Republican candidates for Senate are battering one another in primary races around the country.
GOP candidates are challenging one another in more than a dozen states, compared to only two primary battles for Democrats -- who are watching the bloodbaths from the sidelines, reported Politico.
“They’re doing what I want them to do, which is kick the crap out of each other,” said J.B. Poersch, president of the Senate Majority PAC.
Republicans have spent a record $35 million on TV ads in Pennsylvania, where frontrunners Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick are bashing one another as a “liberal RINO” and “Wall Street insider,” respectively, in attacks that could be used against them again in a general election.
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“I don’t think it’s particularly helpful,” said Missouri-based GOP strategist Gregg Keller. “At the same time, this is going to be such a wave year that except in the most egregious examples of poor candidate recruitment, I think Republicans are going to be fine. Republican primary voters are angry and juiced up."
Senate GOP leaders are engaged in a power struggle of their own, with Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) challenging Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) by unveiling his own 11-point GOP platform, but Republicans remain confident in their chances to retake the majority despite the public infighting eight months out.
“It’s almost like ‘The Godfather: Part III’ — ‘all the power on earth can’t change destiny,’” said one GOP operative familiar with Senate campaigns. “I don’t think we’re doing anything to help ourselves in these primaries, but if the environment holds as it is, I think we’ll win almost everywhere.”
