In the partisan battle zone that is Washington, there is one conquest that could turn the fight decisively in Republicans' favor: winning 60 seats in the U.S. Senate.
With control of the House, a filibuster-proof Senate majority could empower President Trump and his congressional allies to push through legislation and approve high-level appointees, such as Supreme Court nominees, with Democrats in the minority powerless to stop them.
That is why the 2018 midterm election is shaping up as crucial for Trump and congressional Republicans, as well as Democrats fighting to protect President Obama's legacy and hold the line on further GOP advances.
After Democrats netted two seats in the Senate last year, Republicans hold a 52-48 majority, meaning the GOP would need a gain of eight seats to reach a filibuster-proof margin.
(That assumes party lawmakers stick together and vote as a bloc, which is never a certainty, as demonstrated by the withdrawal Wednesday of Trump's nominee to head the Labor Department, Andrew Puzder, in the face of Republican opposition.)
So what are the odds?
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If the 2016 election proved anything, it is the foolhardiness of making political predictions, especially this far out. That said, Republicans start in a strong position — though an eight-seat gain still seems like a considerable reach.
The Democrats regaining control of the Senate, which they lost in 2014, is almost impossible to fathom.
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