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2006 senate elections

U.S. Senate Races

Retiring

Maryland (Sarbanes-D) - Sen. Paul Sarbanes, 72, will end his 30-year career in the Senate. Candidates to replace him are Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele (R), Rep. Ben Cardin (D), attorney and anti-war activist Kevin Zeese (G). Given the general contempt voters are showing for Republicans in recent polls, this one should go to Cardin. Oct. 21

Minnesota (Dayton-D) - Sen. Dayton announced that he will retire at the end of his current term. Rep. Mark Kennedy (R), Hennepin County attorney Amy Klobuchar (D), burn unit nurse Michael Cavlan (G), Ben Powers (C), Public Access TV director Robert Fitzgerald is running under the Independence Party banner. Like many races across the country, what should have been a hotly contested race is now a cakewalk for the Democrat, thanks to a series of GOP follies and scandals. Oct. 21

Tennessee (Frist-R) - With Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist retiring in 2006 to possibly run for president, the Tennessee senate race is shaping up to be one of the hottest of 2006. Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) will face Rep. Harold Ford, a conservative Democrat, in the November election. Chris Lugo is running for the Greens. Conservative Emory "Bo" Heyward and David "None of the Above" Gatchell, whose single issue is getting an option for "None of the Above" on ballots, are running as an independents. The polls show the race has tightened between Corker and Ford, and could go either way. Oct. 21

Vermont (Jeffords-I) - Jim Jeffords, 70, announced last year that he won't seek re-election. Independent U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders is the top candidate to replace him, receiving the support of state Democrats and Vermont's Progressive Party. For the Republicans, businessman Richard Tarrant is running. Sept. 11 conspiracy theorist Craig Hill (G) is also running. Despite a flurry of attack ads run by Tarrant, Sanders looks to be a safe bet at this point. Oct. 21

In trouble???

Missouri (Talent-R) - Freshman Sen. Jim Talent will face state Auditor Claire McCaskill (D), who lost a gubernatorial bid in 2004. Repair business owner Frank Gilmour is running for the Libertarians. Perhaps more than any other senate race in the country, this race seems to hinge on the popularity on President Bush, which is problematic for Talent. Oct. 21

Montana (Burns-R) - Burns has begun raising $8 to $10 million for his re-election in 2006. Burns will be challenged by state Senate President John Tester and business planning consultant Stan Jones (L). Burns, who will be almost 72 on election day, is coming under the scrutiny of the Justice Department in the bribery and corruption probe of Indian casino lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and Burns approval rating is among the lowest in the country. In 2000, Burns won a tight race (51% to 47%) over Brian Schweitzer (D), who was elected governor in 2004. Aside from taking the governor's race in 2004, Montana Democrats took control of the state senate and state house and now hold most statewide offices. Burns is widely viewed as one of the most vulerable incumbents in the 2006 cycle. Tester is ahead in the polls, but never underestimate the power of incumbency. Oct. 21

New Jersey (Menendez-D) - Sen. Jon Corzine won the race for governor of New Jersey in 2005 and appointed Rep. Robert Menendez (D) to fill out his term in the senate. Menendez will run for the seat in 2006 and has $4.1 million campaign war chest. Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. is his opponent; Socialist Greg Parson is also running. Polls may never show Menendez with a rock-solid lead, but look for New Jersey's Democratic machine to deliver on election day. oct 21

Ohio (DeWine-R) - DeWine is not very popular among conservative activists, nor is the scandal-plagued Ohio Republican Party popular among voters. Then again, with Bush's sinking popularity, DeWine suddenly looks a lot smarter for his independence. This November, he'll face Rep. Sherrod Brown (D), who has pulled ahead of DeWine in the polls, prompting the NRSC to effectively give up on DeWine -- or at least, appear as though they are. Does the GOP have something in store? Oct. 21

Pennsylvania (Santorum-R) - With the primary out of the way, Sen. Rick Santorum (R) and state Treasurer Bob Casey (D) are set to go head-to-head in November. Polls indicate that Santorum trails Casey, but this race is still basically a toss-up. Oct. 21

Rhode Island (Chafee-R) - Sen. Lincoln Chafee, in spite of being one of the most moderate Republicans in the Senate, has the strong backing of President Bush and the party establishment. Former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse (D). Polls show this race will be close, mostly because many conservatives refuse to support the moderate Chafee. Oct. 21

Virginia (Allen-R) - Allen got a major break when Mark Warner decided against running for this seat, possibly to run for president in 2008. Instead, Allen will face novelist and former Navy Secretary Jim Webb (D). Allen, who reportedly once hung a nuce in his office, an apparent nod to slavery, has been dogged by alleged racist remarks during the campaign. Webb isn't doing much better, having written a number of allegedly sexist articles critical of the role of woman in the Armed Services. Polls show Allen and Webb running pretty close. Businesswoman and retired Air Force officer Gail "for Rail" Parker is running for the Independent Greens. Oct. 21

Dark horses?

Arizona (Kyl-R) - Jon Kyl, who will be 64 on election day, is considered pretty safe, but then, 2006 is shaping up to be a bad year for Republicans. Former state Democratic Party chair Jim Pederson (D) is self-financing his challenge to Kyl and appears to be creeping higher in the polls. Former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack is running for the Libertarians. Oct. 21

Nevada (Ensign-R) - Ensign and fellow Nevada Sen. Harry Reid (D) have a storied working relationship, and the two are said to have a pact not to campaign against one another, and given recent ethical questions around Reid, that might be a good thing for the Democrats. Jack Carter, son of President Jimmy Carter, is challenging Ensign. The presence of a legitimate Democratic challenger who is climbing steadily in the polls, powered by the nationwide wave of contempt for the GOP, could be the recipe for an Election Day surprise. Libertarian Brendan Trainor is running. David Schumann is running for the conservative Independent American Party. Oct. 21

Safe seats (for now!)

Connecticut (Lieberman-D/I) - Lieberman lost the Democratic primary to progressive insurgent Ned Lamont, a wealthy telecom company founder. Lamont, with the help of left-wing bloggers like Daily Kos and MyDD, attacked Lieberman's closeness with President Bush and support for the war in Iraq. Lieberman, having lost the primary, is continuing his campaign as an independent, while the rest of the Democratic Party is finally warming up to Lamont through endorsements. Peace activist Ralph Ferrucci is running for the Greens. Engineering professor John Mertens is running for the Independent Party. Attorney, former state Rep. and gambler Alan Schlesinger is on the ticket for the Republicans, but is not receiving much help from the party; many Republicans are expected to support Lieberman, making him safe. Oct. 21

California (Feinstein-D) - Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be 73 in election year and is one of the most popular politicians in the state. She should have no trouble trouncing former state Sen. Dick Mountjoy (R). Todd Chretien, a writer and anti-war activist from Oakland is running for the Greens. Marsha Feinland is running for the Peace and Freedom Party. Chiropractor Don Grundmann is running for the extreme conservative American Independent Party. Michael Metti is the Libertarian nominee. Aug. 21

Delaware (Carper-D) - Temple University law professor Jan Ting (R) is Carper's sole challenger. Carper is strongly favored to win in this Democratic state. Oct. 21

Florida (Bill Nelson-D) - At the height of President Bush's popularity and political prowess in 2004, former astronaut Bill Nelson (D) was positively squirming. But, oh, the difference two years makes. With a limping national party and a candidate like Rep. Katherine Harris (R), who won national notoriety presiding over the 2000 Florida recount. Republician leaders, embarrassed by Harris, have tried to recruit a number of high-profile challengers for the GOP primary, but eventually gave up their search, and Harris won. Nelson should cruise to victory.Oct. 21

Hawaii (Akaka-D) - Akaka is getting up there in age; he was born Sept. 11, 1924, and will be 82 on election day. Cynthia Thielen (R) and Jeff Mallan (L) are challenging. Oct.21

Maine (Snowe-R) - Snowe is a moderate Republican, but that seems to suite Democratic-leaning Maine voters just fine. Organic farmer Jean Hay Bright (D) and Bill Slavick (I) are challenging. Oct. 21

Massachusetts (Kennedy-D) - Sen. Ted Kennedy was born Feb. 22, 1932, and will be 74 on election day in 2006. French and Spanish language school owner Kenneth Chaseis running for the GOP, although Kennedy is strongly favored to win. Oct 21

Michigan (Stabenow-D) - The Republicans openly declared Sen. Debbie Stabenow a major target in 2006. Unfortunately, they had little in the way of ammo. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, a moderate who was reportedly recruited by the national party to head off the grassroots conservative Rev. Keith Butler, is the nominee for the Republicans. However, the GOP never really gained traction this time around. Oct. 21

Mississippi (Lott-R) - Lott, who seriously considered retirement earlier this year, has faced a few set-backs in recent years. In 2002, he was forced to step down from his Senate leadership role after making remarks that were interpreted by some as racist. Then in 2005, Lott lost about half of his net worth to Hurricane Katrina, including a house on the Gulf Coast. Despite his setbacks, he's a safe bet against Democratic state Rep. Erik Fleming. Oct. 21

Nebraska (Ben Nelson-D) - Ben Nelson was once thought to be vulnerable in this stronly conservative state, but several top tier candidates have passed on this race. Former Ameritrade COO Pete Ricketts ended up with the GOP nomination. Nelson should win handily. Oct. 21

New Mexico (Bingaman-D) - Bingaman will face urologist Allen McCullough, but Bingaman is beyond safe. Oct. 21

New York (Clinton-D) - Sen. Hillary Clinton is running for re-election, ahead of her expected presidential run in 2008. Her primary opponent will be Steven Greenfield (D/G), a 2002 Green Party candidate for Congress. Greenfield plans to run on an anti-war platform, challenging Clinton's hawkish stance on the war. Challengers include former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer (R) and Green Party co-founder Howie Hawkins (G). Oct. 21

Texas (Hutchison-R) - Hutchison is generally considered one of the most popular politicians in the state. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston attorney, won the Democratic primary in March. Scott Jameson is running for the Libertarians. Oct. 21

Utah (Hatch-R) - Born March 22, 1934, Sen. Orrin Hatch will be 72 years old election year, but it looks like he is going to go for another term. Web "guru" Pete Ashdown is running for the Democrats. Disabled veteran, peace activist and distant relative of Orrin Hatch Julian Hatch is running for the Desert Greens. Scott Bradley is running for the Constitution Party. Veteran Roger I. Price, who mentions on his site that he has skeletons in his closet, but thankfully "nothing that denied another person their inalienable Rights," is running for the Personal Choice Party. Listen for Hatch to be singing the sweet tune of victory on Nov. 7.Oct. 21

Washington (Cantwell-D) - Because of the state's close governor and presidential races in 2004, Sen. Maria Cantwell was to be a top GOP target in 2006. However, as in many other races, the GOP has had a very tough time recruiting a top-tier candidate. Former insurance executive Mike McGavick (R) is taking the plunge. Community activist and former Black Panther Party official Aaron Dixon is running as a Green. Bruce Guthrie (L) is also running. Oct. 21

Wisconsin (Kohl-D) - Kohl, who will be 71 years old on election day in 2006. Attorney Robert Gerald Lorge (R) and peace activist Rae Vogeler (G) are running against him. "A True Conservative Voice" Ben Glatzel is running as an independent. Oct. 21

Forget it's even happening

Indiana (Lugar-R) - Lugar, age 74, is well respected and is, indeed, a great asset to our country, given his work with the Russians to disarm nuclear weapons. Libertarian Steve Osborn is his sole challenger. Oct21

North Dakota (Conrad-D) - Dwight Grotberg (R) is the challenger. Conrad looks pretty safe. Oct. 21

West Virginia (Byrd-D) - Born Nov. 20, 1917, Byrd will be almost 89 years old on election day in 2006, but he has announced his campaign for re-election. National Republicans tried to recruit Rep. Shelley Moore Capito to run against him, but she announced in early October 2005 that she won't run. John Raese is running for the GOP. Dec. 5

Wyoming (Thomas-R) - Thomas was born Feb. 17, 1933, and will be 73 on election day in 2006. Navy scientist Dale Groutage is running for the Democrats. Oct. 21

Not up for re-election, but may retire

Alaska (Stevens-R) - Senator Ted Stevens is old, my friend. Born Nov. 18, 1923, Stevens will be nearly 83 years old on election day in 2006. Despite his age, the 37-year veteran of the chamber regularly pouts and threatens to resign if he doesn't get his way. Recently, he was dealt a major setback when Senate voted to sustain a filibuster that blocks Stevens' plan to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Newpaper reports described Stevens as "angry," "furious" and even "sad" following the vote, but Stevens laters said that he would not resign. He is up for re-election in 2008.

Hawaii (Inouye-D) - Inouye recently coasted to re-election. Born Sept. 7, 1924, he'll be 82 years old on election day in 2006. He's up for re-election in 2010.

Iowa (Grassley-R) - Born Sept. 17, 1933, Grassley will be 73 on election day in 2006. Grassley is up for re-election in 2010.

Kansas (Roberts-R) - Born April 20, 1936, Roberts will be 70 on election day in 2006. He is up for re-election in 2008.

Kentucky (Bunning-R) - Born Oct. 23, 1931, Bunning will be 75 on election day in 2006.

Maryland (Mikulski-D) - Born July 20, 1936, Mikulski will be 70 on election day in 2006. She is up for re-election in 2010.

Michigan (Levin-D) - Born June 28, 1934, Levin will be 74 on election day in 2006. Levin is up for re-election in 2008; rumor has it he won't be running for re-election, however.

New Jersey (Lautenberg-D) - Born Jan. 23, 1924, Lautenberg will be 82 on election day in 2006. Lautenberg is up for re-election in 2008, but don't bet on him running again. He had reluctantly come out of retirement in 2002 as a replacement candidate for the Democrats, and few expected him to last this long. However, he may wait until after the 2006 election to announce his retirement.

New Mexico (Domenici-R) - Born May 7, 1932, Domenici will be 74 on election day in 2006. He's up for re-election in 2008.

Oklahoma (Inhofe-R) - Born Nov. 17, 1934, Inhofe will be almost 72 on election day in 2006. He's up for re-election in 2008.

Pennsylvania (Specter-R) - Born Feb. 12, 1930, Specter will be 76 in 2006. He's up for re-election in 2010. Last year, Specter announced that he had Hodgkin's lympoma and continued to work during his course of treatment. He currently shows no sign of slowing down.

Utah (Bennett-R) - Born Sept. 18, 1933, Bennett will be 73 on election day in 2006. He is up for re-election in 2010.



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