Protect Ya Neck: The 2006 Races for Senate and Governor
It is time for our first fall update of the 2006 Senate and Governor contests. To the layperson, they are an eternity and fourteen months away. To political junkies, the races are already in full swing, with recruiting season approaching its end in most places and fundraising machines humming everywhere. Enter the Senate (33 Chambers) With an effective lead of 55-45 in the Senate, Republicans continue to have the clear early edge to retain control–especially since they only have to defend 15 of the 33 seats up for election in next year. Yet Katrina, Iraq, gas prices, growing national debt, President Bush’s unpopularity, and other factors might conspire to produce Democratic gains or even a takeover, as wild as that speculation appears today. Before we get into what it would take to do that, let’s first take a look at the Crystal Ball’s current race rankings, by outlook: 2005 Senate Make-up: 55 Republicans, 45 Democrats (Including 1 Ind.) Senate Seats up for election in 2006: 15 Republican, 18 Democratic (Including 1. Ind.) Current Outlook Number of Seats States Solid Republican 9 IN, ME, MO, MS, NV, TX, UT, VA, WY Leans Republican 3 AZ, MT, TN Toss-up 4 MN, OH,