Continuing our periodic reporting about who is currently running for the Senate next year, below is the latest look.
The following 13 senators do not yet have an announced significant opponent:
- Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)
- Chris Coons (D-Delaware)
- Jim Risch (R-Idaho)
- Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
- Susan Collins (R-Maine)
- Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
- Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon)
- Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)
- Tim Scott (R-South Carolina – special election)
- Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
- John Cornyn (R-Texas)
- Mark Warner (D-Virginia)
- Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)
And the remaining state match-ups:
Alaska |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mark Begich (D) – originally elected 2008 |
Republicans: |
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell |
|
Joe Miller – 2010 nominee who defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the GOP primary |
Arkansas |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mark Pryor (D) – originally elected 2002 |
Republicans: |
Lt. Gov. Mark Darr |
|
Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR-4) |
Notes: |
Rep. Cotton is a possible candidate. Lt. Gov. Darr is highly likely to run for a different office than the one he currently holds. He announced his intention to run for the Senate but there is a good chance, should Mr. Cotton enter the statewide campaign, that he would instead run for the Congressman’s vacated 4th Congressional District. |
Colorado |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mark Udall (D) – originally elected 2008 |
Republican: |
Jaime McMillan – Businessman |
Georgia |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) – originally elected 2002; not seeking re-election |
Republicans: |
Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA-10) |
|
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA-11) |
|
Former Secretary of State Karen Handel |
|
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA-1) |
|
David Perdue – Former Reebok and Dollar General CEO |
Democrat: |
Michelle Nunn – Non-Profit ED; daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn |
Note: |
Ms. Nunn is not yet an announced candidate. |
Hawaii (Special Election) |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Brian Schatz (D) – appointed 2013 |
Democrat: |
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI-1) |
Illinois |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Dick Durbin (D) – originally elected 1996 |
Republican: |
Chad Koppie – Kane County School Board Member |
Iowa |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Tom Harkin (D) – originally elected 1984; not seeking re-election |
Democrat: |
Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA-1) |
Republicans: |
Matt Whitaker – former US Attorney |
|
David Young – former Chief of Staff to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) |
Kentucky |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) – originally elected 1984 |
Democrat: |
Alison Lundergan Grimes – Secretary of State |
Notes: |
Ms. Grimes is being heavily recruited to run, but so far has resisted entering the race. It is becoming more unlikely that she will do so. If she passes, Sen. McConnell could face only minor candidates. |
Louisiana |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) – originally elected 1996 |
Republican: |
Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA-6) |
Massachusetts (Special Election) |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mo Cowan (D) – appointed 2013; not seeking election |
Democrat: |
Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA-5) |
Republican: |
Gabriel Gomez – Businessman |
Michigan |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Carl Levin (D) – originally elected 1978; not seeking re-election |
Democrat: |
Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI-14) |
Republican: |
Terri Lynn Land – former Secretary of State |
Minnesota |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Al Franken (D) – originally elected 2008 |
Democrat: |
Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI-14) |
Republicans: |
Jim Abeler – State Representative |
|
Mike McFadden – Finance industry executive |
Montana |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Max Baucus (D) – originally elected 1978; not seeking re-election |
Democrat: |
Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI-14) |
Republicans: |
Champ Edmunds – State Representative |
|
Corey Stapleton – Former state Senate Minority Leader |
Notes: |
All are awaiting former Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s (D) decision whether to run for the seat. The ex-governor just accepted a new position a chairman of a mining company and intimated that he is in no hurry to make a political decision. If he chooses not to run, expect many Democrats to come forward. At-large Rep. Steve Daines (R) may also run if Schweitzer does not. Should he enter the campaign, the ex-governor will be considered the heavy favorite to win. |
Nebraska |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Mike Johanns (R) – originally elected 2008; not seeking re-election |
Republican: |
Shane Osborn – Former state Treasurer |
New Hampshire |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) – originally elected 2008 |
Notes: |
No one has yet to announce their candidacy here, but former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) is testing the political waters. If he doesn’t run, former Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH-1) could become a candidate. Guinta is also considering running for his former House seat. |
New Jersey (Special Election) |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Jeff Chiesa (R) – appointed 2013; not seeking election |
Democrat: |
Cory Booker – Newark Mayor |
|
Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ-12) |
|
Sheila Oliver – State Assembly Speaker |
|
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6) |
Republicans: |
Alieta Eck – Physician |
|
Steve Lonegan – Former mayor of Bogota |
New Mexico |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Tom Udall (D) – originally elected 2008 |
Notes: |
No one has officially entered this race, but Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, State Economic Development Secretary, former congressional candidate Jon Barela, and ex-state Republican chairman Allen Weh all are possible contenders. |
North Carolina |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Kay Hagan (D) – originally elected 2008 |
Republicans: |
Greg Brannon – Physician |
|
Thom Tillis – Speaker of the NC House of Representatives |
Oklahoma |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R) – originally elected 1994 |
Democrat: |
Mark Silverstein – Insurance Agency Owner |
South Carolina |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) – originally elected 2002 |
Republican: |
Richard Cash – Pastor; former congressional candidate |
Democrat: |
Jay Stamper – Businessman |
South Dakota |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Tim Johnson (D) – originally elected 1996; not seekingre-election |
Republican: |
Mike Rounds – former governor |
Democrat: |
Rick Weiland – Former staff member to Sen. Tom Daschle (D) |
West Virginia |
Incumbent: |
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) – originally elected 1984; not seeking re-election |
Democrat: |
Sheirl Fletcher – Former state delegate |
Republican: |
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV-2) |
|
Pat McGeehan – Former state Delegate |