US midterms predictions: The top US Senate races to watch

Mark 8 November connected your calendars: America's going to the polls again.

Control of the US Congress is up for grabs successful these midterm elections, including 35 Senate races that volition determine who calls the shots successful the precocious chamber.

Currently the Senate is divided 50-50 betwixt the 2 parties, with Democrats successful complaint due to the fact that they tin telephone connected the vice-president to formed tie-breaking votes.

If Republicans flip adjacent 1 Democrat-held seat, they volition prehend backmost the powerfulness to thwart President Joe Biden's agenda.

Here's a usher to the six states to watch, and the play unfolding there.

Two upset victories successful this traditionally blimpish confederate authorities yet gave the Democrats power of the Senate aft the 2020 predetermination - and Georgia could beryllium pivotal again.

One of the winners was Raphael Warnock, 53, who became the state's first-ever achromatic legislator acknowledgment to African American voters turning retired successful immense numbers. This time, Republicans person besides nominated a achromatic candidate, Herschel Walker, 60.

The 2 men some travel from humble roots, but the paths they've taken - and their authorities contiguous - could not beryllium much different. Senator Warnock is simply a Baptist preacher who roseate to prominence arsenic the elder pastor astatine Martin Luther King Jr's church. Mr Walker is an American shot fable who was lured into the contention by his aged person Donald Trump.

Walker's run has been plagued by a bid of idiosyncratic scandals - yet blimpish voters look to similar his plea for redemption and his rejection of wide policies. The Democratic campaigner hopes his run to support termination and voting rights volition animate liberals - but precocious inflation, a slowing system and the unpopularity of President Joe Biden endanger his constrictive lead.

If neither campaigner gets 50% - a anticipation due to the fact that determination is simply a third-party Libertarian campaigner - past determination volition beryllium a run-off predetermination connected 6 December.

Close contests person go the norm here. The past 2 statesmanlike elections were each decided by hardly 1% - and this Senate contention could besides travel down to the wire.

Perhaps that's wherefore it's got truthful personal. Or possibly it's due to the fact that of the larger-than-life characters.

John Fetterman, 53, is the tattooed 6ft 8in (2m) Harvard-graduate-turned-small-town politician who usually dresses successful shorts and a hoodie. The progressive Democrat had a commanding pb until helium suffered a changeable a fewer months agone that required him to usage adjacent captioning exertion to reply questions.

His Republican opponent, Mehmet Oz - champion known to TV viewers arsenic "Dr Oz" from the Oprah Winfrey Show - has capitalised, repeatedly challenging him to nationalist debates and adjacent suggesting Mr Fetterman would not beryllium sick if helium "had ever eaten a rootlike successful his life".

In return, the Fetterman run has trolled the personage bosom surgeon connected societal media arsenic a carpetbagger from New Jersey, a peddler of disproven occurrence cures and adjacent a puppy killer.

Strap successful for the last agelong and immoderate predetermination nighttime speeches which volition beryllium compulsory viewing.

This is different contention that experts are calling a "toss up" due to the fact that it's excessively adjacent to telephone close now.

Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto won predetermination to Congress successful 2016 arsenic the country's archetypal ever Latina senator. Now she's viewed arsenic the astir at-risk campaigner this twelvemonth - and Latino voters whitethorn assistance descend her bid for re-election.

Democrats person been losing crushed with Latinos successful caller years - successful portion due to the fact that galore similar blimpish policies connected termination and immigration. But it's the struggling system - the astir important contented for each demographic - which is astir damaging. Nevada, which relies truthful overmuch connected the riches generated successful Las Vegas and Reno, was peculiarly hard deed by the pandemic.

Republicans are hoping voters punish the enactment successful power. If they do, past Adam Laxalt, 44, could travel successful the footsteps of his begetter and gramps who some served successful the Senate. He is endorsed by Mr Trump and backs the ex-president's unfounded claims that the 2020 predetermination was stolen.

Nowhere person conspiracy theories astir the 2020 predetermination taken clasp much powerfully than successful the Grand Canyon State.

The Republican campaigner for Senate, Blake Masters, 36, openly pushes the alleged "Big Lie", arsenic bash the candidates for different cardinal positions.

A self-professed "America First conservative" with a nationalist platform, helium is fiercely captious of Big Tech, opposes US assistance to Ukraine and has adjacent called for a national Bitcoin reserve.

Seeking to support the Democratic-held spot is Mark Kelly, a erstwhile Nasa astronaut who ran for bureau aft a antheral changeable and astir killed his wife, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, successful 2011.

The mates person focused connected weapon power activism implicit the past decennary arsenic Ms Giffords dilatory regains her quality to read, talk and walk. But Senator Kelly has been connected the antiaircraft implicit amerciable migration successful this borderline state, rejecting Mr Masters' assertion helium supports "open borders".

Top Republican groups person avoided large spending connected this race, owed successful portion to the fringe views espoused by the Masters campaign, and Mr Kelly has maintained a pb since the summer.

In different sharply divided authorities wherever elections are decided connected razor-thin margins, Democrats made this contention their biggest people aboriginal connected successful the predetermination cycle.

Party strategists salivated erstwhile Senator Ron Johnson, who had promised to discontinue arsenic a lawmaker aft his 2nd term, changed his caput due to the fact that "the state is successful excessively overmuch peril".

The Republican, 67, voted against certifying Joe Biden's 2020 predetermination victory, downplays the riot astatine the US Capitol, and adjacent erstwhile suggested gargling mouthwash to termination the coronavirus.

But Republicans reason it is the Democratic nominee Mandela Barnes, 35, whose positions are extreme. They mention the Wisconsin lieutenant governor's erstwhile relation with the far-left question to defund constabulary and abolish the bureau that detains amerciable immigrants.

Mr Barnes has sought to absorption connected Mr Johnson's anti-abortion views but it's the Republican - successful enactment with the nationalist polls - who has momentum.

The Buckeye State voted solidly Republican successful 2 consecutive statesmanlike elections, truthful this contention was ne'er expected to beryllium arsenic adjacent arsenic it has been.

Democrats nominated Tim Ryan, 49, a 10-term lawmaker successful the House of Representatives and 2020 statesmanlike candidate.

Republicans nominated JD Vance, 38, a task capitalist who achieved wide fame with his best-selling 2016 memoir-turned-Netflix-film "Hillbilly Elegy".

Once a alleged "Never Trumper", Mr Vance present enthusiastically embraces Mr Trump - oregon arsenic the erstwhile president described it: "JD is kissing my ass, helium wants my enactment truthful bad!"

The novice person has stumbled connected the run way and Mr Ryan, who erstwhile challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her enactment gavel successful the House, has kept the unit on.

Outside spending by Republican groups is keeping Mr Vance afloat successful the last weeks of the campaign, assailing his hostile successful adverts arsenic a fake "moderate" who afloat supports what they picture arsenic the Democrat's extremist agenda.

Mr Vance whitethorn good spell connected to win, but helium volition person to sweat to marque it happen.