Priebus: Republican voters energized by ‘Kavanaugh effect’

Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said Sunday that Brett Kavanaugh’s successful nomination to the Supreme Court last week energized Republican-leaning voters and will boost turnout in next month’s midterm elections.

In an interview airing Sunday on AM 970’s “The Answer” radio in New York, Priebus told host John Catsimatidis that the “Kavanaugh effect” over the last three weeks has closed the enthusiasm gap between Democratic and Republican voters ahead of the November’s midterm elections.

{mosads}“Something incredible has happened over the last couple of weeks. And that’s called the ‘Kavanaugh effect’ on Republican voters,” Priebus said, adding that Republican enthusiasm before Kavanaugh’s confirmation was at a “six” out of 10 prior to the newly minted Supreme Court justice’s confirmation.

“Republicans were at like a six. They were happy with the economy. They were happy with the wins that we had. But they weren’t at the level where they had to be. Well, now they are at a 10,” Priebus continued.

Priebus went on to say that which party comes away with control of the House after November is still a “coin flip.”

“I think it’s a coin flip. I think it’s anyone’s guess,” he said.

“The economy is so strong. But thank-you votes in midterms usually don’t cut it,” Priebus added. “It’s usually something else that inspires voters in a midterm.“

Democrats are hoping to flip at least 23 seats in the House in order to retake the lower chamber next month, something which political handicappers have given them a fair shot at doing. Democrats are also battling to gain two seats in the Senate.

Republicans trailed Democrats by 13 points on a generic congressional ballot among likely voters in a poll released by CNN this week.