Just a few months ago it was a given to political observers that Democrats would likely win back the Senate majority this November but it appears that projection isn’t so certain anymore.
With Donald Trump’s poll numbers surging in key states across the country, Senate Republicans see their chances of maintaining the chamber as more than a possibility. Republicans have a four-member majority in the Senate, and Democrats strongly believe they can at least pick up Wisconsin and Illinois from Republicans.
Former Sen. Russ Feingold’s lead over Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson shrank going into September and he now only has a four-point advantage over Johnson, which is within the Marquette University poll’s margin of error. Feingold, a Democrat, is attempting to win back the seat he lost to Johnson during the 2010 Republican blowout of Congress.
New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte is starting to see better numbers for herself in her race as well. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll puts her ahead of her Democratic opponent Maggie Hassan by eight points. Ayotte has been climbing ahead of Hassan since an Emerson poll put her two points ahead almost two weeks ago.
In Ohio, Republican Sen. Rob Portman leads Democrat opponent Ted Strickland by 12.4 points, according to the Real Clear Politics poll average. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio leads Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy by 5.4 points in the RCP average.
An under the radar race is happening in Indiana. Republican Rep. Todd Young is up against former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh. Bayh is ahead 5.5 points in the RCP average but Republicans believe they can make up the difference.
“People who thought that race was going to be a sleeper are waking up to the reality that that’s going to be a very competitive race, and I think it’s one [that] in the end we have a really good shot of winning,” Republican Sen. John Thune, told RCP.
Nevada Republican Rep. Joe Heck leads in the race to win the open seat soon to be vacated by the retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. Heck has taken a three point lead (46-43) over Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto in the latest Monmouth University poll.
Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey is currently up against Democrat Katie McGinty new poll numbers show in comparison to last month, but the race is still razor thin. A new Quinnipiac shows Toomey at 46 percent and McGinty at 45 percent.