[DM1]

well there were many more Dem retirements in 94 than R retirements in 06
we only knocked off a few incumbents in 94 the rest were all pickups of open seats
it was something like 100 seats in play back then to the 40 or so in play now

[Welike ike]

Exactly DMI. also if you look at the Senate races of 1994, only 2 Dem Incumbents lost:

1. Sasser-Tenn
2. Wofford- Penn

The rest were open seats from retirements:

1. Mitchell- Maine (Snowe)
2. Boren- OK (Inahofe)
3. Matthews-Tenn (old AL Gore seat went to Thompson)
4. Deconcini- AZ- (Kyl)
5. Metzenbaum-OH (Dewine)
6. Reigle- Mich- (Abraham) 8 GOP pickups before Shelby(Bama) and Campbell(CO) switched.

In 2006 Frist is the only open Senate seat for the GOP