May 19, 2015 — The 2016 cycle hosts 34 Senate races and, at this point, it appears 16 of them will feature significant competition. From these in-cycle seats, the current majority Republican party must defend 24 positions. To re-capture the majority, Democrats will need to convert four Republican states if the party wins the presidency, and five if it does not.
Below is a major candidate listing within the currently contested 16 states:
ALASKA
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R)
Possible
• Mike Dunleavy (R) – State Senator
• Joe Miller (R) – Attorney; 2010 US Senate nominee
Unlikely
• Mark Begich (D) – former US Senator
ARIZONA
• Sen. John McCain (R)
Likely
• Kelli Ward (R) – State Senator
Possible
• Fred DuVal (D) – Former Statewide Candidate
Unlikely
• Richard Carmona (D) – Former US Surgeon General
• Ann Kirkpatrick (D) – US Representative, District 1
• Matt Salmon (R) – US Representative, District 5
• David Schweikert (R) – US Representative, District 6
• Kyrsten Sinema (D) – US Representative, District 9
CALIFORNIA – Open Seat
• Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) – retiring
Announced
• Kamala Harris (D) – Attorney General
• Loretta Sanchez (D) – US Representative, District 46
• Rocky Chavez (R) – State Assemblyman
• Tom Del Beccaro (R) – Former CA Republican Party Chairman
• Phil Wyman (R) – Former state Senator and Assemblyman
Possible
• Xavier Becerra (D) – US Representative, District 34
COLORADO
• Sen. Michael Bennet (D)
Announced
• Darryl Glenn (R) – El Paso County Commissioner
Possible
• Mike Coffman – US Representative, District 6
Unlikely
• Scott Tipton (R) – US Representative, District 3
FLORIDA – Open Seat
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R) – running for President
Announced
• Ron DeSantis (R) – US Representative, District 6
• Patrick Murphy (D) – US Representative, District 18
Likely
• Alan Grayson (D) – US Representative, District 9
• Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R) – Lt. Governor
Possible
• George LeMieux (R) – former Interim US Senator
• Bill McCollum (R) – former Attorney General and Congressman
Unlikely
• Curt Clawson (R) – US Representative, District 19
• Don Gaetz (R) – Former State Senate President
• David Jolly (R) – US Representative, District 13
ILLINOIS
• Sen. Mark Kirk (R)
Announced
• Tammy Duckworth (D) – US Representative, District 8
• Andrea Zopp (D) – Chicago School Board Member, Urban League President
Possible
• Robin Kelly (D) – US Representative, District 2
• Joe Walsh (R) – Former US Representative, District 8
INDIANA – Open Seat
• Sen. Dan Coats (R) – retiring
Announced
• Baron Hill (D) – Former US Representative, District 9
• Eric Holcomb (R) – Former Indiana Republican Party Chairman
• Jim Merritt (R) – State Senator
• Marlin Stutzman (R) – US Representative, District 3
Possible
• Tom McDermott (D) – Mayor of Hammond
• Bart Peterson (D) – Former Mayor of Indianapolis
• Glenda Ritz (D) – Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Todd Young (R) – US Representative, District 9
Unlikely
• Todd Rokita (R) – US Representative, District 4
LOUISIANA
• Sen. David Vitter (R)
Note: With Sen. Vitter running for governor in 2015, the 2016 Senate race will change. Should Vitter win the gubernatorial campaign, as expected, he will appoint a successor. At that point, the Senate race will develop.
MARYLAND – Open Seat
• Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) – retiring
Announced
• Donna Edwards (D) – US Representative, District 4
• Chris Van Hollen (D) – US Representative, District 8
Possible
• Elijah Cummings (D) – US Representative, District 7
• John Delaney (D) – US Representative, District 6
• Doug Gansler (D) – Former Attorney General
• Andy Harris (R) – US Representative, District 1
• Dutch Ruppersberger (D) – US Representative, District 2
• John Sarbanes (D) – US Representative, District 3
• Steve Schuh (R) – Anne Arundel County Executive
MISSOURI
• Sen. Roy Blunt (R)
Announced
• Jason Kander (D) – Secretary of State
NEVADA – Open Seat
• Sen. Harry Reid (D) – retiring
Announced
• Bob Beers (R) – Las Vegas City Councilman
• Catherine Cortez Masto (D) – Former Attorney General
Possible
• Joe Heck (R) – US Representative, District 3
• Dina Titus (D) – US Representative, District 1
Unlikely
• Brian Krolicki (R) – Former Lt. Governor
• Brian Sandoval (R) – Governor
NEW HAMPSHIRE
• Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R)
Possible
• Jackie Cilley (D) – Former State Senator
• Maggie Hassan (D) – Governor
• Annie Kuster (D) – US Representative, District 2
• Chris Pappas (D) – Executive Councilor, District 4
NORTH CAROLINA
• Sen. Richard Burr (R)
Possible
• Cal Cunningham (D) – Former State Senator
• Kay Hagan (D) – Former US Senator
• Grier Martin (D) – State Representative
OHIO
• Sen. Rob Portman (R)
Announced
• P.G. Sittenfeld (D) – Cincinnati City Councilman
• Ted Strickland (D) – Former Governor and Congressman
PENNSYLVANIA
• Sen. Pat Toomey (R)
Announced
• Ed Pawlowski (D) – Mayor of Allentown
• Joe Sestak (D) – Former US Representative, District 7
Possible
• Vincent Hughes (D) – State Senator
• Josh Shapiro (D) – Montgomery County Commission Chairman
WISCONSIN
Sen. Ron Johnson (R)
Announced
• Russ Feingold (D) – Former US Senator
