Could getting rid of the Senate benefit Republicans?
The Democratic Socialists love the idea. But it might bite them.
Bradley Steffens | July 28, 2026
Responding to a plank in the Democratic Socialists of America’s platform, The Atlantic staff writer Jonathan Chait wrote this week that the abolition of the U.S. Senate “would rank among the great democratic advances in American history.”
Apoplectic conservatives typically respond to this kind of statement with their would‑be mic‑drop reply: “The United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy.” This statement is true but not dispositive. If the Senate were abolished tomorrow, the country would remain a constitutional republic, because it would continue to be governed by representatives of the people rather than by initiative, referendum, or plebiscite — the instruments of direct democracy.
There are other, more substantive defenses of the Senate, but leaving them aside for the moment, the DSA and sympathizing Democrats should be careful what they wish for. Abolishing the Senate would be a great and possibly permanent boon to conservatives.
Republicans may or may not retain control of the House of Representatives this year, but they are likely to retain it or regain it in 2028, when the presidential election will ramp up Republican turnout. In the meantime, continued self‑deportation and enforced deportation of illegal aliens will help keep future elections more honest. Tighter voter requirements, already adopted in many states and on the verge of being adopted nationally, will further reduce voter fraud, helping the cause of conservatism in a center‑right country. Most importantly, the 2030 census will lead to a reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives that will ensure a short‑term and potentially permanent Republican majority.
Using Census Bureau data, the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice projects that red states will pick up twelve new seats in the post‑Census reapportionment, whereas blue states will lose ten. Gaining states include Texas (+4), Florida (+3), Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, and Utah (+1 each). Losers include California (-4), New York (-2), Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, and Rhode Island (-1 each). Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will also lose one each, which could benefit Republicans as well, depending on how the congressional districts are redrawn. Regardless of what happens in those swing states, Republicans now control 219 seats with one vacancy, and Democrats control 212 seats with three vacancies. After reapportionment, Republicans will likely control 230+ seats, with Democrats holding roughly 205.
With a solid majority — and without needing to compromise with a divided Senate — a Republican House would likely enact more conservative legislation, not less. At long last, balancing the budget and decreasing the size of the federal government would be within reach. Meanwhile, the Democrat party, already becoming radicalized, would likely grow more so, cementing conservative control of the federal government. Some House districts might see the election of socialists and even avowed communists. This can only help the conservative cause.
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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/could-getting-rid-of-the-senate-benefit-republicans/