Biggest Senate Races of the 2022 Midterms
Senate Television/AP
The midterm elections are just under two months away and with a 50/50 split in the Senate, both parties are desperate to claim the majority. A once promising red wave seems to have stalled for the Republicans, but they are starting to make comebacks in several polls, the Democrats on the other hand, are not favored to win the House of Representatives and are therefore more desperate to hold the Senate. There are ten crucial races to watch as November draws nears and here is a quick breakdown of all ten.
Florida
(Marco Rubio R) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
(Val Demings D) Erin Schaff/The New York Times
Incumbent Republican Marco Rubio is facing a challenge from Democrat representative Val Demings, yet he still holds a distinct advantage. Demings is outraising Rubio and is scoring donations from many political allies, however, Rubio still leads in the polls and is still expected to win reelection to a third term. Rubio is rather well liked in Florida and has attacked Demings for her support of defunding the police despite her being a former policewoman and her track record of voting 100% with Nancy Pelosi in the house.
Nevada
(Catherine Cortez Masto D) Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent
(Adam Laxalt R) AP Photo/John Locher
In a race that is widely considered a tossup, incumbent Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto looks to defend her seat against a dangerous challenger, former Nevada attorney general Adam Laxalt. It’s anyone’s race in Nevada and while Cortez Masto has the edge of being the incumbent, Laxalt is well known for being the grandson of former Nevada governor and Senator Paul Laxalt. A win in this race would go a long way in securing the Senate for either side.
Georgia
(Raphael Warnock D) Elijah Nouvelage / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
(Herschel Walker R) Megan Varner / Getty Images file
After defeating Kelly Loeffler in a special election to fill the remainder of longtime Senator Johnny Isakson, incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock is running for his first full term. His opponent is an interesting one, the Trump-backed former NFL star running back Herschel Walker. Warnock and Walker are in the closest and most heated race of the midterms, with the polls constantly swinging back and forth between the two. The race is a tossup in every sense of the word and as of now, there are no sure bets for either candidate.
Pennsylvania
(John Fetterman D) Keith Srakocic / AP file
(Mehmet Oz R) Leigh Vogel/Getty Images
Incumbent Republican Pat Toomey is not seeking a third term and his open seat is highly sought after by both parties. The Democrats have nominated incumbent lieutenant governor John Fetterman and the Republicans nominated TV host and heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz. Fetterman started off in the lead, but many reports say that Oz is closing the gap and the race is mostly rated as a tossup. Fetterman has repeatedly attacked OZ because he technically isn’t from Pennsylvania, whereas Oz has called Fetterman out over Pennsylvania’s high pardon rate and Fetterman’s idea to abolish life sentencing. Can Fetterman win Pennsylvania’s other Senate seat? Or will Oz pull off an upset?
Arizona
(Mark Kelly D) Rob Schumacher / Pool via AFP - Getty Images
(Blake Masters R) Ash Ponders/Bloomberg
Democrat Mark Kelly won a special election in 2022 over Republican Martha McSally to fill out the final years of the late Republican John McCain’s term. Now Kelly is running for his first full term against the Trump-backed Republican Blake Masters. Kelly has been leading Masters in most polls but it seems that Masters is rapidly advancing and cutting down the deficit and while the race is Mark Kelly’s to lose, but it’s quickly entering tossup territory.
Wisconsin
(Ron Johnson R) Alex Wong/Getty Images
(Mandela Barnes D) Courtesy of Mandela Barnes for Senate
Incumbent Republican Ron Johnson is seeking a third term and he will have to face his toughest challenger yet, current Wisconsin lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes. It’s a tight race and both candidates have exchanged attacks, Barnes has attacked Johnson on running for a third term despite promising to only run for two and Johnson has hit back on Barnes’ support for eliminating cash bail. Johnson narrowly won back in 2016, can he do it again?
Ohio
(Tim Ryan D) Jay LaPrete/AP Photo
(JD Vance R) Courtney Hergesheimer/ The Columbus Dispatch
With the retirement of incumbent Republican Rob Portman, the Democrats are looking to hold both seats by nominating representative Tim Ryan. The Republicans on the other hand have nominated JD Vance, a venture capitalist, author, and political commentator. This also has the makings to be another tight race, with Ryan and Vance both leading across a variety of polls. The race is too close to call but Ohio has been trending rightward as of late, and both candidates have a chance at winning.
North Carolina
(Ted Budd R) Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo.
(Cheri Beasley D) Photo: Cheri Beasley campaign
North Carolina has another open seat that sports another interesting race. Incumbent Republican Richard Burr is retiring and two string candidates are running to replace him, in this election, the nominees are former Democrat North Carolina court justice Cheri Beasley will face Republican representative Ted Budd. While many consider the race to be highly competitive, it is worth noting that Budd does hold a slight edge in the state, but a Beasley victory is not out of the question.
New Hampshire
(Maggie Hassan D) Erin Scott/Associated Press
(Don Bolduc R) Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
Incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan is eyeing reelection after winning by 0.14% in 2016, but she faces what looks like another close race. Hassan’s challenger is retired US Army Special Forces Brigadier General Don Bolduc, who won a tightly contested Republican primary. The race is Hassan’s to lose, but Bolduc is right on her tail in the polls. Will Hassan win another close election? Or will Bolduc finally unseat her?
Missouri
(Eric Schmitt R) Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
(Trudy Busch Valentine D) Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch
The Republicans are facing another open seat after incumbent Roy Blunt announced that he would not seek another term. The Democrats have an interesting nominee, political outsider Trudy Busch Valentine, the heiress to the Anheuser-Busch fortune. The Republicans nominated a well-known figure in Missouri politics, state attorney general Eric Schmitt. Interestingly, the race is drifting away from tossup territory and many polls are showing Schmitt as the favorite, but Busch Valentine cannot be counted out.
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