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U.S. Senate
Races
U.S. Senate Races 2014
Overview
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corrected Nov. 13, 2021
Balance before Nov. 4:
53 Democrats, 2 Independents, 45 Republicans.
36 seats at stake: 21 held by Democrats, 15 by Republicans.
8 open seats due to retirements: 5 held by Republicans, 3 by Democrats.
0 incumbents defeated in primaries.
28 U.S. Senators seeking re-election/election on Nov. 4: 18 Democrats, 10 Republicans.
5 incumbent U.S. Senators defeated: all Democrats.
Balance after Nov. 4/Dec. 6: 54 Republicans, 44 Democrats and 2 Independents.
36 seats at stake: 21 held by Democrats, 15 by Republicans.
8 open seats due to retirements: 5 held by Republicans, 3 by Democrats.
0 incumbents defeated in primaries.
28 U.S. Senators seeking re-election/election on Nov. 4: 18 Democrats, 10 Republicans.
5 incumbent U.S. Senators defeated: all Democrats.
Mark Begich (AK), Mark Pryor (AR), Mark
Udall (CO), Kay Hagan (NC) and Mary Landrieu (LA).
13 new
U.S. Senators elected: 12 Republicans, 1
Democrat. Dan
Sullivan (AK), Tom Cotton (AR), Cory Gardner (CO), David Perdue (GA), Joni
Ernst (IA),
Bill Cassidy (LA), Steve Daines (MT), Ben Sasse (NE), Thom
Tillis (NC), James
Lankford (OK), Mike Rounds (SD) and
Shelley Moore Capito (WV). Gary Peters (MI)
was the lone new Democrat.
Of the 36 seats
at stake: Republicans won 24, Democrats won 12.
Balance after Nov. 4/Dec. 6: 54 Republicans, 44 Democrats and 2 Independents.
2014
The battle for control of the U.S. Senate was the most closely watched aspect of the 2014 midterm elections. Republicans needed a net gain of six seats to gain control of the Senate.
The map favored Republicans. Democrats were defending six seats in states Romney won by large margins in 2012: Alaska (54.8 to 40.8), Arkansas (60.6 to 36.9), Louisiana (57.8 to 40.6), Montana (55.4 to 41.7), South Dakota (58.0 to 39.9) and West Virginia (62.3 to 35.5); Romney also narrowly won North Carolina (50.4 to 48.4). Recognizing that turnout would be a challenge the DSCC developed the Bannock Street Project, a "4,000-person, $60-million, data-driven field and voter contact program that will register, turn out, and persuade voters for the midterms." (+)
Nonetheless as Election Day approached it appeared increasingly likely Republicans would achieve their goal. In many races, undecideds broke to the GOP candidates. Observers termed this a "wave election" and noted that "waves break late."
Of the competitive Democratic seats, Democrats managed to hold on only to New Hampshire (Louisiana is still tbd). Democrats had a number of disappointments. In Iowa, Rep. Bruce Braley (D)'s campaign was on the ropes from March 2014, when the conservative America Rising released a video of him at a January fundraiser slighting Sen. Chuck Grassley as "a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school." In Montana, the interim Sen. John Walsh was caught up in a plaigarism imbroglio and withdrew.
Republicans held all their seats, and picked up nine seats. The closest races were in North Carolina and Colorado. One of the biggest surprises was Virginia, where Sen. Mark Warner (D) came within a hair of losing to Ed Gillespie (R). The NRSC pointed to "recruiting quality candidates" as well as candidate training as two keys to Republicans' success (+).
Democrats had hopes for upsets in a few states, but none of them worked out. In Kansas, after the Democratic nominee withdrew, Sen. Pat Roberts (R) faced independent Greg Orman. Georgia looked close to the end, but David Perdue prevailed over Michelle Nunn and avoided a runoff, which would have occurred on Jan. 6. In Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fended off a strong challenge from Alison Lundergan Grimes on his way to becoming Majority Leader.
According to OpenSecrets.org (>), the most expensive Senate race occurred in North Carolina, where the campaigns spent $34.7 million and outside groups spent $80.5 million for a total of $115.2 million. Eight other campaigns tallied more than $50 million in total spending: Colorado ($101.8 million), Iowa ($85.3 million), Kentucky ($81.7 million), Arkansas ($66.3 million), Louisiana ($59.6 million, Alaska ($57.6 million), New Hampshire ($55.5 million), and Michigan ($51.4 million).
The battle for control of the U.S. Senate was the most closely watched aspect of the 2014 midterm elections. Republicans needed a net gain of six seats to gain control of the Senate.
The map favored Republicans. Democrats were defending six seats in states Romney won by large margins in 2012: Alaska (54.8 to 40.8), Arkansas (60.6 to 36.9), Louisiana (57.8 to 40.6), Montana (55.4 to 41.7), South Dakota (58.0 to 39.9) and West Virginia (62.3 to 35.5); Romney also narrowly won North Carolina (50.4 to 48.4). Recognizing that turnout would be a challenge the DSCC developed the Bannock Street Project, a "4,000-person, $60-million, data-driven field and voter contact program that will register, turn out, and persuade voters for the midterms." (+)
Nonetheless as Election Day approached it appeared increasingly likely Republicans would achieve their goal. In many races, undecideds broke to the GOP candidates. Observers termed this a "wave election" and noted that "waves break late."
Of the competitive Democratic seats, Democrats managed to hold on only to New Hampshire (Louisiana is still tbd). Democrats had a number of disappointments. In Iowa, Rep. Bruce Braley (D)'s campaign was on the ropes from March 2014, when the conservative America Rising released a video of him at a January fundraiser slighting Sen. Chuck Grassley as "a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school." In Montana, the interim Sen. John Walsh was caught up in a plaigarism imbroglio and withdrew.
Republicans held all their seats, and picked up nine seats. The closest races were in North Carolina and Colorado. One of the biggest surprises was Virginia, where Sen. Mark Warner (D) came within a hair of losing to Ed Gillespie (R). The NRSC pointed to "recruiting quality candidates" as well as candidate training as two keys to Republicans' success (+).
Democrats had hopes for upsets in a few states, but none of them worked out. In Kansas, after the Democratic nominee withdrew, Sen. Pat Roberts (R) faced independent Greg Orman. Georgia looked close to the end, but David Perdue prevailed over Michelle Nunn and avoided a runoff, which would have occurred on Jan. 6. In Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fended off a strong challenge from Alison Lundergan Grimes on his way to becoming Majority Leader.
According to OpenSecrets.org (>), the most expensive Senate race occurred in North Carolina, where the campaigns spent $34.7 million and outside groups spent $80.5 million for a total of $115.2 million. Eight other campaigns tallied more than $50 million in total spending: Colorado ($101.8 million), Iowa ($85.3 million), Kentucky ($81.7 million), Arkansas ($66.3 million), Louisiana ($59.6 million, Alaska ($57.6 million), New Hampshire ($55.5 million), and Michigan ($51.4 million).
Retiring (5D, 3R): Tom Harkin (D-IA), Carl Levin (D-MI), Max Baucus/John Walsh (D-MT), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV); Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), and Tom Coburn (R-OK) special election.
Notes:
KS: Democratic nominee Shawnee County prosecutor Chad Taylor withdrew on Sept. 3, 2014. Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) ruled Taylor's name should remain on the ballot, but on Sept. 18 the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Taylor had complied with state law and properly withdrawn. A subsequent case brought by a voter from Kansas City and supported by Kobach sought to compel Democrats to appoint a replacement, but the Kansas Supreme Court ordered that case to a lower court and the clock ran out as ballots had to be printed.
MS: Tea Party backed-Chris McDaniel finished ahead of Sen. Cochran in the June 3 Republican primary by 157,733 to 156,315 votes, but lost to Cochran in the June 24 runoff by 194,972 to 187,249 votes. McDaniel challenged the outcome, citing irregularities. A judge dismissed McDaniel's lawsuit on Aug. 29. On Sept. 5 McDaniel appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, but on Oct. 25 that Court ruled that McDaniel had "failed to file his election contest timely" (within 20 days).
MT: Sen. Baucus announced on Apr. 23, 2013 that he was retiring. On Dec. 20, Pres. Obama announced his intent to nominate Baucus as Ambassador to China; the Senate confirmed him on Feb. 6, 2014. On Feb. 7 Gov. Steve Bullock appointed Lt. Gov. John Walsh as the interim Senator; he was sworn in on Feb. 11. On June 3 Walsh won the Dem. primary, but on July 23 the New York Times reported he had plagiarized his master's thesis, and on Aug. 7 Walsh withdrew. A special nominating convention on Aug. 16 selected Amanda Curtis.
OK: Sen. Coburn's term runs through 2016; the special election to fill his seat was June 24 primary, Aug. 28 runoff, and Nov. 4 general election.
2013
DEMOCRATIC |
REPUBLICAN |
|||
MA |
April
30 June 25 |
Ed Markey seat held by John Kerry (resigned Feb. 1) [William Cowan (D) interim sworn in Feb. 7] |
Gabriel Gomez |
note: 2014 election as well |
NJ |
Aug. 13 Oct. 16 |
Cory Booker seat held by Frank Lautenberg (died June 3) [Jeff Chiesa (R) interim sworn in June 10] |
Steve Lonegan |
a number of
independent candidates > note: 2014 election as well |
and see also: Roll Call's Casualty List
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