Senate takeover eyed by Dems after establishment wins

WASHINGTON — Democrats are increasingly optimistic they will take back control of the Senate in November, buoyed by establishment wins in Maryland and the key state of Pennsylvania.

Former government official Katie McGinty easily dispatched Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania’s Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday, benefiting from an infusion of cash from national Democratic groups and last-minute backing from Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama. GOP will localize

Democrats now have the candidate they want to take on GOP Sen. Pat Toomey, one of the most endangered Senate Republicans as Democrats aim to net the four or five seats they will need to retake the Senate majority they lost two years ago.

With Donald Trump moving closer to locking up the GOP presidential nomination, Democrats also sounded gleeful Wednesday about linking Republicans like Toomey to the top of the ticket. That’s a strategy Republicans have already made clear they will do everything in their power to combat, by localizing their races and distancing their candidates from the nominee where necessary.

“The map is improving every week,” said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, predicting Democrats will pick up five Senate seats in November (they need to net only four if they keep the White House, because the vice president casts tiebreaking votes in the Senate). On to November

Pennsylvania is likely to favor Democrats in a presidential year, and if Hillary Clinton is their nominee, Democrats hope Pennsylvania voters will be energized by the opportunity to vote for women for president and Senate.

But Republicans scoffed at the notion of McGinty, who has not previously held elected office, as a strong general election candidate. They argue she won the primary only on the strength of national Democrats’ intervention and will flounder once Republicans begin highlighting weaknesses such as her history of moving in and out of government and the private sector.

Establishment Democrats scored another victory in the Maryland Democratic Senate primary to replace longtime Sen. Barbara Mikulski, where two House Democrats faced off in a nasty and personal battle with overtones of gender and race. Rep. Chris Van Hollen ended up with a comfortable margin over Rep. Donna Edwards.

Tom Gralish / Philadelphia Inquirer via AP Katie McGinty won Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, whose seat is considered vulnerable in the November elections.