Top battleground Senate races to watch on Election Day
Collins locked in tight battle for Senate reelection in Maine
Polling shows GOP incumbent in statistical tie with Dem challenger; Molly Line has the latest on ‘Special Report’
A slate of tightly contested Senate races will determine which party takes control of the upper chamber of Congress after the 2020 election.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but a number of incumbents face fierce challengers from Democratic rivals. The Democrats would need to flip at least four seats to retake control. If Democratic nominee Joe Biden defeats President Trump, the party would need to gain just three seats, with the vice president serving as a tiebreaker.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned it was a “50-50 proposition” that the GOP would retain control. The Democrats have held a majority in the House since the 2018 midterms.
“We have a lot of exposure. This is a huge Republican class," McConnell said during a campaign stop in Kentucky. "There are dogfights all over the country."
Fox News breaks down the key battleground Senate races of the 2020 election below.
Alabama: Sen. Doug Jones (D) vs. Tommy Tuberville (R)
Jones faces the difficult task of retaining his seat in a red state that is expected to overwhelmingly support President Trump’s re-election. Tommy Tuberville, the former head football coach at Auburn University, is a local legend and defeated former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the GOP primary.
Cook Political Report projects the race with a slight “lean” toward Tuberville.
Arizona: Sen. Martha McSally (R) vs. Mark Kelly (D)
McSally, who was appointed to the Senate in 2019 to replace the late Sen. John McCain, faces a tough challenge from Kelly, a former astronaut and moderate Democrat. McSally appeared alongside President Trump at several of his recent campaign rallies in the battleground state.
Cook Political Report projects Kelly with a “lean” advantage over the incumbent.
Colorado: Sen. Cory Gardner (R) vs. John Hickenlooper (D)
Gardner faces an uphill battle to retain his seat in a state expected to lean toward the Democrats in the 2020 election. Hickenlooper launched his Senate bid after a failed attempt to secure the Democratic presidential nomination.
Cook Political Report projects the race with a slight “lean” toward Hickenlooper.
Georgia: Sen. David Perdue (R) vs. Jon Ossoff (D)
Perdue canceled his final debate with Ossoff this week to attend President Trump’s campaign rally in Georgia. The Senate race has grown contentious in recent days, with Ossoff hammering Perdue on his health care voting record. During their last debate, Ossoff labeled Perdue a “crook” who has been accused of insider trading, while Perdue claimed Ossoff has problematic ties to a Hong Kong-based media company.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss-up.”
Georgia: Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) in special election
Loeffler, the wealthiest U.S. senator, is looking to retain the seat she inherited after Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned in 2019 for health reasons. Her opponents includes Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican, and Raphael Warnock, a Democrat and prominent civil rights leader. If no candidate secures at least 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters in November will proceed to a runoff election.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss-up.”
Iowa: Sen. Joni Ernst (R) vs. Theresa Greenfield (D)
Ernst faces a tough challenge in her quest for a second term from Greenfield, a real estate developer who has campaigned on greater health care access, and support for local farmers amid the U.S.-China trade dispute.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss up.”
Maine: Sen. Susan Collins (R) vs. Sara Gideon (D)
Collins, considered a centrist Republican, is seeking re-election in a state that is expected to vote for Biden in the general election. The incumbent may have jeopardized her standing with Republicans by voting against Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Gideon has argued that Collins has aligned herself more closely with the Trump administration to the detriment of state residents.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss-up.”
Montana: Sen. Steve Daines (R) vs. Gov. Steve Bullock (D)
Trump is expected to easily win the state of Montana, which should help Daines in his fight against Bullock. The governor unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, but has remained popular in the state.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss-up.”
North Carolina: Sen. Thom Tillis (R) vs. Cal Cunningham (D)
Aside from its pivotal role in 2020 presidential race, North Carolina’s Senate race is considered a crucial bellwether in the fight for control of the Senate. Tillis, a prominent Trump supporter, has trailed Cunningham in polls throughout the race. However, Republicans have seized on a sex scandal involving Cunningham and the wife of a military veteran and argued that he is unfit for office.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss up.”
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South Carolina: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) vs. Jaime Harrison (D)
A fixture on the national political scene, Graham is in danger of losing his Senate seat in a tough race against former Democratic aide Jaime Harrison. The challenger has touted his personal history overcoming poverty in a campaign pitch to help middle-class families in South Carolina and pursue expanded health care coverage. Graham, meanwhile, has returned to the national spotlight in recent days after he played a key role in Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “toss-up.”
Texas: Sen. John Cornyn (R) vs. MJ Hegar (D)
Cornyn has held his seat since 2002 and has maintained a commanding lead in the polls against Hegar throughout the race. However, the Democratic Party has been adamant that Texas could vote for Biden in the presidential election, fueling hopes for a similar upset victory in the Senate race.
Cook Political Report gives Cornyn a slight edge in the race.
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