Battle for the Senate: seven seats to follow

With the battle for the upper chamber coming down to the wire, there are seven Senate seats that will decide which party assumes control.

1. North Carolina: When Democrats failed to land a major recruit to challenge Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Deborah Ross was originally written off by many political operatives due to her low name recognition and her record that largely skews to the left of North Carolina’s general political views. However, her ability to effectively capitalize on Burr’s weaknesses and out-fundraise him have made this race closer than anyone expected. Considering the state’s fierce presidential and gubernatorial contests, this race is sure to also come down to the wire, with recent polls showing the race drawn to a practical tie.

2. Indiana: Former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) was once thought to be a shoe-in as he sought to reclaim his old Senate seat. Now, nearly four months later, Bayh appears to be in serious trouble. Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) has run a brutal campaign against him, and a previous Democratic lock has become one of the closest races in the battle for the Senate, with Young even pulling into the lead as the contest heads into its final days.

3. Missouri: A year ago, this race was not on on anyone's radar, as Democrats saw more competitive pickup opportunities in Florida and Ohio. With incumbents in both races opening clear leads, Democratic leaders made the decision to re-allocate resources into Army veteran Democrat Jason Kander’s campaign against incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO). Kander arguably had the best ad of the cycle as he assembled a rifle blindfolded in response to Blunt’s attacks on his gun control record, cementing his status as a rising star within the Democratic Party.

4. New Hampshire: Current Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan and incumbent Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) are currently two of New Hampshire’s biggest political icons, making the race for this Senate seat one of the most contested in the country. While Ayotte has struggled to distance herself from Trump in previous months, her numbers have appeared to stabilize, though Hassan has led in certain polls. Many agree that the race could ultimately come down to a coin toss and the margin of victory in the presidential race.

5. Nevada: Republicans had one of their best pickup chances of the cycle with the retirement of Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and their nomination of Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV). An active Army Reservist, Heck stood best to capitalize on the overall discontent with Reid, whose popularity remains underwater, and the general lacklusterness of former Democratic Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. Ultimately, Heck failed to address the problem Trump’s candidacy poised to his candidacy with a significant Hispanic electorate and the potency of Reid’s much-vaunted turnout machine, suggesting this race leans more Democratic than most polls predict.

6. Pennsylvania: Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) was elected during the Tea Party Wave of 2010 in a state that has consistently voted Democratic since 1980. Democratic challenger Katie McGinty was the preferred choice of the party over failed candidate Joe Sestak during the primary, and while not the strongest recruit,McGinty has led in 11 out of the last 12 polls. Unless Trump improves his overall position in the state, Toomey faces the difficult task of garnering split ticket votes in a race that has largely moved in sync with the presidential contest.

7. Wisconsin: Months ago, former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) seemed poised to easily reclaim his old Senate seat from incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who ousted Feingold in the Tea Party Wave of 2010. However, the polls have tightened at an alarming rate in Wisconsin, moving this once Democratic pickup into toss-up territory. While Feingold retains the narrowest of leads, it is now not inconceivable that Johnson may somehow survive to see re-election.