Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said Republicans should not expect to regain control of the Senate in 2028 after Democrats made major gains in last week’s midterm elections, winning control of both chambers of Congress.
Republicans lost eight Senate seats, leaving the Democratic caucus with 55 members after Democrat Scott Colom was projected to win Mississippi’s race on Wednesday. Democrats could add another seat if Mary Peltola maintains her narrow lead in Alaska.
“You can forget 2028. Absolutely,” Justice said when asked about the next federal election.
He added that he hoped Republicans would retain the presidency, but called the party’s losses an extraordinary blow to the country.
Justice joined President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and other Republicans in pointing in part to the war in Iran and its impact on fuel costs as reasons for the midterm results.
AAA put the national average for a gallon of gas at about $3.94 on Wednesday, nearly 90 cents above the average a year earlier, when it was $3.07.
“Obviously, the election result was not what we hoped for,” Thune told reporters earlier this week. He said Republicans needed to understand and learn from the message voters had sent.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, the newly selected chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Republicans needed to take responsibility for their poor performance and learn from it. The committee will oversee the party’s Senate campaign efforts for the 2028 cycle.
Moreno, who previously worked in the car business, compared the results to losing customers: “When you don’t listen to your customers, your customers punish you. I think we have to own it, and I think we have to learn from it.”
The Republican losses brought comparisons to the 2006 midterms, when voter frustration over a Middle East war and criticism of a Republican president’s leadership helped Democrats make major gains.
That year, Democrats won 31 seats in the House and six in the Senate, taking control of both chambers under President George W. Bush. In 2008, they expanded their majorities and elected Barack Obama president.
