The Democrats hold an extremely narrow majority in the Senate with the Vice President presiding in order to break a tie vote and a key Democrat Senator has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2024.

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced that he would not seek reelection in 2024 which opens the door for Republicans to flip a blue seat to red with expected nomination of GOP Gov. Jim Justice planning a Senate run.  With a Republican victory in West Virginia, the Senate could possibly flip to a 51-49 split giving the Republicans control of the Senate.

“You look at three very difficult states in Arizona, Montana, and Ohio and then four pure purple states in Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The odds of winning all seven of those are really low but we have to try,” an anonymous Democratic senator said to the Hill, candidly speaking about the prospects of the Democrats holding onto other blue Senate seats in battleground states.

The Democrats must hold seats in Montana, Ohio, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania if they’re to have any chance of holding power in the Senate, but most polls are showing former President Trump beating President Biden in these states which could trickle down the ballot.

“We like our odds in West Virginia,” Montana Sen. Steve Daines said after Manchin announced his intentions not to run. Gov Jim Justice is expected receive the Republican nomination for Senate soon and was enthusiastically endorsed by former President Trump.

“Senator Joe Manchin and I have not always agreed on policy and politics, but we’re both lifelong West Virginians who love this state beyond belief, and I respect and thank him for his many years of public service,” Justice said in response to Manchin’s announcement.

In Manchin’s announcement, he described  “A genuine commitment to legislating would put America on firmer footing for the next 20 years. But the Democratic and Republican machines have no interest in solutions,” he said. “Instead, they stoke outrage because doing so brings them fame and funding. Today, the business of politics is about monetizing anger and getting paid for it. And business has never been better. Not for me.”