Updated 2018 Senate Ratings from Cook Political Report
August 17, 2017
The Cook Political Report has made five ratings changes in their 2018 Senate forecast. Four races have moved to toss-up, including Indiana, Missouri, Nevada and West Virginia. Of those, only Nevada currently has a Republican incumbent.
Republicans currently have 52 Senate seats, to 48 for the Democrats. The Democratic number includes two independents that caucus with that party. Given the current political climate, it would seem that the party should be well-positioned to gain seats and control in the 2018 midterms. However, as we've noted before, that is unlikely to happen. Only 9 of the 34 seats to be contested - including this year's Alabama special election - are held by Republicans. Of those, only two, Arizona and Nevada, are likely to be competitive. That means even if Democrats hold all 25 of their seats -- many of which are competitive -- and win those two Republican seats, they still only get to 50 seats. In that scenario, Vice-President Mike Pence would break the tie vote, and Republicans would retain control.
Headlines
New and Updated Features on the 270toWin Website
The electoral map is changing for 2024. This update includes the projected changes as well as Senate and governor maps for 2022
Republican Claudia Tenney Wins NY-22; Final Undecided House Race from November
Democratic incumbent Anthony Brindisi conceded after New York state certified the election
Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby Won't Seek Reelection in 2022
The 6th term Republican is the longest serving Senator in the state's history
Update: 2020 Election if All States Allocated Electoral Votes Like Maine and Nebraska
Biden would have won a narrower 277-261 using this congressional district method, one which is heavily influenced by the number of gerrymandered districts around the country
Sabato's Crystal Ball Initial Ratings for 2022 Senate Election
Another tight battle for control appears on tap in the 2022 midterms