Everything about United States Senate Elections 2010 totally explained
Elections to the United States Senate will be held on
November 2,
2010, with 34 of the 100 seats in the Senate being contested. Since Senators are elected for six-year terms, those elected will serve from
January 3,
2011 until
January 3,
2017. They will join
Senate Class III, which traces its roots back to the Senators who served full six-year terms from
March 4,
1789 until
March 3,
1795. Current Class III Senators, who were
elected in 2004, will seek reelection or retire in 2010. The
House elections will occur on the same date, as well as some state and local elections.
The composition of the Senate going into the 2010 election will depend on the results of the 2008 elections. Of the seats up for election, 19 are held by Republicans and 15 by Democrats.
There may be some additional changes of incumbent to the list below if Senators die or resign. If Senators in other classes die or resign in 2009 or 2010, there may be additional special elections in 2010.
Overview of races
Retiring Senators
Sam Brownback (R) of Kansas
Elected in 1996 to the Senate seat once held by
Bob Dole and a former candidate for his party's presidential nomination in 2008, incumbent conservative Republican
Sam Brownback has stated he won't run in 2010 because of self-imposed term limits.
Kansas is one of the most Republican states in the nation, as no Democrat has been elected to serve the Sunflower State since 1938; however, Brownback only has a 50% approval rating.
(External Link
) Possible successors to Brownback include Republican congressmen
Jerry Moran,
Todd Tiahrt, Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh, Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, State Representative Lee Tafanelli, State Senator Derek Schmidt and Democratic Governor
Kathleen Sebelius.
Possible retiring Senators
Bob Bennett (R) of Utah
Former entrepreneur-turned-Republican-Senator
Bob Bennett may retire. He will have served three terms in the Senate and will be 77 in 2010.
Utah hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970, when
Frank Moss won his third term; he was succeeded in 1976 by Republican
Orrin Hatch, who continues to hold the state's other Senate seat.
There are still a handful Democrats who could be strong contenders, including
U.S. Representative Jim Matheson, whose popularity in the very Republican
2nd district and experience with difficult campaigns would make him a strong Democratic candidate for the state. Another Democratic possibility would be former
Utah Attorney General Jan Graham. Matheson's congressional colleagues,
Rob Bishop and
Chris Cannon, would be strong contenders for the Republican nomination should Bennett step down. Given the strong Mormon presence in Utah (it has an all-Mormon congressional delegation), it's widely expected that Bennett's successor, regardless of party affiliation, will likewise be Mormon.
Christopher Dodd (D) of Connecticut
First elected in 1980,
Christopher Dodd, the longest-serving U.S. Senator in
Connecticut history, announced in a letter to the
Federal Election Commission on
January 17,
2007 that he's no longer a candidate for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. However, this is just a technicality in order to transfer funds to his presidential campaign as the declaration could be reversed at any time. A Dodd spokesman said, "It's a legality that isn't an indication of future plans." Dodd's campaign for the presidency hasn't been successful, so it's possible that he'll run for the Senate again. According to Republican Lieutenant Governor
Michael Fedele, Republican Governor
Jodi Rell is likely running for re-election in 2010, so it's unlikely that either will run for the Senate.
Chuck Grassley (R) of Iowa
Longtime Republican senator
Chuck Grassley was the chair of the Senate Finance Committee until Democrats won control of the Senate in 2006. Grassley, who will be 77 in 2010 and is one of the most powerful members of the Senate, may retire from Congress, having served five terms as a Senator.
Iowa is known to be a traditional populist state when it comes to its politics, with issues such as the economy, health care and education considered very important among its constituents. Thus, if Grassley retires, his potential successors are expected to be of a populist nature, whether the candidate is a Republican or a Democrat.
Former Governor
Tom Vilsack, who recently dropped out of the 2008 presidential race, would be a strong contender for the Democrats. Current Lieutenant Governor
Patty Judge may also decide to put any potential gubernatorial ambitions for 2014 on hold to run for Grassley's seat in the 2010 midterms. Other potential Democratic candidates include Congressmen
Bruce Braley and
David Loebsack. For the Republicans, potential candidates would include former Congressman and 2006 Gubernatorial candidate
Jim Nussle and Congressmen
Steve King and
Tom Latham.
Daniel Inouye (D) of Hawaii
Veteran Democrat
Daniel Inouye will be 86 in 2010 and will have served eight terms in the Senate and compiled a career in Washington spanning over two generations from
Hawaii's first years of statehood to the present day. Even were Inouye to retire, the seat would favor the Democrats, who have traditionally dominated the Hawaii delegation; Hawaii last elected a Republican Senator in 1970, and its delegation currently consists entirely of Democrats. However, although Senator Kerry (D) won the state in 2004, the margin was smaller than in the past. Hawaiians also have elected popular Republican Governor
Linda Lingle in two successive elections.
Republican Governor
Linda Lingle would easily be the strongest Republican to run for the seat if Inouye retires. Representatives
Mazie Hirono and
Neil Abercrombie and former Representative
Ed Case would all be potential Democratic candidates.
Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont
Six-term
Vermont Senator
Patrick Leahy may retire from the Senate; he'll be 70 in 2010. However, as Leahy is now the chairman of the powerful
Senate Judiciary Committee, it's unlikely. Former governor and 2004 presidential candidate and current DNC Chairman
Howard Dean may seek the seat should Leahy retire, as might Representative
Peter Welch, a Democrat, and Governor
Jim Douglas, a Republican.
John McCain (R) of Arizona
On
March 5,
2008 McCain won the Republican Nomination.
(External Link) McCain will be 74 in 2010 and has previously struggled with cancer. It is likely that 2008 will be his last chance to become president. Should he fail to do so, he may choose to retire from politics at the end of his current Senate term. Possible Democratic contenders for McCain's open seat include Arizona Governor
Janet Napolitano, Attorney General
Terry Goddard and 8th District Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords. It is possible that wealthy real estate developer
Jim Pederson, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen.
Jon Kyl in 2006, may also be interested.
Conservative congressman
Jeff Flake is interested in the seat if McCain doesn't run again. Several other Republican Congressmen are likely to be interested if an open seat presents itself.
It is expected that if his Presidential bid fails, he'll run for reelection. However, a poll commissioned by the Behavior Research Center shows Napolitano defeating McCain 47% to 36%.
Barbara Mikulski (D) of Maryland
The dean of women in the United States Senate, Democrat
Barbara Mikulski may retire. Mikulski will be 73 in November 2010. Mikulski has often been elected by large margins, which is no surprise given
Maryland's traditional Democratic politics. Former Governor
Robert Ehrlich, former Lieutenant Governor
Michael Steele, who ran for Senate in 2006, and 2004 challenger,
E. J. Pipkin, could be among the GOP's candidates, while Democratic Representatives
John Sarbanes,
Dutch Ruppersberger and
Chris Van Hollen; former congressman and NAACP president
Kweisi Mfume; and Lt. Gov.
Anthony G. Brown could be some of the Democratic candidates for the seat.
Barack Obama (D) of Illinois
One-term Senator
Barack Obama has emerged as a potential presidential candidate in 2008. If he becomes President or Vice President, his seat will become open and thus result in an all-out primary for both parties. Though
Illinois is considered a Democratic stronghold state, Republicans still have some potential candidates, including moderate Representatives
Mark Kirk and
John Shimkus. Potential Democratic candidates include Attorney General
Lisa Madigan; Representatives
Jesse Jackson Jr.,
Bobby Rush; State Treasurer
Alexi Giannoulias; and Lieutenant Governor
Pat Quinn.
Richard Shelby (R) of Alabama
Richard Shelby, a former Democrat who switched parties in 1994 when Republicans took control of both the House and Senate, may retire. He will be 76 in 2010. Although
Alabama is a solidly Republican state in presidential elections, Democrats control majorities in the
Alabama Legislature and have some high-profile officeholders that would be strong candidates for Shelby's seat should it come up, as it's unlikely any of them will challenge for the seat if Shelby decides to run for a fifth term. However, Rep.
Artur Davis (
AL-7) is openly considering running against Shelby. He may opt to run in Alabama's open gubernatorial race instead, as Gov.
Bob Riley is term limited.
Evan Bayh (D) of Indiana
Evan Bayh, a former two-term Governor of Indiana and now in his second Senate term, was originally considering running for President in 2008, but pulled out in December 2006. He hasn't yet indicated whether he'll seek a third term in 2010, but he's very popular and won reelection with 62% of the vote in 2004. He is also a frequent name on Vice-Presidential short lists, and may be chosen as the party's Vice Presidential nominee in 2008.
Should he retire, possible successors on the Democratic side include Congressman
Pete Visclosky, former Indianapolis Mayor
Bart Peterson, and Former Congressman and
9/11 Commission member
Tim Roemer.
Potential Republican challengers could be Congressman's
Mark E. Souder,
Stephen Buyer, and
Mike Pence. Former Congressman
Mike Sodrel could be a candidate, as well as Governor
Mitch Daniels.
Byron Dorgan (D) of North Dakota
Three term Senator
Byron Dorgan may retire. He will be 68 years old in 2010. Dorgan, who represents the conservative state of
North Dakota, may be in danger if he runs for reelection. Potential Republican candidates are
Governor John Hoeven, Attorney General
Wayne Stenehjem, and his brother, State Senate Majority Leader
Bob Stenehjem. All have very high approval ratings, including Dorgan.
Judd Gregg (R) of New Hampshire
Former Governor and incumbent Senator
Judd Gregg may retire. Gregg remains popular amongst voters in
New Hampshire; however,
New Hampshire was the site of Democratic gains in 2006. Democrats now control both legislative chambers in the state for the first time since 1911 and took both the state's Congressional districts. Governor
John Lynch was reelected with 74% of the vote in 2006, and would thus likely be a strong challenger for Gregg. If Lynch passes on this race, other potential candidates are current U.S. Congresswoman
Carol Shea-Porter or former Portsmouth Mayor
Steve Marchand.
David Vitter (R) of Louisiana
David Vitter, Republican of
Louisiana, was elected to the
US Senate in
2004 over Rep.
Chris John (D) due to Louisiana's strengthening Republican nature in federal elections. He may retire due to a a scandal involving a
Washington D.C escort service. If Vitter runs again, it's unlikely he'll face a difficult challenge, though Rep.
Charlie Melancon (
LA-3), State Representatives
Mike Powell and
Michael Jackson, State Senators
Lydia Jackson,
Ben Nevers and
Walter Boasso, former
Shreveport Mayor
Keith Hightower, 2004 Senate candidate
Chris John, Frequent Candidate Vinny Mendoza,
New Orleans Mayor
Ray Nagin,
2006 congressional candidate
Mike Stagg, Attorney Willie Banks Jr.,former
Agriculture Commissioner
Bob Odom, former Gubernatorial Chief of Staff Andy Kopplin, Attorney General-Elect
James Caldwell, Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche, Attorney John Milkovich, former Attorneys General
Richard Ieyoub,
Charles C. Foti Jr, Construction worker Joe Delatte or Lt. Gov.
Mitch Landrieu could give him a race. If Vitter retires, potential candidates include Congressmen
Charles Boustany and
Rodney Alexander, Insurance Commissioner
Jim Donelon,
Slidell Mayor
Ben Morris,
State Representatives
Hunter Greene and
Tim Burns, State Senators
Jim Lentini,
Julie Quinn and
Tom Schedler, Senatorial
Chief of Staff Kyle Ruckert,
St. Tammany President
Kevin Davis, Attorneys
Eric Skrmetta and
David Simpson,
Jefferson Parish Councilman
John Young Jr.,Agriculture Commissioner
Mike Strain, Governor
Bobby Jindal and
Secretary of State Jay Dardenne.
John Thune (R) of South Dakota
John Thune barely defeated Senate Minority Leader
Tom Daschle in 2004, and he may face a strong challenge in 2010. Representative
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin is a possible Democratic contender.
Thune has been mentioned as a candidate for
Governor of South Dakota in
2010, or as a running mate for
John McCain in
2008. Should he run for governor, he'll be unable to seek reelection, and will retire from the Senate when his term ends in 2011. Should he become Vice-president, he'll have to resign on or before
Inauguration Day in 2009, and his appointed replacement will face reelection in 2010.
Democratic Incumbent Races
Blanche Lincoln (D) of Arkansas
Incumbent Senator
Blanche Lincoln was reelected with 56% of the vote in 2004, a year when President
George W. Bush carried the state easily and GOP candidates nationwide won in what was termed as a GOP year. Lincoln is extremely popular in
Arkansas and is very well known. Former Gov.
Mike Huckabee, who is a 2008 Presidential candidate, may run, since he remains a relatively well-liked figure. Regardless of Huckabee's position, Arkansas has elected only one Republican Senator since
Reconstruction, who was defeated in a GOP landslide year of 2002.
Barbara Boxer (D) of California
The chairwoman of the
Environment and Public Works Committee,
California Democrat
Barbara Boxer announced on
February 19,
2007, that she'll seek a fourth term in 2010. Boxer will turn 70 one week after election night in 2010. She is one of the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate, and is the first Democratic senator to officially announce plans for the 2010 race. It is unlikely that she'll face any major opposition in the Democratic primary. Because of her liberal position, she may face an actual challenge from the Republicans.
Moderate Republican Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger may seek the seat, as he'd be ineligible to run again in the Gubernatorial race due to term limits.
David Dreier, the ranking member of the
House Rules Committee, could also seek the seat for Republicans, as could Rep.
Darrell Issa. However, most members of the California GOP House delegation are regarded as too conservative for the state as a whole.
It remains to be seen whether conservative State Senator
Tom McClintock will consider a run for the seat, as he's experienced in statewide contests (including a third-place finish in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election). Currently, McClintock is running for Congress.
Harry Reid (D) of Nevada
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will seek a fifth term. In 2004, he was reelected with 61% of the vote. That year, Republicans didn't put up a formidable challenger. Potential Republican candidates include former Governor
Kenny Guinn, Governor
Jim Gibbons (although he's only a 40% approval rating), Representatives
Jon Porter and
Dean Heller, or 2004 candidate Richard Ziser. Guinn might be the strongest challenger to Reid but will be 74 in 2010, three years Reid's senior. Porter is the more likely to run as he's been interested since 2004 and been planning a run.
Reid may be the least popular incumbent in the 2010 cycle. Since becoming Minority Leader (in 2004), his approval ratings have dropped into the under 50 territory. A November 2007 poll showed Reid's approval at 39%, with 49% disapproving.
(External Link)
Ken Salazar (D) of Colorado
Ken Salazar narrowly defeated
Pete Coors in 2004.
Colorado has experienced a shift in politics, with the Democratic Party making significant gains throughout the state in 2006. There has been talk by activists on the left of launching a primary challenge to the centrist Salazar. Republican Former Governor
Bill Owens, who won't run in 2008 for the Senate, may run this time around, as might retired football quarterback, Republican
John Elway, who hinted at a future run for office despite choosing not to run in 2008. Other possibilities would be former
Republican Presidential Candidate and sitting
Congressman Tom Tancredo, Secretary of State
Mike Coffman and former
Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton.
Chuck Schumer (D) of New York
Chuck Schumer, current chairman of the
DSCC, will seek a third term. In 2004, he handily defeated Assemblyman
Howard Mills, 71-24%. New York is considered a Democratic stronghold. However, there are a few Republicans who could challenge Schumer, including former governor
George Pataki and former New York City mayor
Rudolph W. Giuliani.
Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon
Ron Wyden is expected to win reelection easily in Oregon, a state whose congressional delegation has a 4-1 Democratic majority despite the state splitting its Presidential votes almost 50/50 in 2000 and 2004.
Patty Murray (D) of Washington
Patty Murray defeated Rep.
George Nethercutt by 10 percent in 2004. She may face a credible challenge in 2010 from Nethercutt's successor,
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (
WA-5). As the Seattle area has grown, no Washington Senator has come from the eastern part of the state since 1934. Other Republican candidates may include Rep.
Dave Reichert (
WA-8), who has been able to win in a Democratic-leaning district in the suburbs of Seattle, or
Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna.
Russ Feingold (D) of Wisconsin
In 2004,
Russ Feingold won a third term by double-digits, outperforming the Democratic nominee for President substantially. Despite this, he won narrowly in both of his previous elections in Democratic years. A potential GOP candidate could be the 2006 Governor candidate, former Rep.
Mark Green, the current U.S Ambassador to
Tanzania, Congressmen
Paul Ryan and
Jim Sensenbrenner. By far the strongest Republican candidate would be incredibly popular former Governor and former 2008 Presidential candidate
Tommy Thompson.
Republican Incumbent Races
Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska
Lisa Murkowski only narrowly defeated former
Governor Tony Knowles in 2004, in an election that included charges of
nepotism, as Murkowski was appointed by her father, Governor
Frank Murkowski. Alaska trends Republican. Knowles, one of the state's strongest Democrats, has been defeated two statewide elections in a row.
Due to her father's record and the nepotism charge, Murkowski's greatest challenge will probably come from the reform wing of the
Republican Party of Alaska. Possible Republican primary challengers include
Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell and
State Representative Gabrielle Ledoux (who are both running for
Alaska's At-large congressional district in the Republican primary against incumbent Republican
Don Young), current Governor
Sarah Palin (who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for
John McCain in the
2008 presidental election).
(External Link)
Mel Martinez (R) of Florida
Mel Martinez was elected in a very close contest against Democrat
Betty Castor in 2004. Martinez, a former
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the
Bush administration and chairman of the
RNC for the 2007–2008 election cycle, may be vulnerable in 2010 to a strong challenger.
Potential Democratic challengers include U.S. Rep.
Kathy Castor (
FL-11), the daughter of Martinez's 2004 opponent,
Chief Financial Officer of Florida Alex Sink, unsuccessful
2006 gubernatorial candidate and former Rep.
Jim Davis (
FL-11), and Representatives
Allen Boyd (
FL-2),
Kendrick Meek (
FL-17),
Robert Wexler (
FL-19),
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (
FL-20), and Ron Klein (
FL-22). Tampa Mayor
Pam Iorio is said to be very interested in running and is touting Jim Davis as a candidate for Mayor of Tampa in order to steer him away from the Senate race. State Senator Dave Aronberg could also run. State House Democratic Leader
Dan Gelber is also said to be mulling a run against Martinez after leading the state party to their best year in legislative elections in decades.
Another intriguing possibility is Democrat
Tim Mahoney (
FL-16) who defeated
Mark Foley in 2006 after revelations about inappropriate relations between Foley and his staff unsurfaced. If he's reelected in
2008, he'll have proven his ability to win in an overwhelmingly Republican House district, which would make him a strong potential candidate in a statewide run, probably the strongest after Sink.
Johnny Isakson (R) of Georgia
There had been some speculation that freshman
Republican senator
Johnny Isakson might run for
Governor of Georgia to succeed Republican
Sonny Perdue, who is term-limited. Isakson is a popular senator whose first bid for the Senate (in 1996 to succeed retiring Democrat
Sam Nunn) ended with a defeat in the Republican primary after Isakson listed himself as the pro-choice primary candidate, which is considered taboo as
Georgia Republicans are overwhelmingly pro-life. Isakson has a 52% approval rating, with 36% disapproval.
(External Link).
On May 8, 2008, Isakson announced that he wouldn't run for governor and instead would run for reelection to the Senate.
(External Link)
Possible Democratic candidates include Congressmen
Jim Marshall and
John Barrow, both of whom represent vulnerable districts. Other possibilities are former Secretary of State
Cathy Cox; Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond; State Senators Steve Henson, Doug Stoner, and J.B. Powell; Attorney General
Thurbert Baker; Georgia House Minority Leader
DuBose Porter; and wealthy Columbus trial attorney
Jim Butler.
Mike Crapo (R) of Idaho
Mike Crapo faced only token write-in opposition in 2004 after Idaho Democrats failed to produce a candidate before the filing deadline. Although the
Idaho Falls attorney will be 59 in 2010, Crapo had bouts with
prostate cancer in 1999 and again in 2005, which may make his health a potential factor in a reelection decision. Crapo is unlikely to face serious opposition from either party should he run for a third term.
Jim Bunning (R) of Kentucky
Kentucky Republican and
Baseball Hall of Famer
Jim Bunning is one of the most unpopular Senators in the country and is expected to face a difficult reelection. Bunning announced on
December 11,
2007 to the Kentucky Post that he'll seek a third term.
(External Link) Bunning will be 79 in 2010, and has become notorious for his erratic behavior, including using a
teleprompter in a television debate during his 2004 race against his lesser-known opponent,
Daniel Mongiardo, among other gaffes, which led to Bunning's near-defeat.
The most popular elected Democrat in Kentucky is current
U.S. Representative and former Kentucky Attorney General
Ben Chandler, who would be a formidable candidate should he challenge Bunning. The main reasons for this is that Chandler is highly popular in his strongly Republican district, has very high name recognition (due to the fact that he hails from the Chandler political dynasty and his multiple statewide campaigns) and his previous statewide victories (though he was defeated in a race for Governor in 2003). Other contenders for the Democrats include popular former Governor
Brereton Jones, Representative
John Yarmuth, former Representative
Ken Lucas, Attorney General
Greg Stumbo, State Treasurer
Jonathan Miller, former Lieutenant Governor
Steve Henry, Speaker of the House
Jody Richards, State Auditor
Crit Luallen, Louisville Mayor
Jerry Abramson, and Mongiardo who is currently
Lieutenant Governor of
Kentucky.
Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina
Richard Burr was elected in 2004 with 52% of the vote over former White House Chief of Staff
Erskine Bowles. Since then, he's consistently registered low approval ratings in his home state, which was carried with 56% of the vote by George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. However, Democrats dominate state-level elections, controlling the Governorship, a majority of the U.S. House delegation, and both houses of the state legislature.
Some Democrats in North Carolina could pose a strong challenge to Burr. The strongest candidate would be popular Governor
Mike Easley, who will be out of office by that point. Other statewide winners include state Attorney General
Roy Cooper and former U.S. Senator
John Edwards, who would be reclaiming his old seat. Other Democrats who might run include Rep. and former NFL quarterback
Heath Shuler; congressional candidate
Larry Kissell, who would become an even more viable candidate should he be elected to Congress in 2008; Secretary of State
Elaine Marshall; State Representative Grier Martin; Representatives
Mike McIntyre,
G.K. Butterfield, Mel Watt, David Price, Brad Miller and
Bob Etheridge; and state Senator
Kay Hagan.
George Voinovich (R) of Ohio
Moderate Republican, former Cleveland mayor, and former Governor
George Voinovich has indicated that he'll seek a third term
(External Link). Voinovich won both of his prior elections by comfortable margins, but the Democrats made several gains in 2006 with
Ted Strickland's election as Governor and
Sherrod Brown's unseating of Sen.
Mike DeWine. His party is currently struggling to rebuild its image following the infamous
Coingate scandal and the fallout from the unpopularity of former
Ohio Governor
Bob Taft. Additionally, a November 2007
Survey USA poll has his approval rating at 44%, with 46% disapproving.
Possible Democrats who might run include State Treasurer
Richard Cordray, former Congressional candidate
Paul Hackett, and Representatives
Tim Ryan,
Dennis Kucinich,
Betty Sutton, Charlie Wilson and
Zack Space.
Tom Coburn (R) of Oklahoma
Tom Coburn was elected in 2004 by a 53%-42% margin, running well behind President Bush's 66% showing. He may face a challenge in 2010. The Democrats have several strong candidates to challenge in Oklahoma, including Governor
Brad Henry, Congressman
Dan Boren, and state Attorney General
Drew Edmondson.
Arlen Specter (R) of Pennsylvania
Longtime moderate Republican
Arlen Specter will be 80 in 2010. He announced on
March 19,
2007 that he'll seek a sixth term in 2010. Specter expects to start off his campaign on
April 4,
2007, with a big fundraiser in
Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. The five-term
Pennsylvanian, following the 2006 elections, lost his chairmanship of the powerful
Senate Judiciary Committee. In 2005, Specter underwent chemotherapy for
Hodgkin's lymphoma, one year after a hotly contested race pitting him against Representatives
Pat Toomey (R) and
Joe Hoeffel (D) in the primary and general elections, respectively.
There is a slight possibility that Specter will face an primary challenge as he did in 2004 from Rep.
Pat Toomey, but no Republicans have made their intention known. He defeated his Democratic opponent, Joe Hoeffel, 53%-42% in the general election in 2004. Representative
Allyson Schwartz might run; she's been noted for raising vasts amount of money in short time periods. Congressmen
Patrick Murphy,
Joe Sestak,
Tim Holden,
Jason Altmire,
Bob Brady,
Chaka Fattah,
Chris Carney, Democratic
MSNBC commentator and
Hardball host
Chris Matthews, and Philadelphia Mayor
Michael Nutter would all be Democratic possibilities for Specter's seat.
Governor
Ed Rendell ruled out a run when he announced that his reelection campaign in 2006 would be the last one of his career.
Jim DeMint (R) of South Carolina
Jim DeMint was elected in 2004 with 54 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat
Inez Tenenbaum. In 2010 he's unlikely to face a serious challenge, as there are only one or two Democrats left in South Carolina who could give him a race. These are State Education Superintendent
Jim Rex, the only Democrat who currently holds statewide elected office in the Palmetto State, and Joe Erwin, the wealthy and charismatic state
Democratic Party chairman.
Kit Bond (R) of Missouri
Four-term Republican
Kit Bond has announced he'll seek reelection. Bond, who will be 71 in 2010, has usually attracted a Democratic challenger holding statewide office, as was the case in 2004 with then-State Treasurer
Nancy Farmer.
Missouri is a swing state that reelected Bond and gave its electoral votes to
George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, but Democrat
Claire McCaskill won Missouri's other Senate seat in 2006 in a close victory over incumbent
Jim Talent.
State Attorney General
Jay Nixon, who has won reelection to his position several times, could run for the Democratic nomination, though this is unlikely as he's the Democrat nominee running for state Governor in 2008. Former Governor
Roger Wilson recently stepped down as chairman of the state Democratic Party, fueling speculation that he may run for Bond's seat. Likelier Democratic possibilities include Secretary of State
Robin Carnahan or her brother U.S. Rep
Russ Carnahan, both the children of former Missouri State Senators
Mel Carnahan (who won the post posthumously in 2000 after a plan crash killed he and one of his sons) and his wife who filled out his term,
Jean Carnahan.
Senate contests in 2010
Further Information
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