Visitors walk near the U.S. Capitol on September 12, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
The battle for control of the U.S. Senate could hinge on a single race.
A handful of make-or-break Senate elections in key states are only growing more competitive as candidates barrel toward the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Only a few contests could determine how the Senate handles policy — and President Joe Biden’s nominees for key posts — for the rest of the president’s first term.
Republicans were considered favorites to win control of the upper chamber of Congress heading into the year. Democrats now appear slightly more likely to hold the majority in January.
Democrats hold the slimmest possible majority in the Senate, a reality that at times has reined in Biden’s most ambitious policy goals. The chamber is split 50-50, and Vice President Kamala Harris holds the tie-breaking vote.
Biden’s presence in the White House could make his party’s bid to hold the Senate more difficult: the president’s party historically struggles in midterm elections. While Biden’s approval rating has climbed from the lowest points of his term, most voters polled still disapprove of the job he is doing as Americans struggle with high inflation, among other issues.
Biden’s party reshaped its national campaign messaging after the Supreme Court overturned longstanding abortion rights in June. The court’s contentious and unpopular ruling seemed to upend the midterms overnight, handing Democrats...
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https://www.cnbc.com/guide/midterms-2022-top-senate-races-oz-walker-vance-kelly/