This 2010 U.S. Senate elections hub presents analysis and news of the 37 senatorial contests to be held in 2010. Elections are presented in alphabetical order, by state.
Starting in Winter 2010, I will make predictions about "Who's winning, Who's Not" on a state-by-state basis, when I believe I have enough data to project results.
Hawaii 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Hawaii
Incumbent: Democrat Daniel Inouye, seven terms
Running for reelection
Opponents: None declared yet. Sen. Inouye won 76% of the statewide vote in his 2004 reelection bid, trouncing his Republican opponent who garnered only 21%.
Idaho 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Idaho
Incumbent: Republican Mike Crapo, two terms
Running for reelection
Opponents: None declared yet. Sen. Crapo received 99% of the statewide vote in his 2004 reelection, after running unopposed.
Illinois 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Illinois
Incumbent: Democrat Roland Burris, appointed to one-year partial term to replace Sen. Barack Obama, who resigned in order to assume the Presidency.
Not running for election
Candidates: Two Democrats, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and businessman Stan Jagla, have declared thus far their candidacies for Barack Obama's former Senate seat. Several other Democrats are expected to join the field before the Illinois primary on February 2, 2010.
Likewise, two Republicans have formally jumped into the race, with many more anticipated to follow.
Indiana 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Indiana
Incumbent: Democrat Evan Bayh, two terms
Running for reelection
Opponents: Two Republicans have declared intentions to challenge Sen. Bayh, and face each other in Indiana's May 4, 2010 primary.
No Democrat is likely to challenge Sen. Bayh for the U.S. Senate nomination. Bayh, former two-term Indiana governor, breezed to reelection in 2004 with 62% of the statewide vote.
Iowa 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Iowa
Incumbent: Republican Chuck Grassley, five terms
Running for reelection
Opponents: One Democrat, longtime Iowa state Assemblyman Bob Krause, intends to challenge Sen. Grassley for the Iowa seat. Krause is presently Chair of the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus, and is an expert on transportation policy.
Republican Grassley won his 2004 reelection bid with 70% of the statewide vote. No Republican will likely challenge Grassley in 2010.
Kansas 2010 U.S. Senate Races
Courtesy of State of Kansas
Incumbent: Republican Sam Brownback, two terms
Not running for reelection
Candidates: No Democrats have yet announced plans to run for Sen. Brownback's U.S. Senate seat, probably due to concern that Brownback won his 2004 reelection race in this conservative state with almost 70% of the vote.
Two Republicans have declared their candidacies, and are set to face-off in an August 3, 2010 primary.
Kentucky 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Kentucky
Incumbent: Republican Jim Bunning, two terms
Not running for reelection
Candidates: Three Democrats have formally entered the race to replace retiring Sen. Bunning:
- Jack Conway, Kentucky state Attorney General
- Daniel Mongiardo, Kentucky Lieutenant Governor
- Darlene Fitzgerald Price, a decorated 20-year veteran who served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, and as a U.S. Customs Special Agent.
The Democratic candidates will vie in Kentucky's primary, slated for May 18, 2010.
One Republican, Dr. Rand Paul, has thus far announced his candidacy to replace Republican Bunning, who won his 2004 reelection with barely 51% of votes cast.
Louisiana 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Louisiana
Incumbent: Republican David Vitter, one term
Running for reelection
Opponents: One Democrat, two-term Congressman Charlie Melancon, has declared plans to challenge Sen. Vitter in the 2010 Senate race.
Although Sen. Vitter won the 2004 election with barely 51% of the vote and has since been embarrassed by a messy prostitution scandal, no Republican has yet opted to run against him in 2010.
Maryland 2010 U.S. Senate Race
Courtesy of State of Maryland
Incumbent: Democrat Barbara Mikulski, four terms
Running for reelection
Opponents: Republican Corrogan R. Vaughn, limousine company owner, is the only declared candidate to oppose Sen. Mikulski 2010 reelection effort. Vaughn previously ran against Republican Michael Steele in the 2006 U.S. Senate primary , raising only $1,100 and garnering 1.2% of the vote. Other Republicans are expected to enter the 2010 race.
No Democrat will oppose Sen. Mikulsi's 2010 reelection run.
Massachusetts 2010 U.S. Senate Race - Partial Term
Courtesy of State of Massachusetts
Incumbent: Democrat Paul Kirk, who assumed office on September 24, 2009 after the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Not running for reelection.
Candidates - On December 8, 2009, Attorney General Coakley won the Democratic primary to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Sen. Ted Kennedy's passing. In the special election set for January 19, 2010, Democrat Coakley will face Republican Scott Brown, a three-term state legislator.
Martha Coakley is heavily favored to prevail, both because she has significantly more statewide name recognition than opponent Brown, but also because Massachusetts is a heavily liberal state. The victor will hold the seat for two years, until 2012.
