Slim Senate Races at Forefront of Political Battle

Battleground Senate races are gaining traction across states like Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and are projected to be hard-fought wins.

With all House and 33 Senate seats up for election, many congressional races seem neck-in-neck, similar to predictions made about the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In the battleground state Senate races, all offices are currently held by Democrats. The GOP has offered challenging candidates while the Democratic Party has either tried to boost incumbents or prop up alternative candidates they hope will maintain their slim majority in the Senate.

Incumbent Battleground Senate Races

In Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Democratic incumbents Jon Tester, Jacky Rosen, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey and Tammy Baldwin, respectively, are vigorously defending their current seats. 

Republican challengers Tim Seehy, Sam Brown, Bernie Moreno, Dave McCormick and Eric Hovde, respectively, are fighting an uphill battle against their Democratic counterparts. 

Non-Incumbent Battleground Senate Races

The races in Arizona and Michigan slightly differ from the other battleground elections, as the current senators who hold office have opted to not seek reelection. 

The two candidates battling for Arizona Democrat-turned-Independent Kyrsten Sinema’s Senate seat are Ruben Gallego for the Democratic Party and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake for the Republicans.

Kari Lake’s loss to Katie Hobbs in 2022 has generated controversy among the political circle of the Grand Canyon State, as Lake has challenged the results as illegitimate.

Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego may try to capitalize on Lake’s involvement in election hearing proceedings, but the turbulent political activity in Arizona since the 2020 Presidential Election will likely influenceArizona’s electoral decisions in November the most.

In Michigan, a high-stakes race between Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers will aim to replace Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, who announced her retirement from the Senate seat.

However, the tense debate around the war in the Middle East seems to be shattering the Democratic network in Michigan, and could cost Slotkin the crucial Senate race as Arab-Americans voice slight preference towards the GOP and President Trump rather than current Democratic candidates.

Status of the Lone Star Senate Race

Updated standings have hit headlines for the dramatic Senate race in Texas, a bulwark state for the GOP.

The Lone Star State boasts an active political scene in the U.S. Senate races, as the Democratic Party spends millions upon millions each election trying to flip the state’s Republican lean.

Democrat Colin Allred looks to have a decent hold among Texas voters but still trails incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, according to the New York Times.

“In Texas, Mr. Allred, a former professional football player from Dallas, trails Mr. Cruz, once a rival of Mr. Trump’s but now a loyal ally, 46 percent to 50 percent.”

However, the same NYT article states Allred is performing worse than former Democratic challenger Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, who lost to Cruz by three points.

“But the current margin is about the same as Mr. Cruz’s margin of victory against his last well-funded Democratic challenger, Beto O’Rourke, in 2018. That year, Mr. Cruz beat Mr. O’Rourke, 51 percent to 48 percent.”

The contested races threaten the Democratic Party with a possible Republican majority in all branches of government if President Trump wins the election, paired with the slim chance the GOP may inch out a Senate victory and keep the House of Representatives.With so many Senate races “up in the air,” current predictions put the congressional battleground states at contesting odds, as the political landscape appears precisely split down the middle for American voters. 

Click here for battleground Senate race information from NBC News.