In Montana, a third-generation dirt farmer will face a dishonest, rich out-of-stater that real Montanans call a “wannabe cowboy.” In Ohio, a lifelong champion for workers is running against a deceitful car salesman who was successfully taken to court for wage theft, while media outlets have reported he’s playing fast and loose with his own biography on the campaign trail. In Arizona, the choice will be between a Marine who has defended our country and Kari Lake, who seems only interested in defending her power-mad lie that she won an election the courts said she lost.
Matches like these are playing out in every Senate race in states across the country.
It doesn’t seem like Senate Republicans are sending their best.
As chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during our history-defying and victorious 2022 campaign cycle, and as the winner of tough elections in Michigan, I know that voters view Senate races as a battle between candidates. And one thing Mitch McConnell and I agree on is that candidate quality matters.
Each of our races will be close. We have a big map this year. But 100 days out, I have never been more confident that Democrats are in the strongest possible position to defend our Senate majority thanks to the strength of our candidates, the power of their campaigns and the weakness of Republican recruits.
In each of our races, I believe our Democratic candidate will win because they can attract a diverse coalition of voters. For months, they’ve been communicating with voters about their values, accomplishments and plans to continue fighting for the priorities that matter most to the people in their states.
But the most important reason I believe Senate Democrats will win is because voters recognize the stakes of this election and that Senate Democrats are on their side when it comes to the issues that matter most to their lives: protecting women’s freedom to make their own decisions about their health care, cracking down on big corporations that get rich by keeping prices high, keeping good-paying jobs in America, securing the border and standing against the attacks Republicans have pledged to mount against Medicare, Social Security and the Affordable Care Act.
We have a lot of work to do between now and November. It will require resources and grassroots energy. And when we do this work, in 100 days I am confident that Senate Democrats will have successfully defended our majority, because we have better candidates, stronger campaigns and a winning message.
Sen. Gary Peters
Gary Peters is a senator from Michigan and chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.