Approaching the Finish Line

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008


With nearly twice as many Senate seats to defend as the Democrats need to protect, the GOP is being dragged down by an extraordinarily unpopular president, a quintet of retirements, fundraising problems, a severe economic crisis, and an incumbent convicted of seven felony counts of corruption.

23 Republican-Held Seats

Gone (3)
CO OPEN (Wayne Allard)
NM OPEN (Pete Domenici)
VA OPEN (John Warner)

Almost Gone (1)
AK Ted Stevens

Highly Vulnerable (6)
GA Saxby Chambliss
MN Norm Coleman
MS Roger Wicker
NH John Sununu
NC Elizabeth Dole
OR Gordon Smith

Vulnerable (1)
KY Mitch McConnell

PROBABLY Safe (1)
ME Susan Collins

Safe (11)
AL Jeff Sessions
ID OPEN (Larry Craig)
KS Pat Roberts
MS Thad Cochran
NE OPEN (Chuck Hagel)
OK James Inhofe
SC Lindsey Graham
TN Lamar Alexander
TX John Cornyn
WY Michael Enzi
WY John Barrasso

12 Democratic-Held Seats

Vulnerable (1)
LA Mary Landrieu

Probably safe (1)
SD Tim Johnson

Safe (10)
AR Mark Pryor
DE Joe Biden
IL Richard Durbin
IA Tom Harkin
MA John Kerry
MI Carl Levin
MT Max Baucus
NJ Frank Lautenberg
RI Jack Reed
WV Jay Rockefeller