US Midterms: A Look Into Seven Key Senate Battlegrounds

The countdown has begun until the beginning of the November 8 US midterm elections that will determine the makeup of the next Congress, where 435 and 35 seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, are currently up for grabs.

With the start of the mid-terms just hours away, Republicans are reportedly poised and ready to try to win control of the evenly divided US Senate.

Here’s a closer look into the seven states which are seen as Senate battlegrounds in the midterm race.

Arizona

The race in the Grand Canyon State, where Incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly is running for reelection, is expected to be hot, given that it may determine party control of the Senate.

The August 2 primaries saw Kelly win renomination without opposition, while former US President Donald Trump­-endorsed venture capitalist Blake Masters prevailed over a wide array of candidates in the Republican nomination.

Despite the fact that Arizona typically leans on Republicans, Kelly currently gets the better of Masters in the low single digits in aggregate polling. Even so, over the past few weeks, more Republican-aligned groups have started spending to support Masters.

Florida

The Sunshine State’s Incumbent Republican Marco Rubio won an uncontested Republican primary in late August, while his challenger Val Demings obtained the Democratic nomination.

A two-term incumbent, Rubio is reportedly poised to do his best to win the midterms, with Demings, a former Orlando police chief, leaning heavily on her law enforcement experience.

When previously explaining her opposition to defunding the police, Demings was cited by the US media as saying that “the Senate could use a cop on the beat.”

Georgia

The Peach State will remarkably see the first Senate election in its history in which both party nominees are African-Americans.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, who won renomination in the May 24 primaries with minimal opposition, is seeking his first full term.

Former football player Herschel Walker, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, prevailed in the Republican nomination with 68% of the vote.

Walker’s campaign was tarnished by allegations of domestic abuse , and he currently face allegations from two women that he urged them to get abortions, something that the 60-year-old denies.

Nevada

The race in the Silver State is widely seen as the most likely Republican pickup opportunity to help the GOP get control of the Senate. On November 8, Incumbent Democrat Catherine Marie Cortez Masto will lock horns with Republican challenger Adam Laxal, the former Nevada Attorney General.

Cortez Masto and Laxalt were tied at 47% in a poll conducted by a UK media outlet, a similar finding to recent surveys by two US broadcasters, which showed no clear leader.

Ohio

In the Buckeye State, Republican venture capitalist, author and lawyer J. D. Vance will compete with his Democratic rival Tim Ryan to succeed incumbent Republican Senator Rob Portman, who is not seeking re-election after two terms.

During the May 3 primaries, Ryan won the Democratic nomination with 70% of the vote, while Vance – endorsed by former president Donald Trump – gained the GOP’s nomination with 32%. Both candidates were essentially tied in a number of polls conducted late last month.

Pennsylvania

The Keystone State may see a highly competitive election, given incumbent Republican Senator Pat Toomey’s move not to seek re-election after two terms. With Pennsylvania won by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, the state is seen by many Democrats as the most likely Senate pick-up in the November 8th midterms.

Seeking the Senate seat will be Republican surgeon Mehmet Oz and Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman.

In the May 17 primary, Fetterman, who is recovering from a stroke, prevailed in the Democratic nomination with 59% of the vote, while Oz finished with just a 0.1% difference between him and David McCormick.

Wisconsin

Another hot race to potentially decide control оf the Senate is expected in the Badger State, where incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson was first elected in 2010, and reelected with 50.17% of the vote against Democrat Russ Feingold, Johnson's predecessor, in 2016.

Although Johnson vowed at the time to serve only two terms, he eventually made a U-turn by announcing readiness to run for a third term. On November 8, he will face off against the incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Mandela Barnes.

In 2018, Democrats got the better of Republicans in every statewide contest on the ballot, and in the 2020 presidential election, Wisconsin was won by Biden with a narrow 0.63% margin over Donald Trump.

On November 8, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be up for election, as well as 35 sets in the Senate.

Right now, forecasts by a major US pollster give Republicans a 83% chance to prevail in the House and a 54% opportunity to win the Senate.

According to the pollster, there’s a 53% chance of Republicans seizing control of both chambers, versus a 30% chance of Democrats doing the same.