Democrats and Republicans push to expand the Senate battleground map with long-shot races
For the last two years, the battle for the Senate has focused on a handful of closely watched states.
For the last two years, the battle for the Senate has focused on a handful of closely watched states. But weeks before Election Day, Democrats and Republicans are pouring money into the edges of their battleground map, placing bets on long-shot chances to flip an extra seat into their column.
And they are long-shot races, especially during a presidential election, when ticket-splitting isn’t as common as it used to be. In some cases, challengers have outraised incumbents. But in all four races — Florida, Texas, Nebraska and Maryland — one of the presidential candidates, former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to carry the state easily, making it even harder for a member of the other party to flip the seat.
Still, the parties see slivers of opportunity. In Maryland, Republicans are hoping popular former Gov. Larry Hogan can pull in the crossover independents and Democrats who helped him win two terms. In Florida and Texas, Democrats are focusing on state abortion bans to try to push beyond their recent losses in those states. And in Nebraska, an independent is running an unusual challenge against a two-term Republican senator.
In Texas and Florida, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month said it would to be launching a “multi-million dollar investment” in TV ad spending.
Those races, where Democratic Rep. Colin Allred is challenging GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in the Lone Star State and former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is challenging GOP Sen. Rick Scott in the Sunshine State, have certainly received their fair share of national attention.
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