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Further, the division he caused with his attacks on fellow Republicans in the state including the governor and secretary of state, whom he accused as not supporting his lie helped depress turnout. That Democratic control of the Senate meant that his new arch-rival, Senator Mitch McConnell, would have less power was something Trump almost seemed to relish.

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Indeed, ask any Republican why the party lost those races and the first answer you will hear Trump. And evidence is mounting that Trump might again be the reason why Republicans fail to win back Senate control in 2022.

The math on Senate control is simple. The 100 member chamber is evenly divided among the parties. Democrats only control the Senate now because Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote.

But if Republicans flip just one seat held by a Democrat, then they will control the Senate, and with that, control whether Bidens nominees get confirmed, whether war can be declared, all the way down to whether bills to name post offices get a vote.

Here is the thing: Some of the most promising recruits Republicans eyed for key Senate races are passing. In each case, Trump was a complicating factor.

The latest came on Thursday as Arizona Governor Doug Ducey passed on running for the Senate against Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly. Ducey has been a particular target of Trump because, like Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Trump felt Ducey didnt do enough to try to overturn Bidens slim, but solid, win in his state.

Ducey didnt mention Trump in a statement on why he didnt run, but the implication was clear. As is the fact that Trump has ties to Republicans already running in the contest. Ducey may not have wanted to deal with Trump endorsing his primary opponent. Just look at the open Senate seat in North Carolina. Republicans got their top recruit in the race, a former governor, only for Trump to back his opponent and seriously complicate the race.

Ducey is the fourth Republican governor to pass on running against a Democratic incumbent, despite Republicans appearing to have poll numbers on their side this year.

Others who passed on Senate runs include Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, and Vermonts Phil Scott, who turned down the opportunity to compete for the open seat in his state.

Hogan met Trumps wrath as the two fought publicly on how to respond to the early days of the pandemic. As for Sununu, who opted to run for reelection instead, Trumps former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, claimed Trump told him to find someone to defeat Sununu in a primary.

This is not to suggest that these four Republican governors would have won. It would have been especially hard for a Republican to win in Vermont and Maryland, no matter how good of a Republican year.

Still, only one of them would have had to win for Republicans to have a very good chance at winning back Senate control. Republicans have other paths to victory, including by defeating Democratic incumbents in Georgia, Nevada, and Colorado, but the paths are becoming fewer for one familiar reason.

James Pindell can be reached at james.pindell@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell and on Instagram @jameswpindell.

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Trump may have just cost the GOP Senate control (again) - The Boston Globe