Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., says Republicans can “forget” about winning back the Senate majority in 2028 after last week’s midterm elections handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.
“You can forget 2028. Absolutely,” Justice told the Washington Examiner.
“I hope and pray we don’t lose the presidency,” the West Virginia Republican continued. He called the defeat “such a colossal blow that it is beyond belief how colossal this is to America.”
The midterms were a disaster for Senate Republicans. Democrats flipped GOP-held seats in North Carolina, Maine, Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa and Kansas.
Democrat Scott Colom was projected Wednesday to win Mississippi’s Senate race. That made eight Republican-held seats flipped and brought the Democratic caucus to 55 seats. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola holds a narrow lead that could push the caucus to 56, the most seats a party has won in an election since 2008.
The new math leaves Republicans with a steep climb. Even in the best case, the GOP would need to flip five seats in 2028 to retake the chamber. That drops to four if Republicans keep the White House and the vice president’s tie-breaking vote.
The 2028 map offers little relief. Republicans will have to defend potentially competitive seats in North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida, Kansas, Alaska and South Carolina. Democrats will defend seven competitive seats of their own, with Georgia seen as one of the GOP’s clearest pickup chances.
Democrats’ wins this year in Kansas, Iowa and South Carolina, all of which have seats up again in 2028, have only deepened Republican anxiety. Some analysts say Democrats may even have a path to a 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority, something neither party has held since 2010.
Justice isn’t the only Republican sounding the alarm. Retiring Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., a former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, agreed the party faces a tough climb.
“This is going to be a longer road to get back to the majority,” Daines said.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans chose Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, to lead the NRSC for the 2028 cycle. Moreno said the party must learn from its midterm performance.
Democrats are already looking to build on their gains. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said this week that she is already focused on expanding her party’s majority in 2028.
Justice joined President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in partly blaming the losses on the war in Iran, which sent fuel prices soaring.
Justice, 75, served two terms as West Virginia’s governor before joining the Senate in 2025. He was not on the ballot this year. He has floated running for governor again, likely by challenging Gov. Patrick Morrisey for the GOP nomination, and has said a decision could come after the midterms.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. They will keep control of the chamber until the new Congress is sworn in January.
[READ MORE: Trump Says U.S. No Longer Needs Iran Deal, Directs Vance to Focus on Crime and Corruption]
