The general election is around the corner (we know we say this a lot but seriously — it’s close now). Many are looking ahead at the Congressional races on the ballot. After a whirlwind of news over the past few weeks, the races in the House and Senate have gotten even more competitive for those seeking to either unseat incumbents, or hold off any challengers.
With 53 Republican members and 47 Democratic members, Republicans currently have the majority in the Senate. But some experts say Democrats could take the Senate back.
Here’s how Vox broke it down:
Democrats need to win back at least three seats to reclaim the Senate majority, but they are also defending Sen. Doug Jones in deep-red Alabama, where Trump has a 28-point net approval rating. If Jones loses, that means Democrats need to win four seats and the White House (where their party’s vice president could vote to break ties in the Senate), or net five seats without the White House advantage.
Overall, Senate Republicans are defending more turf: 23 seats (mostly in red states), compared to the 12 Senate Democrats who are up for reelection. Before the coronavirus hit, four states looked highly competitive for Democrats: Colorado, Arizona, Maine, and North Carolina. Now several more seats are in play for Democrats — including Montana, Iowa, and Georgia, and Democratic candidates have even put other reach states like South Carolina in play. Republicans, meanwhile, are going on offense in just two states: Alabama and Michigan.
Meanwhile, polls are showing that President Donald Trump is at a disadvantage with some voters in recent days. Now, after a coronavirus cluster has affected the president and much of his inner circle, Republicans are getting even more nervous that he could lose the race against former vice president Joe Biden.
We’ll break down what’s happening with the election with Reid Wilson, the national correspondent with the Hill, who joins us every month for the series “On The Trail with Reid Wilson.”
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