The Grind:
While forecasters are generally bullish that the GOP will capture the House on Election Day, the battle for the evenly divided Senate is widely considered a toss-up.
Given the 50-50 split, a single seat could tip the scales of power in the upper chamber, prompting both parties to pour enormous sums of money in hopes of swinging battleground races their way.
The Details:
A slew of factors, such as historical trends favoring the opposition party, late-breaking scandals, bleak economic news, concerns over candidate quality, and more, have given both sides heartburn as they brace for Nov. 8.
The Cook Political Report currently ranks four Senate contests as a toss-up: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Of those seats, Republicans are defending one, while Democrats are running incumbents in three.
Beyond these four, there are competitive races in several states in which polling favors one candidate, but the result could go either way. Read more…