This is why it is so important to win the special senate elections this year. There are four seats that are having special elections to replace appointed senators who are filling vacancies that occurred over the last couple of years. What’s important is that the senators elected in these special elections will take office immediately after their elections are certified by their state’s Secretary of State. A net gain of these seats will help Republicans shut down a lame duck session.
All the special senate elections are to replace DemocRAT incumbents. Any Republican wins would be Republican pickups. The seats are DE (Biden's old seat), IL (Obama's old seat), NY (Hillary Clinton's old seat), and WV Byrd's old seat.