Races to Watch

Who will be the big winners in the upcoming midterm elections?

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California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photos)

The stakes are high as Democrats and Republicans get ready to face off this November.  With the midterm elections approaching, candidates are taking sides on major issues like the economy and immigration.

In hopes of taking back majority control of Congress, Democrats are sending a message of change. Republicans now have 30 more seats in the House and 11 more seats in the Senate. The Democrats want very much to have more control over the laws that are passed in the next two-year session.

The war in Iraq has caused many voters to reconsider the candidates they are supporting in this year’s elections. There are 435 seats to be decided in the House and 33 in the Senate. In many states, Republicans and Democrats are so close in opinion polls that no one is sure who will win.  

Here are some important and close races to watch:

I'll Be Back: California's Race for Governor

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has made some major transformations in his lifetime. First, he was a professional bodybuilder. Then he became a Hollywood actor. Now he's Governor of California.

Schwarzenegger, who is a Republican, has become what he calls a "Republican reformer."  Some analysts say his policies are more like a Democrat’s than a Republican’s. He has supported laws to protect the environment, increase the minimum wage, and provide cheaper prescription drugs.

The Democratic challenger, Phil Angelides, is reminding people that Schwarzenegger has rejected many Democratic polices while in office.  Angelides says Schwarzenegger is just "pretending to be a Democrat.”

California State Treasurer Phil Angelides, the Democratic candidate for Governor in the November election. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photos)

At this point, it's hard to say what will happen in California's race for governor. Schwarzenegger has much more star power compared with Angelides, who is currently the state’s Treasurer. But California traditionally votes Democratic in statewide elections, so anything is possible.

Firsts for Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, the race for Governor is a historic one. If either Democrat Deval Patrick or Republican Kerry Healey is elected, the state will have its first black or its first female elected Governor.

The race currently hinges on a single issue: illegal immigration.   Healey has already taken a tough stand against illegal immigration.  She wants photo identification at polling locations to make sure only American citizens can vote. She also wants to penalize or punish companies that hire illegal immigrants.

Patrick has said very little about illegal immigration. He says he supports more security at the nation's borders. He also supports some policies to help illegal immigrants stay in the country.

Some analysts think that Healey's stand will help her in the election.  This may be especially true if voters feel that illegal immigrants would negatively affect things like the education or health care system.

"I think immigration works to her advantage," Jeffrey Berry said.  Berry is a political science professor at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. "Connecting the dots between someone's most recent paycheck and illegal immigration is tough, but it strikes people on a very emotional level."

Allen vs. Webb in Virginia

Democrats need only six seats to win control in the Senate, making each close Senate race an important one. In Virginia, Republican Sen. George Allen is running against challenger Jim Webb, a Democrat. So far, both campaigns have run negative ads about the opposing candidates, creating a tense environment.

Sen. Allen was recently accused of using a racial slur against one of Webb's staff members. At the time, the staff member was videotaping an Allen campaign speech.

The scandal has apparently worked to Webb's advantage. According to a recent poll, Allen's lead has shrunk from 12 points to only 4 points.
 
Pennsylvania Senate Seat

In Pennsylvania, Democrats may have a chance to grab another Senate seat. Democrat Robert Casey Jr. recently doubled his lead in the polls over incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Santorum. Casey now holds a 14-point lead over the senator, according to a recent opinion poll.

Many analysts think this may be the Democrats’ best chance at gaining a seat in the Senate. Still, Santorum has raised more money than his opponent and could still have a chance if Republicans turn out in force to vote on Election Day.

Independent Lieberman

After losing the Democratic primary, (elections to choose a party's candidate) Senator Joe Lieberman refused to give up. Now Lieberman is running in Connecticut as an Independent. This means that he's not associated with a political party. Because of this, Lieberman must face two candidates: Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Alan Schlesinger. Lieberman is the incumbent but has already lost one race in his bid for re-election.

Lamont won the Democratic primary by only a small margin. He is against the war on Iraq and many of President Bush's policies.

Lieberman voted for the war against Iraq. Since his loss in the primary, Lieberman has held a comfortable lead over Lamont in most polls.  

Surprisingly, most of Lieberman's supporters are Republicans. But despite Republican support, Lieberman has promised that he will remain a Democrat if re-elected to the Senate.

 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

How do you think the war in Iraq will affect the midterm elections in November?

Join the discussion.

 

Tiffany Chaparro is a contributing writer for Scholastic News Online.

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