Democrats have fresh hope to win back Senate – could they really pull it off?

Paxton – whose history includes an impeachment, fraud charges and an alleged affair – beat incumbent John Cornyn after receiving Trump’s blessing in the most expensive primary this year. In November he will face James Talarico, a young state lawmaker and pastor, who won the Democratic primary amid a rising national profile. Winning the Senate seemed a far-fetched prospect for the opposition party when Trump retook the White House. And it’s still an uphill climb for Democrats, who would need to keep all their existing seats and flip four ito regain control of the chamber, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. But a host of factors give Democrats hope: Trump’s approval rating has plummeted, midterms typically go against the party in power, Democrats are winning in unexpected places in special elections, and there are candidates in close races who have seen a rise in popularity by veering away from establishment talking points and toward populist platforms. In swing-state Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff is expected to keep his seat. The North Carolina senator Thom Tillis’s departure leaves an open seat previously held by Republicans, with the former Democratic governor Roy Cooper poised to take it home. Mary Peltola, a former US representative, gives Democrats a strong option for Senate in Alaska . And in Maine, Democrats think Graham Platner can knock long-serving Republican Susan Collins out of her seat. …