Brian Kemp to jump in the race.
Beyond the six battleground states, Scott name-checked Minnesota, Virginia and New Mexico as additional reach opportunities to “maybe even stretch for 56.” Those states have Democratic incumbents up for reelection in places President Donald Trump lost by between four and six points.
Scott also reiterated his plea to “put red state races to bed early” and encouraged incumbents to raise money aggressively to fend off any surprise challenges. It’s an approach the NRSC is repeatedly pushing after Sen. Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) too-close-for-comfort win in November.
Throughout the weekend, Republican senators heard from National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett about the White House’s economic message. Senate Leadership Fund President Cory Gardner and Executive Director Alex Latcham also held a moderated panel.
Job moves: Chandler Smith Costello is joining P2 Public Affairs as a principal. Prior to this role, Smith Costello was the deputy director of public affairs for the SEC during the previous Trump administration and spent nearly a decade on Capitol Hill before that.
