Trump Leads While GOP Senate Candidates Lag

Republican Senate candidates are struggling to match former President Donald Trump's popularity in polling, raising concerns among GOP leaders about their chances in the upcoming elections. In key states like Ohio and Wisconsin, Trump is outperforming Senate nominees Bernie Moreno and Eric Hovde by significant margins, indicating a potential split-ticket voting trend. Trump leads Kari Lake in Arizona and Sam Brown in Nevada, while Democratic candidates are maintaining competitive edges across battleground states. Notably, in Texas, the race has shifted to 'lean Republican', suggesting Democratic challenger Colin Allred could threaten incumbent Ted Cruz. Meanwhile, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is polling nearly 10 points ahead of Trump, having distanced himself from the former president. This polling shift complicates the Republican strategy as they aim for a Senate majority, which some still believe is achievable by targeting vulnerable Democratic seats like that of Jon Tester in Montana.