But officials in both parties agree that the surge of GOP departures will make the Republicans' challenge more difficult in the Senate. “Any time you lose an incumbent, it’s bad news,” said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, who briefly worked for failed Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin nearly a decade ago. Several Missouri Republicans are expected to seek the nomination to replace Blunt, but none will be more divisive than former Gov. Two leading Missouri Democrats, former Sen. Claire McCaskill and 2016 Senate candidate Jason Kander, both said they would not run for the open seat. The former president won by the same margin in Iowa, where 87-year-old Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is considering retirement.

The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Republicans are also competing in Nevada and New Hampshire, where Trump was defeated, and in North Carolina, where Trump barely won. The Senate Republican campaign arm, led by Florida Sen. Rick Scott, will not get involved in open primaries. “You can’t let insanity go unchecked, or it will eat you alive,” said Josh Holmes, a top McConnell political adviser.

The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. The Senate Republican campaign arm, led by Florida Sen. Rick Scott, will not get involved in open primaries. “You can’t let insanity go unchecked, or it will eat you alive,” said Josh Holmes, a top McConnell political adviser. Meanwhile, Law sought to downplay Trump's grip on the Republican Party.