US Senate Race Chart: DEM-58, REP-41, TCTC-1
Posted Nov 03, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Maurice Berger, Political Director, PollTrack
The fundamentals of the races for US Senate suggest a strong Democratic title in the new Congress. As of this morning, PollTrack believes that McCain's slight edge in the state of Georgia may help pull along incumbent US Senator Saxby Chambliss. (Heavy African-American early voting in the states, however, could blow both races wide open.) The new balance of power reads: DEM-58, REP-41, TCTC-1. With the Republicans holding at least 40 seats (now at 41) according to our tabulation, it may be difficult for the Democrat's to meet their expressed goal of achieving a 60 seat majority-- the number needed to end a filibuster and close to the 2/3 required to override a presidential veto. See chart below:
US Senate Race Chart: 3 November 2008
Solid Democrat: Arkanas: Pryor; Delaware: Biden; Illinois: Durbin; Iowa: Harkin; Massachusetts: Kerry; Michigan: Levin; Montana: Baucus; New Jersey: Lautenberg; Rhode Island: Reed, West Virginia: Rockefeller; Virginia: Warner (d) vs Gilmore (r) (VA)
Likely Democrat: South Dakota: Johnson (SD)
Lean Democrat: Louisiana: Landrieu (LA); Colorado: Udall (d) vs Schaffer (r) (CO); New Mexico: Udall (d) vs Pierce (r) (NM); New Hampshire: Sununu (r) vs Shaheen (d); Alaska: Stevens (r) vs Begich (d); Oregon: Smith (r) vs Merkley (d); North Carolina: Dole (r) vs Hagan (d)
Too Close To Call (with PollTrack poll averages)
Minnesota: Coleman (r) 40.7% vs Franken (d) 38.7% vs Barkley (i) 14.3%
Lean Republican: Kentucky: McConnell; Mississippi (special): Wicker (r) vs Musgrove (d); Georgia: Chambliss (r) vs Martin (d)
Likely Republican: Maine: Collins (ME), Nebraska: Yohanns vs Kleeb (d), Oklahoma: Inhofe (OK)
Solid Republican: Alabama: Sessions ; Idaho: Lish (r) vs LaRocco (d) (ID), Kansas: Roberts (KS), Mississippi: Cochran (regular); South Carolina: Graham Tennessee: Alexander ; Texas: Cornyn; Wyoming (regular): Enzi; Wyoming (special): Barrasso (r) vs Carter (d)
Balance Of Power Tally: DEM-58, REP-41, TCTC-1
Current Balance: DEM-51 (49-D, 2-I) to REP-49
BOLD: Leading In Race
Italics: Incumbent
