Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could soon face a new wave of Senate Republicans opposed to his messaging, but he continues to offer support to those representing the GOP on the ballot amid concerns about the “quality of the candidates.” On Thursday, when asked about his 2022 prediction at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce luncheon, McConnell cited the “quality of the candidates” as a reason why he thinks Republicans will have trouble flipping the Senate in November and instead they could reverse control the house. “I think there’s probably a greater chance of flipping the House than the Senate,” said McConnell, who has led the Senate GOP since 2007. “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide. The quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome.” Despite McConnell’s remarks, the Associated Press reported that the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) controlled by McConnell bought $28 million in advertising this week to boost Republican JD Vance in Ohio, a seat many Republicans believe is safe for the GOP. SLF also announced this month that it had invested more than $34 million in the Pennsylvania Senate race with Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, who will face John Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor and Democratic Senate candidate, in the general elections. MCCONNELL MAKES DAMAGED PREDICTION FOR DEMOCRATS IN SENATE RACES, ‘QUALITY OF CANDIDATES’ REPORTS Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he believes the GOP will fight to regain control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Other spending by the SLF includes setting aside $141 million in fall advertising for elections to be held in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The ad spending — which will begin airing Sept. 6 — is more than double the $67 million spent on SLF in 2020, setting a record for the PAC. Ahead of his comments about the “quality” of Republican candidates entering Senate races, McConnell also issued endorsements for GOP Senate candidates facing tough races against Democrats, including Georgia’s Herschel Walker and Adam Laxalt in Nevada – both received endorsements from former President Donald Trump. Several GOP Senate candidates have expressed reservations about McConnell’s leadership of the party, with some insisting that he should no longer represent Republicans at the helm of the Senate. During a podcast interview last September, Vance, who is seeking to defeat Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio in the Senate race later this year, insisted it was time for “new blood” in the Senate and suggested that McConnell had shown at times that he was “out of touch” with Republican voters. “I think McConnell has shown at times that he’s a little out of touch with the grassroots,” he said. “I think it’s time to move beyond the very old leadership that has dominated the Republican Party for a long time. We have to. We have to bring in some new blood. We have to get people that the base is really excited about. ». JD Vance, co-founder of Narya Capital Management LLC and Republican U.S. Senate candidate for Ohio, speaks during a campaign rally in Huber Heights, Ohio, U.S., Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg via Getty Images) In another interview, Vance claimed that he is “the only person in the Ohio Senate race who has actually been willing to criticize the leadership” and that he “will continue to criticize the leadership” when he believes they are “wrong.” MASTERS CHANGES TUNE TO MCCONNELL, SAYS HOPE GOP LEADER WILL OFFER FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ARIZONA Last month, Eric Schmidt, Missouri’s current attorney general and Republican candidate for the state Senate, called for “new leadership in the Senate” during a conversation with a reporter at a campaign event. “Mitch McConnell was elected to the Senate in 1985. I think the priorities of the party have changed quite dramatically. And I don’t think he’s keeping up with that. I think more recently, as evidenced by the disastrous infrastructure bill, I’ve been saying that by not supporting this legislation on gun confiscation, the red flag law. I don’t support it,” said Schmitt, who is seeking to replace outgoing GOP Sen. Roy Blunt. “I’ve been endorsed by Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Mike Lee,” he added. “I would love to see one of them run. I would support it. Mitch McConnell has not endorsed me and I am not supporting him for Senate leadership.” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmidt, also the GOP candidate for state Senate, speaks to reporters in front of the United States Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. ((Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)) NRSC HOLDS MORE THAN $2.2 MILLION IN ARIZONA, WISCONSIN ADS AFTER CANCELED POINTS DISPUTE Blake Masters, the Trump-backed Arizona Republican Senate candidate, has also taken aim at McConnell in the past. Earlier this year, Masters, who is looking to defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in the state’s general election, weighed in on Senate GOP leadership replacements for McConnell, saying he would support Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri or Tom Cotton of Arkansas for the position. In addition, he also said he thinks McConnell is “not good at legislation.” “I’m going to tell Mitch to his face,” Masters said during a GOP primary debate in June. “He’s not bad at everything. He’s good with judges. He’s good at blocking Democrats. You know what he’s not good at? Legislating.” Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters speaks at a former President Donald Trump’s Save America rally in support of Arizona GOP candidates on July 22, 2022 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Despite his comments about McConnell at the time, Masters predicted Friday that the GOP leader will get another term as GOP leader and that no Republican will challenge him. “I think he’s going to be in charge. And I’m not going to be just a senator who goes along with what he says,” Masters said, according to the Associated Press. “I’ll listen to him. I’m happy to listen. But my vote doesn’t belong to Mitch McConnell. It doesn’t belong to Donald Trump.” Andrea Vacchiano of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Kyle Morris covers politics for Fox News. On Twitter: @RealKyleMorris.
