All eyes are on the Senate Tuesday as voters finish casting their ballots this midterm election cycle. Given its 50-50 split, a single seat could tip the balance of power in the upper chamber.
Of the 35 Senate seats up for election on Tuesday, four are considered toss-ups, 11 favor Democrats, and 20 favor Republicans, according to the Cook Political Report.
WHITE HOUSE WON’T NAME REPUBLICANS BIDEN BELIEVES WILL REJECT ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans entered the cycle defending 21 seats, versus the 14 seats Democrats hope to maintain. Unlike the House, which Republicans are expected to retake, the outcome for Senate control is less clear, although forecasts favor Republicans slightly.
Here is the Washington Examiner’s rundown of all Senate contests. As each race is called on election night, this list will be updated. The winner of each state will be bolded.
CALLED RACES:
Alabama
Republican Katie Britt defeated Democrat Will Boyd to fill the seat vacated by outgoing Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) in the “solid Republican” state.
Arkansas
Sen. John Boozman has prevailed in ruby-red Arkansas over Democrat Natalie James in the “solid Republican” race.
California
Sen. Alex Padilla, who first ascended to his post after Kamala Harris vacated the seat to become vice president, has defeated Republican Mark Meuser in a “solid Democrat” contest.
Colorado
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) beat Republican Joe O’Dea in what the Cook Political Report rated as a “lean Democrat” contest.
Connecticut
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) won a third term in the Constitution State defeating Republican Leora Levy. The race was rated as “solid Democrat.”
Florida
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has defeated Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) in a contest the Cook Political Report deemed “lean Republican.” Demings had significantly outraised Rubio and mounted a scrappy campaign against him, but the Sunshine State has trended red recently.
Hawaii
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) defeated Republican Bob McDermott. The contest was considered “solid Democrat.”
Idaho
First elected in 1998, incumbent Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) won a fifth term in the upper chamber against Democrat David Roth and third-party hopeful Ray Writz. The contest was considered “solid Republican.”
Illinois
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) defeated Republican Kathy Salvi in a race she was heavily favored to win.
Indiana
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) has won a second term against Democrat Thomas McDermott Jr. and Libertarian James Sceniak in a race rated as “solid Republican.”
Iowa
At 89, incumbent Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has won an eighth term as senator against Democrat Mike Franken in what was considered a “solid Republican” race.
Kansas
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) has prevailed in his quest for a third term in office against Democrat Mark Holland and Libertarian David Graham.
Kentucky
Sen. Rand Paul beat a spirited challenge from Democrat Charles Booker.
Louisiana
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) defeated Democrat Gary Chambers for a second term in the upper chamber. He has been dubbed a “thespian” by some of his Republican colleagues and renowned for his ability to turn phrases. The race was ranked “solid Republican.”
Maryland
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has won a second term by defeating Republican Chris Chaffee in a “solid Democrat” district.
Missouri
Republican Eric Schmitt defeated Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine in the Senate race in the Show-Me State. The seat was vacated by incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the race was rated “solid Republican.”
New Hampshire
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) defeated Republican Don Bolduc. She held a slim lead over him in polling averages, and the race was considered “lean Democrat.”
New York
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has defeated Republican Joe Pinion in the general election race, deemed “solid Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.
North Carolina
Republican Rep. Ted Budd defeated Democrat Cheri Beasley in the competitive race for North Carolina’s Senate seat, which was ranked “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report. Budd held a consistent lead in polling.
North Dakota
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) beat Democrat challenger Katrina Christiansen for the Senate seat he first won in 2010. He sailed to victory over her in the “solid Republican” race.
Ohio
Republican J.D. Vance defeated Rep. Tim Ryan’s (D-OH). The contest was a “lean Republican” race, according to the Cook Political Report.
Oklahoma
Republican Markwayne Mullin has defeated Democrat Kendra Horn in a special election in Oklahoma prompted by the sudden retirement of Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK). The winner of the race will face reelection in 2026.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) has defeated Democrat Madison Hornin in his quest for a second full term. The race was considered “solid Republican.”
Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) won a fifth full term against Republican Jo Rae Perkins in the “solid Democrat” state.
Pennsylvania
Democrat John Fetterman has defeated Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. Both parties waged a fierce war over the Pennsylvania Senate seat vacated by outgoing Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), who announced his retirement back in 2020.
For months, Fetterman held a commanding lead over Oz, but that quickly began to dwindle amid mounting concern about Fetterman’s health, which was catalyzed by his debate performance last month.
South Carolina
Sen. Tim Scott won a second term, beating Democrat Krystle Matthews and independent Larry Adams Jr. The race was rated “solid Republican.”
South Dakota
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) defeated Democrat Brian Bengs for another term in a race rated “solid Republican.”
Utah
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) defeated independent contender Evan McMullin, who was backed by Utah Democrats. Polling pegged Lee with a sizable lead, and the race was considered “likely Republican” by the Cook Political Report.
Vermont
Democrat Peter Welch beat Republican Gerald Malloy in the “solid Democrat” contest. The sudden retirement of the long-serving Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) attracted widespread local interest in the race.
Washington
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) defeated political newcomer Republican Tiffany Smiley, who trailed the incumbent in polling. The Cook Political Report rated the race “likely Democrat.”
Wisconsin
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) narrowly defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in the Badger State race, which the Cook Political Report deemed “lean Republican.” Johnson was widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable incumbent Republican senators this cycle but ultimately held a lead in polling averages.
HEADING TO A RUNOFF:
Georgia
The toss-up Georgia showdown between Republican Herschel Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) is headed for a Dec. 6 runoff after neither candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote.
A seasoned speaker from the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church, Warnock first won the seat during a special election runoff that took place after the 2020 election. Ever since his upset victory back in 2020, Republicans have long had their sights trained on a pickup in the Peach State, once a decidedly red state. Polling had consistently oscillated between the duo and often remained within the margin of error.
During the homestretch of the contest, Walker was rocked by reports that he pushed two ex-girlfriends to have abortions — an accusation he denies.
AWAITING RANK CHOICE VOTING RESULTS:
Alaska
One of the Republican candidates will win the seat, according to the Associated Press.
Incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) or fellow Republican Kelly Tshibaka are set to win the seat, but the winner will not be known until later this month.
Under Alaska election rules, the top four primary contenders advance to the general election. Voters have to choose between them via ranked choice voting, with the candidate with the least votes being eliminated and the votes for that candidate being reallocated to other candidates based on voters’ rankings. The elimination of candidates occurs until one candidate has 50% of the reallocated vote.
The race was considered “solid Republican.”
OUTSTANDING RACES:
Arizona
Featuring a battle between populist conservative Republican Blake Masters and incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), the Arizona Senate race tightened demonstrably in the final sprint, with Kelly maintaining a slim lead in the toss-up race, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Arizona, which was once a reliably red state, has trended purple in recent elections and has been a top target for Republicans eager to regain lost ground.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Nevada
Despite Democrats winning recent presidential elections and enjoying political power at the governor and state legislative level in bellwether Nevada, polling had shown a fierce toss-up race between incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and her Republican rival, Adam Laxalt.
With about just shy of a third of the Battle Born State’s population Hispanic or Latino, Nevada became a test of whether the GOP is making strides with the Latino community. Laxalt had eked out an edge in the RealClearPolitics average on the eve of Election Day.
