Posted on 06/07/2002 4:19:17 AM PDT by Dallas
A look at 10 states that could be critical in deciding whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate after the 2002 elections.
TOP DEMOCRATIC TARGETS
ARKANSAS: Incumbent Republican Sen. Tim Hutchinson against Democrat Mark Pryor, state attorney general. Both sides think this race could be very close -- partly because of the strong Democratic presence in the state.
COLORADO: Incumbent Republican Sen. Wayne Allard faces Democrat Tom Strickland, a former U.S. attorney, in a rematch of their close 1996 Senate race.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Incumbent Republican Sen. Bob Smith is considered vulnerable and faces Rep. John Sununu in the GOP primary. Democrats hope the GOP primary will leave that party's nominee in poor shape to face Democratic candidate Jeanne Shaheen, currently governor.
TEXAS: Open seat now held by retiring GOP Sen. Phil Gramm. Democrat Ron Kirk, former mayor of Dallas, has been running even in the polls with the Republican nominee, Attorney General John Cornyn. Kirk's bid to become a black senator from a conservative Southern state should bring him plenty of party contributions and plenty of attention.
NORTH CAROLINA: Open seat currently held by retiring GOP incumbent Jesse Helms. Elizabeth Dole, a former transportation secretary, is the favorite for the GOP nomination and Erskine Bowles, a former Clinton chief of staff, has the edge for the Democrats. But the primary has been delayed indefinitely by legal battles over redistricting.
Democrats also are eyeing GOP Sen. Gordon Smith in OREGON and think they could have a chance for open seats in SOUTH CAROLINA and TENNESSEE.
TOP GOP TARGETS
IOWA: Incumbent Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin faces GOP Rep. Greg Ganske. Harkin has a double-digit lead, but could be vulnerable if Ganske cuts into his base in more urban areas.
MINNESOTA: Incumbent Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone faces Republican nominee Norm Coleman, former mayor of St. Paul who has run for governor. Both sides expect this race to be very close.
MISSOURI: Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan faces Republican nominee Jim Talent, a former member of Congress who narrowly lost the governor's race in 2000. Both sides expect this race to be very close.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson faces GOP Rep. John Thune. Both sides expect this race to be very close.
GEORGIA: Incumbent Democratic Sen. Max Cleland could get a strong challenge from the eventual GOP nominee. Rep. Saxby Chambliss will face state lawmaker Bob Irvin in an Aug. 20 primary.
Republicans also are eyeing Democratic Sen. Robert Torricelli in NEW JERSEY and think they have the upper hand in all four open seats currently held by the GOP.
Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
Forget about SC, Dems. And I think Gordon Smith became pretty safe when Kitzhaber turned down the Dems.
In addition to the races listed above, I think the GOP has an outside shot at stealing Illinois from Durbin. And I'm quite surprised Baucus in Montana didn't make this target list. True, Baucus is loaded and the GOP didn't get Racicot to run, but the numbers in MT favor the Pubbies. I think the race closes up considerably now that the primary is over, though I still make Baucus the favorite.
What do you think ?
The superior candidate, Bill Salier, lost.
This man is phenomenol. Spent about $200,000and got 41% of the vote. He was a total unknown.
The last days former governor, Terry Branstad used the old trick of calling old people and telling them Bill Salier wanted to take away their SS.
There is a terrible taste left in the mouth of conservative Republicans in Iowa.
It remains to be seen if they will support RINO Ganske who is a clone of McCain.
John Sununu was the best thing about the first Bush administration. I hope he wins.
I am so ecstatic you like you wouldn't believe that the corrupt demagogues Phil Gramm and Jesse Helms are finally leaving. It's far past time. What makes it even better is that Democrats didn't have to beat them to get them out (as if they ever would have let that happen).
I don't know much about the rest, but it would be nice to see Tom Harkin out too.
Good grief. Have you ever heard of an individual by the name of David Souter?
Of course. I just like Sununu because of his no-nonsense, get it done attitude. Like Patton, he was so good he was an embarrassment.
Don't kid yourself. Hutchinson has some momentum, but he's still vulnerable. And the article did mention New Jersey, but ever so briefly. His re-elect numbers are lousy.
Favorite heck!! The RNC has already nominated her even before the primaries. And liberal? She is as liberal as the day is long. I still haven't seen Giddy Dolt and Erskine Bowles in the same place at the same time. Coincidence?
Johnson (SD) and Wellstone (MN) are toast. Talent can beat fatass Carnahan (MO) if he handles the race properly. Ganske can defeat Harkin (IA) if people pull together. Cleland (GA) is in more trouble than he realizes.
If we get some luck from the economy and the stock market, I am very optimistic. Remember in 1970, just two years into Nixon's first term, with an unpopular war and unemployment on the rise, GOP actually gained two Senate seats.
Sunnunu is on the short list of those among professed GOPers who most deserve: Horse-whipping, Keel-Hauling, and then Tar & Feathering. Since the Bush administration has been not-so-subtly pushing for Sunnunu, despite his proven unworthiness for even being dog-catcher, and your cheering this guy on over and against all courtesy and decency...that means just one thing about you:
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