Despite hopeful predictions of a red wave, last year's midterm elections ended with Democrats still in control of the Senate.

Yet according to Just the News, Republicans believe they have a strategy to take the upper chamber back in 2024.  

Three red states widely seen as likely GOP Senate pickups

Of particular interest are Senate races in West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana, all which are represented by potentially vulnerable Democrats who the GOP plans to target.

West Virginia is seen to be the most promising potential pickup for the GOP, as former President Donald Trump easily cruised to victory there in 2020 with nearly 69% of the vote.

It is represented by Sen. Joe Manchin, who has yet to say for certain whether or not he plans to seek another term in office. What's more, Fox News reported last month that some Democrats are worried Manchin may launch a third party presidential bid.

Should Manchin run again, then his most likely opponent appears to be current Republican Gov. Jim Justice. A poll conducted in May by the ECU Center for Survey Research showed Justice leading Manchin 54% to 32%.

What's more, whereas Justice's job approval rating stood at 57%, the figure for Manchin was a far less impressive 33%.

Democrats in Ohio and Montana set to face uphill battles

Meanwhile, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown's seat seems increasingly winnable after Republican Sen. J.D. Vance won in the state last year.

While not as overwhelmingly red as neighboring West Virginia, Republicans have come to dominate Ohio in recent years, with Trump taking just over 53% of the vote there.

In Montana, three-term Sen. John Tester announced in February that his name will be on the ballot when voters go to the polls next year.

Tester is expected to face an uphill race given that Trump won his state with nearly 57% of the vote. Further, Tester himself only managed to secure 50.3% of the vote when he ran for election in 2018.

Unclear how Kyrsten Sinema's independent status will impact Democratic chances

Meanwhile, Arizona Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has, like Manchin, yet to indicate whether or not she will seek another term.

Should she mount a third party campaign then it may split the vote enough among left-leaning members of the electorate for a Republican to win.

While Arizona was traditionally considered a red state, it has become a fiercely competitive battleground where President Joe Biden managed to eke out a razor thin victory.