DemDaily: Status of the Senate: Update!
March 6, 2018
Mississippi US Senator Thad Cochran became the fourth United States Senator, behind fellow Republicans Jeff Flake (AZ), Bob Corker (TN) and Orrin Hatch (UT), to announce his retirement yesterday.
Senator Thad Cochran's (R-MS) retirement means a second special election in November
Governor Phil Bryant (R) will call a special election for the remainder of Cochran's term, to be held November 6th, coinciding with the re-election of the Mississippi's junior Senator, Roger Wicker (R).
Bryant will appoint a still-to-be determined interim Senator to fill the seat until November, and the winner of that election will run for re-election for a full six-year term in 2020.
The Mississippi Senate seat, which Cochran has held since 1978, is considered solidly Republican.
With the special elections in Cochran's seat and in Minnesota, to replace Senator Al Franken (D) who resigned in December, there are now a total of 35 of the 100 US Senate seats up for election November 6, 2018.
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The Republican Party holds a 51 to 49 seat majority over the Democrats (including two independents) in the US Senate. Democrats will need to pick up a net gain of two seats to take the majority in 2018.
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Although most of the Democrats are favored to win re-election, and the mid-term advantage of the party outside the White House gives Dems hope of taking control of the US Senate. Nevertheless, the challenge of defending 26 seats is daunting.
Democratic incumbents in Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia, where Trump won in 2016 by double digits, are most vulnerable.
The GOP's greatest challenge will be in defending the open seats in Arizona and Tennessee, and Heller's re-election in Nevada.
|
State
|
Senator and Party
|
Rating
|
| Arizona |
Jeff Flake (R) RETIRING
|
Toss Up |
| California |
Diane Feinstein (D)
|
Safe D |
| Connecticut |
Chris Murphy (D)
|
Safe D |
| Delaware |
Tom Carper (D)
|
Safe D |
| Florida |
Bill Nelson (D)
|
Lean D |
| Hawaii |
Mazine Hirona (D)
|
Safe D |
| Indiana |
Joe Donnelly (D)
|
Toss Up |
| Maine |
Angus King (I)
|
Likely (I) |
| Maryland |
Ben Cardin (D)
|
Safe D |
| Massachusetts |
Elizabeth Warren (D)
|
Safe D
|
| Michigan | Debbie Stabenow (D) |
Likely D
|
| Minnesota |
Amy Klobuchar (D)
|
Safe D |
| Minnesota |
Tina Smith (D) Interim US Senator
/Special Election (to replace Al Franken)
|
Lean D |
| Mississippi |
Roger Wicker (R)
|
Safe R |
| Mississippi |
Thad Cochran (R) RETIRING
/Special Election
|
Safe R |
| Missouri |
Claire McCaskill (D)
|
Toss Up |
| Montana |
Jon Tester (D)
|
Lean D |
| Nebraska* |
Deb Fischer (R)
|
Safe R |
|
Nevada
|
Dean Heller (R)
|
Toss Up
|
| New Jersey |
Bob Menendez (D)
|
Likely D
|
| New Mexico |
Martin Heinrich (D)
|
Safe D
|
| New York |
Kirstin Gillibrand (D)
|
Safe D |
| North Dakota |
Heidi Heitkamp (D)
|
Toss Up |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown (D) |
Likely D
|
| Pennsylvania |
Bob Casey, Jr (D)
|
Likely D |
| Rhode Island |
Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
|
Safe D |
| Tennessee |
Bob Corker (R) RETIRING
|
Toss Up |
| Texas |
Ted Cruz (R)
|
Likely R |
| Utah |
Orrin Hatch (R) RETIRING
|
Safe R |
| Vermont |
Bernie Sanders (I)
|
Safe D (I)
|
| Virginia |
Tim Kaine (D)
|
Likely D |
| Washington |
Maria Cantwell (D)
|
Safe D |
| West Virginia |
Joe Manchin (D)
|
Lean D |
| Wisconsin |
Tammy Baldwin (D)
|
Likely D |
| Wyoming |
John Barrasso (R)
|
Safe R |
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