US election puts Senate control in the balance

Democrats are widely expected to take control of the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s US elections, but the Senate race remains too close to call, mbl.is reports.

Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers. Losing control of both would make it harder for President Donald Trump to advance his agenda. Trump has campaigned with Republican candidates in closely contested states, including at a rally in Iowa on Monday.

Bryndís Ísfold Hlöðversdóttir, a political scientist and adjunct at Bifröst University, told mbl.is that turnout will be a decisive factor. Congressional elections typically draw fewer voters than presidential elections, she said, making it important which groups turn out to vote.

Attention has focused on the Senate, where 35 seats, or more than a third of the chamber, are being contested. Polls generally point to the party that usually wins each state, while incumbents have historically had a strong chance of re-election. States to watch include North Carolina, Texas, Kansas, Maine, Alaska, Iowa, Ohio, South Carolina and Michigan.

Texas and Kansas stand out to Hlöðversdóttir. In Texas, Democratic candidate James Talarico, a teacher, is challenging Republican Ken Paxton, a former state legislator and prosecutor. Paxton has faced controversy within his own party, including accusations of insider trading related to his work in the legislature. A video of him taking a pen at a security checkpoint has also circulated online.

Republicans have held power in Texas for three decades, making a Talarico victory a significant shift. In Kansas, polls point to the possibility of an even more historic result: Democrats have not won a Senate seat there in 94 years. Republican incumbent Roger Marshall, who has served in the Senate for six years, is trailing in polls.