Pitched battles for these Senate seats will decide which party wins the majority
by David M. Drucker, Senior Political Correspondent |
| June 28, 2022 06:00 AM
The battle for Senate control will hinge on campaigns in any one of six states, maybe seven, as Republicans aim to net the single seat they need to reclaim the majority in the midterm elections.
Democrats are defending the barest of advantages. Their rule over the evenly divided, 50-50 Senate exists courtesy of the tiebreaking vote Vice President Kamala Harris wields in her constitutionally designated role as Senate president. That leaves Democrats little room for error in a 2022 election cycle shaping up as a Republican wave and correspondingly leaves the GOP multiple options to reach 51 among the six to seven states where the parties are duking it out.
Interviews with the Washington Examiner Monday revealed extraordinary consensus regarding the Senate battlegrounds, with Democratic and Republican strategists agreeing on the states with the most competitive campaigns. They are listed here in alphabetical order, to account for the evolving nature of each contest.
What appears most competitive today, or winnable for either side of the aisle, could change at a moment’s notice, especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Unlikely to change is the defensive crouch Democrats find themselves in. The map simply offers the GOP more offensive opportunities to reach the promised land than it does for Democrats to block them from getting there.
Arizona. Sen. Mark Kelly (D) vs. Republican nominee to be chosen in an Aug. 2 primary
Georgia. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) vs. Republican nominee Herschel Walker
Nevada. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) vs. Republican nominee Adam Laxalt
New Hampshire. Sen. Maggie Hassan vs. Republican nominee to be chosen in a Sept. 13 primary
Pennsylvania. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) vs. Republican nominee Mehmet Oz
Wisconsin. Sen. Ron Johnson (R) vs. Democratic nominee to be chosen in an Aug. 9 primary
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/pitched-battles-senate-seats-will-decide-which-party-wins-majority
