Republicans are expected to dominate House and Senate elections Tuesday. How big the GOP wins depends on how they do in several crucial races. Here are the top 10 races to keep an eye on as election results roll in:
HOUSE
» Colorado: Democratic Rep. John Salazar soundly defeated Republican Scott Tipton four years ago but the anti-incumbent sentiment threatens to sweep Salazar out in this toss-up rematch.
» Idaho: Rep. Walter Minnick, a Democrat,
will show on Tuesday whether his conservative voting record and opposition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s agenda will be enough to stave off Republican Raul Labrador in a GOP-leaning district Minnick won by just 2 percentage points in 2008.
» New York: Rep. Michael Arcuri has been able to stay slightly ahead in recent polls but as the Democratic incumbent who squeaked into office the past two terms, he may lose to Republican Richard Hanna, signaling trouble for at least a half-dozen vulnerable New York House Democrats.
» South Dakota: Democratic incumbent Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, tied with Republican opponent Kristi Noem, is among several conservative Blue Dogs from swing areas who could lose their seats thanks to an energized Republican voting base. If she falls, other Democratic Blue Dogs will likely follow.
» Virginia: Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly has watched Republican challenger Keith Fimian creep up on him in the polls in this marginal district as voter discontent with incumbents intensified. The House Democratic leadership is worried enough about Connolly to throw $1 million at his race.
SENATE
» Colorado: The race between Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet and Tea Party Republican Ken Buck is dead even and the outcome could be labeled a repudiation or a reprieve for President Obama’s agenda.
» Nevada: The Silver State’s Senate contest will be the most closely watched race on election night as Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fights for his political life against Tea Party Republican Sharron Angle, with whom he is tied in polls.
» Pennsylvania: Obama, Vice President Biden and former President Clinton all campaigned for Democrat Joe Sestak, but even that may not be enough to help him defeat Republican Pat Toomey in a state Obama carried in 2008. Toomey holds a small but steady lead.
» Washington: If Democratic incumbent Patty Murray loses to Republican Dino Rossi, it could signal a GOP tsunami that could wrest control of the Senate from Democrats. Republicans need 10 seats to take control and now have a shot at as many as nine. Murray and Rossi are tied in the polls.
» West Virginia: A loss by popular Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin to Republican John Raese would signal the ultimate rejection of the Democratic agenda. Manchin may have salvaged the race in recent weeks by literally shooting a bullet through an unpopular Democratic climate-change bill in a campaign ad.
