Good article!
I propose a theme for all Republicans who vote against the Senate monstrosity and are up for re-election this fall:
YOU CAN THANK (insert candidate's name here) FOR....keeping millions of illegal aliens from swarming into your neighborhood(picture of dozens being marched out of a "safe house" in suburbia), taking over your schools (picture of illegals at San Jose High School in CA putting up the Mexican flag over the US flag), bringing in crime (real headlines of illegals murdering US citizens), exhausting your hospitals (picture of ER closed for lack of funds)and taking jobs from Americans (show the Mohawk Carpet Co. in GA, Tyson meatpacking plants). If you want to fight what's happening to America, vote REPUBLICAN!
I'll guarantee you, that would get attention....and it's all true.
| DEMOCRATIC SENATORS: 14 up for re-election |
REPUBLICAN SENATORS: 14 up for re-election |
OPEN SEATS: 5 |
| Daniel Akaka (HI) | George Allen (VA) | Democratic (MD) |
| Jeff Bingaman (NM) | Conrad Burns (MT) | Democratic (MN) |
| Robert Byrd (WV) | Lincoln Chafee (RI) | Democratic (NJ) |
| Maria Cantwell (WA) | Mike DeWine (OH) | Republican (TN) |
| Thomas Carper (DE) | John Ensign (NV) | Independent (VT) |
| Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) | Orrin Hatch (UT) | |
| Kent Conrad (ND) | Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) | |
| Dianne Feinstein (CA) | Jon Kyl (AZ) | |
| Edward Kennedy (MA) | Trent Lott (MS) | |
| Herb Kohl (WI) | Richard Lugar (IN) | |
| Joe Lieberman (CT) | Rick Santorum (PA) | |
| Ben Nelson (NE) | Olympia Snowe (ME) | |
| Bill Nelson (FL) | James Talent (MO) | |
| Debbie Stabenow (MI) | Craig Thomas (WY) |
It is not yet clear which seats will have the most competitive races. Incumbent senators have a high rate of re-election, even when their party affiliation is at odds with the political trends of their state. The most competitive races tend to be those where the incumbent has retired, and those races in which the incumbent has served only one term are frequently competitive.
Additional special elections that are held due to the death or resignation of Senators in the interim would change the party balances listed above.