The 2014 midterm elections are crucial in determining who will have control of the Senate: the Democrats, who have had control since 2006, or the Republicans, who want to take advantage of Obama’s decreasing popularity.
Senate races in Arkansas, Iowa and North Carolina will be important for deciding which way the Senate swings. In addition, many gubernatorial and congressional races are expected to be very close. Here are eight states to watch this coming Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Alaska
Democratic Sen. Mark Begich is seeking re-election and Republicans hope that Dan Sullivan, a former state attorney general, will win the seat. Begich is considered vulnerable, having won by a small margin in 2008. Like many other Democrats, he’s distancing himself from Obama and the Democratic Party.
Alaskan voters face ballot measures on legalizing marijuana and increasing the state’s minimum wage.
Arkansas
In an increasingly Republican state, Democrat Mark Pryor is trying to distance himself from the Obama administration and his former support for Obamacare to hang on to his seat in the Senate against Republican nominee Tom Cotton. Pryor is attempting to gain the female vote by bringing up his opponent’s history of voting against reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and against legislation addressing equal pay for women.
Colorado
Democratic Gov. John W. Hickenlooper is trying to hold on to his seat against Republican and former Rep. Bob Beauprez. A lot has happened in Colorado on Hickenlooper’s watch, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, a change in his stance on the death penalty from “for” to “against” and a controversial defense of fracking, issues that remain important for the state going forward.
Florida
In an unusual turn of events, a former Republican won the Democratic nomination for governor. Charlie Crist, who was Florida governor from 2007 to 2011, has come back to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Scott has been anti-Obamacare and did not extend Medicaid to citizens; Crist says he would extend Medicaid if elected. Other important issues facing the state include minimum wage and medical marijuana.
Georgia
Georgia is one of the most-watched states this year, as it deals with the highest unemployment rate in the country and predicted difficulties in voter turnout. Experts are expecting an for the Senate seat opening up. Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss is retiring, leaving the seat open for Democrat Michelle Nunn, daughter of former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, or Republican David Perdue, the former CEO of Dollar General.
In addition, former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson Jason Carter, a state senator and Democrat, is running for governor, and it looks like he may have the edge against Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, who is fighting against accusations of questionable ethics.
Iowa
Joni Ernst, a Republican state senator in the race for a U.S. Senate seat, made a splash with her ad leveraging her Iowa upbringing castrating hogs into a selling point for cutting the fat in Washington. She’s up against Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley in the race to fill the seat of retiring Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin. Iowa is yet another state interested in the issue of minimum wage. Ernst thinks $7.25 is plenty and believes the federal minimum wage should be abolished, while Braley wants it raised.
Also retiring is Republican Rep. Tom Latham, who has served 10 terms, leaving Democrat Staci Appel to battle over the seat against Republican David Young. Not retiring is Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who has been governor since 1982. Democrats hope to oust him with Jack Hatch, a state senator.
North Carolina
Already famous for being the most expensive Senate race this year — and maybe ever — the race between incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan and Republican Thom Tillis, the state’s speaker of the House, is expected to be close. Hagan seemed to gain an advantage when she slammed Tillis for his stance on women’s health, but she has work to do as she has been distancing herself from Obama’s administration for nearly a year. Republicans are painting her as very liberal, while she maintains she’s moderate.
In the House, another incumbent Democrat, Heath Shuler, is hoping to hang on in a race against a Republican, Jeff Miller.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is expecting a tight race for governor between Republican incumbent Scott Walker and Democrat Mary Burke, the first woman nominated for governor by a major party in the state. After Walker tried to restrict collective bargaining for unions, Democrats tried and failed to have him recalled; this tactic backfired for Democrats, as Walker become a favorite of the GOP.
In a debate earlier this month, the two discussed the Milwaukee Bucks and crime, but the biggest disagreement came over the economy. In 2010, Walker was “aiming big” when he campaigned on creating 250,000 private sector jobs, a goal he hasn’t reached. Burke has used that against him, saying he’s been ineffective during the last four years and she’s ready to lead the state.
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