MINNEAPOLIS -- U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) told Utah's delegation to the Republican National Convention that retaking the majority in the Senate this year was something his party would likely not be able to do.

According to a report from the Salt Lake Tribune, McConnell said the "numbers were daunting" in Senate contests.

"There's virtually no chance we can get the Senate back," McConnell reportedly noted.

Democrats currently hold a 50 to 48 advantage in the Senate, with 2 independents, though there are a number of hotly-contested races across the country. Many analysts expect some Republican seats to change hands. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently claimed that number could hit four.

McConnell has his own race for re-election, though recent polls show him with a double-digit lead over Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford.

McConnell addressed the Utah delegation yesterday. Then, he called Utah's two Republican U.S. Senators - Sen. Orrin Hatch and Robert F. Bennett - "his very best friends" in the upper chamber.

Hatch told PolitickerKY.com earlier this week that he thought McConnell was unbeatable this year.

Updated, 12:01 pm: Corrected U.S. Senate balance to include independents.