Former Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) analyzed the 2022 congressional election results in two words: “candidate quality.” It was a very insightful statement of the obvious that escapes far too many people in the political game.

Since 2010, Republicans have kicked away golden opportunities to win Senate races across the country, from Nevada to New Hampshire and from Delaware to Georgia. Republican primaries far too often produced inferior candidates.

Sometimes this is the fault of high-profile Republicans like President Trump making ill-advised endorsements of sub-par candidates. Sometimes it is the fault of Republican primary voters who make stupid choices voting for candidates who have no chance of winning in November.

And sometimes it is simply the refusal of good candidates who can win in November to get into a race and expose themselves and their families to public scrutiny and the sacrifice that running a statewide race entails.

That seems to be a developing narrative for Senate Republicans as we approach the 2026 midterm election. Over the last several weeks, Republicans have failed to recruit A-list candidates in both New Hampshire and Georgia.

Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced that he will pass on the 2026 open seat race, just as he did in 2022 when he was governor. Apparently he has an aversion to Washington, unlike his father, a former White House chief of staff and his older brother, a former........

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