Key Points
• The reelection victories of three long-serving senators illustrate some of the nation’s political shifts.
• Despite a well-funded Democratic challenge, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) held on in large part because of the lack of ticket splitting in his red state.
• As of this election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has now carried every county in Kentucky in a general election at some point in his career.
• Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was solidly reelected in his blue state last month, but he’s traded much of his Downstate support for votes in Chicagoland. CONTINUED
J. Miles Coleman, Sabato’s Crystal Ball