Who’s Up, Who’s Down: 11 Hot Senate Races on Election Day
Melissa Quinn /
With only hours to go before the polls open on Election Day, six races that could determine whether Republicans take back the U.S. Senate look to be tight as a tick.
Of the nine Senate races identified by The Daily Signal as instrumental to the balance of power, just one — Iowa — is a tie, according to the most recent polling.
In five others, the Democratic and Republican candidates are within two points of one another, the latest polls show.
The Daily Signal examined the most recent surveys and polling averages from Real Clear Politics for those nine races, and also added the Senate races in Kansas and Georgia to the mix since they became more competitive as Election Day drew closer.
In Louisiana, voters will head to the polls for an open primary and have the pick of nine Senate candidates. If one doesn’t get more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters move to a runoff Dec. 6.
A similar situation could happen in Georgia, where a runoff election will occur in January if one hopeful candidate doesn’t edge past 50 percent.
Check out where these 11 hot races stand, according to the latest poll and polling average in each contest.
Alaska:
Photos: Mark Begich Campaign Facebook Page/Dan Sullivan Campaign Facebook Page
Incumbent Mark Begich (D) v. Dan Sullivan (R)
Sullivan +1 (Public Policy Polling Poll)
Average: Sullivan +2.4
Arkansas:
Photo: Mark Pryor Official Facebook Page/Tom Cotton Campaign Facebook Page
Incumbent Mark Pryor (D) v. Tom Cotton (R)
Cotton +8 (PPP Poll)
Average: Cotton +7.1
Colorado:
Photos: Mark Udall Campaign Facebook Page/Cory Gardner Campaign Facebook Page
Incumbent Mark Udall (D) v. Cory Gardner (R)
Gardner +2 (Quinnipiac Poll)
Average: Gardner +2.5
Georgia:
Amanda Swafford (L) v. David Perdue (R) v. Michelle Nunn (D)
Perdue +4 (WSB-TV/Landmark Poll)
Average: Perdue +3
Iowa:
Photos: Bruce Braley Campaign Flickr/Joni Ernst Campaign Facebook Page
Bruce Braley (D) v. Joni Ernst (R)
Tie (Quinnipiac Poll)
Average: Ernest +1.4
Kansas:
Greg Orman (I) v. incumbent Pat Roberts (R)
Orman +1 (Fox News Poll)
Average: Orman +0.7
Kentucky:
Photos: Alison Lundergan Grimes Campaign Facebook Page/Mitch McConnell Campaign Facebook Page
Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) v. incumbent Mitch McConnell (R)
McConnell +9 (NBC News/Marist Poll)
Average: McConnell +7.2
Louisiana:
Rob Maness (R) v. Bill Cassidy (R) v. incumbent Mary Landrieu (D)
Landrieu +8 (PPP Poll for open primary)
Average: Landrieu +5.7
Michigan:
Photos: Gary Peters Campaign/Terri Lynn Land Campaign Facebook Page
Gary Peters (D) v. Terri Lynn Land (R)
Peters +13 (PPP Poll)
Average: Peters +12.4
New Hampshire:
Photos: Creative Commons
Incumbent Jeanne Shaheen (D) v. Scott Brown (R)
Shaheen +1 (WMUR/University of New Hampshire Poll)
Average: Shaheen +0.9
North Carolina:
Photos: Sen. Kay Hagan Campaign Facebook Page/Creative Commons
Incumbent Kay Hagan (D) v. Thom Tillis (R)
Tillis +2 (Harper Poll)
Average: Hagan +0.7