Democratic Control of the Senate is On The Line
Thirty-four U.S. Senate seats will be decided in the coming November 5 election. The Senate currently has 51 Democrats (including the 3 Independents) and 49 Republicans. With Joe Manchin (D) retiring, the Republicans almost certainly will pick up a seat in West Virginia. The margin for Democrats to maintain control of the Senate could not be slimmer.
It may come down to the election results in 9 states. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin have Democratic Senators and are considered “leaning Democratic.” Montana, Ohio, and Arizona also have Democratic Senators, but they are considered “toss-ups.” Texas and Florida have Republican Senators and are considered “leaning Republican,” but Democrats may have a shot.
Primaries
The thirty-four states conduct their primaries for the November 5 elections beginning on March 5, 2024, and ending on September 10, 2024, as follows:
- March 5: California, Texas
- March 12: Mississippi
- March 19: Ohio
- April 23: Pennsylvania
- May 7: Indiana
- May 14: Maryland, Nebraska, Nebraska (special election), West Virginia
- June 4: Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico
- June 11: Maine, Nevada. North Dakota
- June 18: Virginia
- June 25: New York, Utah
- July 30: Arizona
- August 6: Michigan, Washington
- August 1: Tennessee
- August 6: Michigan, Missouri
- August 10: Hawaii
- August 13: Vermont, Wisconsin
- August 14: Connecticut
- August 20: Florida, Wyoming
- September 3: Massachusetts
- September 10: Delaware, Rhode Island
States Electing U.S. Senators in 2024
Arizona
Primary: July 30
Incumbent Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema is retiring. Election denier Kari Lake is running in the Republican primary. Democratic U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego and Alexander Keller are running in the Democratic primary.
Ruben Gallego
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California
Democratic Senator Laphonza Butler, who was appointed by Governor Newsom after Diane Feinstein died on September 29, 2023, is not running in the November 5, 2024, election. Democratic U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff is running against Republican Steve Garvey. Unfortunately, two exceptional congresswomen, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, will lose their congressional seats as they instead chose to run in the Senate primary. California is a a heavily Democratic state and Adam Schiff is heavily favored to wih a Senate seat in November.
Congressman Adam Schiff
Connecticut
Democratic primary: August 14
Incumbent Democratic Senator Christopher S. Murphy is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Senator Chris Murphy
Delaware
Primary: September 10
Democratic Senator Tom Carper is retiring. Democratic primary candidates are Pamela Brown and U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester
Florida
Primary: August 20
Republican Senator Rick Scott is running for re-election.
Democratic primary candidates are Matt Boswell, Stanley Campbell, former U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson, Rod Joseph, Bernard Korn, Josue Larose, former U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Chase Anderson Romagnano, Brian Rush, and Matthew Sanscrainte.
Stanley Campbell
Rod Joseph
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Brian Rush
Hawaii
Primary: August 10
Democratic incumbent Senator Mazie K. Hirono is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Senstor Mazie K. Hirono
Indiana
Primary May 7 Republican Senator Mike Braun is retiring. Democratic primary candidates are Marc Carmichael and Valerie Lin McCray.
Maine
Primary June 11
Angus King (I) is the incumbent and probably will run for re-election.
Senator Angus King
David Costello
David Costello is running in the Democratic primary on June 11. He was born in Bangor, Maine. Costello earned a bachelor's degree from The George Washington University in 1983 and a graduate degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1989. His career experience includes working as an environmental policy consultant.
Campaign Website | Campaign Facebook
Maryland
Primary May 14
Democratic Senator Ben Cardin is retiring. Republicans are fielding eight candidates in the Republican primary, including former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. Democratic primary candidates are Angela Alsobrooks, Michael Cobb Sr., Marcellus Crews, Brian Frydenborg, Scottie Griffin, Robert Houton, Joseph Perez, Steven Seuferer, U.S. Congressman David Trone, and Andrew Wildman.
Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney
Congressman David Trone
Massachusetts
Primary: September 3
Democratic incumbent Senator Elizabeth Warren is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Senator Elizabeth Warren
Michigan
Primary: August 6
Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow is retiring. Democratic primary candidates are Representative Elissa Slotkin, Hill Harper, and Nasser Beydoun.
Elissa Slotkin
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Nasser Beydoun
Hill Harper
Minnesota
Primary June 4
Democratic primary candidates are incumbent Senator Amy Klobuchar and Derek Logan.
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Mississippi
Primary March 12
Incumbent Republican Senator Roger Wicker is running for re-election. Democratic primary candidate is Ty Pinkins.
Ty Pinkins
Campaign Web SiteMissouri
Primary August 6
Fist-pumping, incumbent Republican Senator Josh Hawley (who later ran from the MAGA mob he cheered on January 6) is running for re-election. Democratic primary candidates are December Harmon, Lucas Kunce, State Senator Karia May, and Samuel Rutherford.
Lucas Kunce
December Harmon
State Senator Karla May
Montana
Primary: June 4
Democratic Senator Jon Tester is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Senator Jon Tester
Nebraska
Primary: May 14
Incumbent Republican Senator Deb Fischer is running for re-election.
Nebraska (special election)
Primary: May 14
Incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, appointed by Governor Jim Pillen when Senator Ben Sasse vacated his seat, is running in a special election to fill the remaining time in the term that ends on January 3, 2027.
Democratic primary candidate is Preston Love, Jr.
Preston Love, Jr.
Nevada
Primary: June 11
Incumbent Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen is running for re-election
and will face Mike Schaefer and Troy Walker in the Democratic primary.
Senator Jacky Rosen
New Jersey
Primary: June 4
Incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, indicted on federal corruption charges, has indicated he will not seek the Democratic nomination. Terry Murphy, wife of Governor Philip Murphy, entered the Democratic primary but later suspended her campaign.
Democratic primary candidates are U.S. Congressman Andrew Kim, Patricia Campos Medina, Kevin Cupples, Lawrence Hamm, and Patrick Merrill.
Congressman Andrew Kim
New Mexico
Primary: June 4
Incumbent Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich is running for re-election. Democratic primary candidates are Senator Martin Heinrich and Joshua Kenderdine.
Senator Martin Heinrich
New York
Primary: June 25
Incumbent Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is running for re-election. Democratic primary candidates include Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Tyrell Lev Sharif Ben-Avi, Daniel Foti, Khaled Salem, William Schweitzer, and Reece Wright-McDonald.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
North Dakota
Primary June 11
Incumbent Republican Senator Kevin Cramer is running for re-election. The Democratic primary candidate is Katrina Christiansen.
Katrina Christiansen
Ohio
Primary: March 19
Incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Senator Sherrod Brown
Pennsylvania
Primary: April 23
Incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey, Jr. is running for re-election and will face Blaine Forkner in the Democratic primary.
Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
U.S. Senate Website | Official Facebook | Official YouTube | Campaign Website | Campaign YouTube | Wikipedia
Rhode Island
Primary: September 10
Incumbent Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is running for re-election and will face Allen Waters in the Democratic primary.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Tennessee
Primary: August 1
Incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn is running for re-election.
Democratic primary candidates are Marquita Bradshaw, Dylan Fain, Gloria Johnson, and Civil Miller-Watkins.
Texas
Democratic Congressman Colin Allred will oppose incumbent Republican Senator Ted Cruz in the November 5 general election.
Congressman Colin Allred
U.S. House Website | Official Facebook | Official YouTube | Campaign Website | Campaign YouTube | Wikipedia
Utah
Primary: June 25
Republican incumbent senator Mitt Romney is retiring.
The Democratic primary candidate is Archie Williams III.
Archie Williams III
Vermont
Primary: Aug 13
Incumbent Independent Senator Bernie Sanders is retiring.
No Democrat or Independent has yet filed to run in the primary. The filing deadline is May 30.
Virginia
Primary: June 18
Incumbent Democrat Senator Tim Kaine is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Washington
Primary: August 6
Incumbent Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell is running for re-election and will face three other Democrats and five Republicans in a nonpartisan primary.
Senator Maria Cantwell
West Virginia
Primary: May 14
Incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Manchin III is retiring.
Democratic primary candidates are Don Blankenship, Glenn Elliott, and Zachary Shrewsbury.
Wisconsin
Primary: August 13
Incumbent Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin is running for re-election and is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Senator Tammy Baldwin
Wyoming
Primary: August 20
Incumbent Republican Senator John Barrasso is running for re-election.
No Democrats have yet filed to run in the primary.