Just a dozen years ago, Virginia sent two Republicans to the United States Senate. Now the GOP is at risk of losing its fifth consecutive Senate election.

In 2006, Democrat Jim Webb knocked off GOP Sen. George Allen 49.6 percent to 49.2 percent in the Democratic wave. Two years later, Democrat Mark Warner drubbed former GOP Gov. Jim Gilmore 65 percent to 34 percent to take over retiring Republican Sen. John W. Warner’s seat. In 2012, Democrat Tim Kaine defeated Allen 53 percent to 47 percent when Webb decided not to seek re-election. And in 2014, Warner appeared to be caught off guard during a Republican wave but still defeated Ed Gillespie 49 percent to 48 percent.

This year, Kaine is up for re-election and GOP prospects are dim.

The Democratic presidential nominee has carried Virginia in each of the last three elections, including Hillary Clinton’s 5-point victory in 2016. More recently, in 2017, Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam defeated Gillespie 54 percent to 45 percent in the gubernatorial race and Democrats nearly took over the House of Delegates in an election night surprise.

Had 2017 turned out better for Republicans, the party might have been able to recruit a strong challenger to Kaine. But as things stand, the GOP Senate field includes a candidate determined to run a Trump-esque campaign and a conservative firebrand, both of whom are likely to get pounded in the suburbs, and one unproven state legislator.