Eight races that will determine the fate of the Senate

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

The fate of the Senate is still up in the air with just a dozen days to go until the election, and control by either Republicans or Democrats is boiling down to how candidates perform in eight key races.

 

Which party controls the upper house will go a long way to deciding the composition of the Supreme Court and how easily the next president will be able to make key appointments to the executive branch.

 

Republicans currently hold a 54-46 Senate majority, counting Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. But they have to defend a number of seats that were won in the GOP wave of 2010 that has since receded. Turnout by key Democratic voting blocs is much higher in presidential years than in midterms and a handful of GOP seats were won six years ago under perfect conditions that are not in place this time around.

 

Mitch McConnell's status as majority rather than minority leader is also in danger because of the presidential contest. Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump — in some polls by quite a lot, although some recent surveys show the Republican presidential nominee gaining ground once again as the shock of "Access Hollywood" and various sexual assault allegations subsides for some GOP-leaning voters.